W27D1 – Third trimester!

Today is officially Day 1 of third trimester!

And it definitely feels like it!

I feel BIGGER. My hips are frequently sore and it’s difficult to sit up and stand up. Getting out of bed entails rolling to one side and pushing myself up with my hand. I’m getting the classic “bowling ball in pelvis” sensation…. which is exactly what it sounds like. Afternoons are particularly bad, as I hobble bow-legged to and from the bathroom. One person even asked if I was hurt (“No, just trying to walk like a normal person.”).

And the peeing! Let me tell you, It Has Begun. The constant peeing. It was pretty bad in first trimester, which is totally normal. Second tri brