Third Trimester Update and Q&A

I truly cannot believe we are already so close to Baby O’s arrival! My pregnancy has truly flown by between juggling multiple careers and kicking off a major home renovation. While I would love a little more time to read, prepare and rest, I’m also glad that my schedule is keeping me busy these days as we count down.

How are you feeling, truly?
While things are getting more uncomfortable and harder to do, I truly feel I can’t complain. I’ve felt pretty good overall and am trying to stay as healthy as possible, physically and mentally! For being in my last couple weeks of pregnancy, I feel I’m doing really well. That being said, I’ve had some swelling, pelvic floor pain (rolling over in bed, omg) and pain with some ribs that keep moving out of place, but overall it’s been quite manageable. The summer heat has definitely been hard on me with swelling and regulating body temperature, so I’m maximizing my time indoors. Mentally, I feel like I don’t even recognize my body anymore, and I’m ready to feel a bit more myself, but our sweet little one will make the body sacrifices completely worth it.

Are you nervous about labor? How are you preparing for birth?
To be honest, I am definitely a bit nervous, especially because it’s something I’ve never experienced before. Some days I feel really confident and some days I worry about being mentally and physically strong enough to follow through with my ideal birth roadmap. However, I’m staying calm and I’ve been doing as much as possible to remove fear and anxiety about the experience and to prepare my body through:

+ working with a doula
+ reading and watching birth stories (to grow more comfortable with the process)
+ listening to the My Essential Birth podcast
+ journaling birthing affirmations
+ visiting a Webster-certified chiropractor these last few weeks of pregnancy for optimal alignment & baby position
+ going for lots of walks and doing some gentle pilates workouts (for stamina, alignment and baby position)
+ holding squats to build up endurance in those muscles
+ drinking raspberry leaf tea (to tone and soften my uterus)
+ eating a few dates each day (to soften/ripen my cervix)
+ hydrating like crazy (and adding electrolytes)
+ spending time daily sitting on my birth ball

Ultimately, I feel really confident and trusting in my birthing team (Trey, our doula Lizzy, and our wonderful doctor), which brings a lot of peace. Trust is extremely important to me (enneagram type 6 here) and I trust them all deeply.

I’m also reminding myself that women all over the world have birthed babies since the beginning of human life on earth, and that our bodies and babies magically know how to work together to make it happen. The more I’ve learned, the more I’m just in awe of the female body and its divine power!

What have your pregnancy cravings been?

I haven’t had any strong cravings to where I feel like I need to eat something immediately, but I’ve continued to love cold fruit and raw veggies, in addition to red meat and chicken enchiladas!

Favorite snacks/nourishment during your third trimester?
In these final weeks I’m really focusing on protein and fiber (and of course striving for a wide variety of nourishing foods and nutrients).

Some of my favorite snacks lately:

+ Clean protein bars (IQ and GoMacro)
+ Dates with peanut butter (dates have been found to ripen/soften the cervix in preparation for birth, and also to shorten the early labor stage, so I’ve been eating a few each day)
+ String cheese
+ Cold, raw veggies alone or with hummus
+ Deli meat
+ Chia seed pudding with berries (and I add collagen powder)

I also started drinking 1-2 cups of raspberry leaf tea daily at 34 weeks! It was recommended by my doctor and doula to help soften/ripen my cervix in preparation for birth (my doctor said she’s seen a huge difference in her mamas who drink it in the final stretch).

What have you done exercise-wise?
The vast majority of my exercise (pregnant or not) is Pilates and walking. My third trimester has been absurdly busy between work and photography, so I haven’t worked out as much as I had originally hoped and planned, but in these last weeks of pregnancy I’m prioritizing regular walks, doing some squats to build endurance, and holding positions and stretches paired with deep breathing (based on guidance from my doula and chiropractor).

When did you start planning for baby’s arrival?
Overall, we’ve been a little behind, but we’re making it work. Ironically, one of the busiest couple months of my life have fallen in my third trimester, and I truly don’t know how I made it through work, photographing seven weddings, purchasing a home and starting renovations, and the extreme physical changes of the third trimester.

We did our education with our doula in April and May, and also created our birth plan and postpartum plan with her. In May I had my first baby shower and our car seat came in. I just had my final baby shower (in mid June) and have also received lots of diapers and wipes the past few weeks, so I feel much more prepared! I still feel we have lots to do, but I think we at least have the absolute basics ready to go, and a network of support we can lean on.

What prenatal and other supplements have you been taking during your pregnancy?

+ Thorne and Ritual (linked $15 off) prenatals. Thorne is my primary one, but I swap in the Ritual one if I’m nauseous, traveling, or especially tired. Both have folate (rather than the synthetic folic acid), which was a “must” to me.
+ Prenatal DHA
+ Choline (especially on days that I don’t eat eggs)
+ Synbiotic (prebiotic + probiotic). Switched to this during pregnancy and couldn’t love it more!
+ Magnesium before bed (something that’s been in my routine for years)
+ Zinc (have also taken for years)
+ I’ve also been using some of the Wishgarden Herbs pregnancy tinctures (particularly the variscosity one for circulation)

When did you start packing your hospital bag, and what are you bringing?
I started packing mine at 37 weeks, but will continue adjusting and adding in these final few weeks. Time-permitting I’ll share on my Instagram, and maybe after-the-fact I’ll do a blog post with the list and what we used.

How do you find motivation while exhausted?
Honestly, taking one day at a time, and sometimes even one segment of the day at a time.

I try to prioritize what is most important for my day (under the work, home, and self-care categories), and whatever else doesn’t get done I don’t dwell on like I used to. I also really try to listen to my body and tune into when it has a bit of energy. For example, after a long day of sitting at my desk, it feels so good to go for a walk or do a workout/stretch. And if I’m exhausted, I let myself just be, whether that’s taking an epsom salt bath, sitting on my birth ball, or getting in bed early with a book (or Bravo haha).

Another thing I’ve learned is that it’s okay to accept help. It’s not something I’m good at, but I’ve been accepting more help from our moms (a privilege to be close to them) and know we will continue to lean on them once the Baby is here.

What has been hardest about your third trimester?
The swelling and water weight/weight gain have been hard on me, both due to discomfort and just not feeling and looking like myself. The midwest heat is kicking my butt too! Overall I’m definitely achier and more tired, but I would still say I’m doing well for being in my last few weeks!

Has there been anything unexpected that you’ve loved about pregnancy?
What I’ve loved is the bond I already feel with our little one. It’s much stronger than I anticipated. I love feeling them move, imagining life as their mama, thinking about things we hope to experience with them, and truly being so excited to meet them. I feel like nurturing instincts have already kicked in much more strongly than I anticipated and I feel deeply connected with my body and baby. I’ve also enjoyed learning so much about pregnancy and birth! I find it all really fascinating and love being really informed.

I also have a whole new appreciation for female bodies and for mothers, as well as for my own body.

A bonus thing that I’ve loved is having the best skin of my life!

Do you plan to share your birth story?
As of right now, I likely will! Reading and watching birth stories have been extremely helpful to me during pregnancy. I of course don’t know exactly what our story will be, but I plan to share if and when I feel ready.

Has it been hard to wait to find out Baby O’s sex?
It’s honestly not been that hard, and overall I have enjoyed it! It’s built the anticipation even more, and it’s been fun to speculate either way and to have friends and family guess. In my final few weeks I’m definitely feeling more antsy to know, but I wouldn’t change a thing! I truly cannot wait for the moment when our baby arrives Trey tells me!

Do you have a gut feeling about your baby being a girl or boy?
I haven’t my entire pregnancy until these last few weeks. Trey and I are leaning the same way, but only time will tell! Regardless, we will be overjoyed and overwhelmed either way :)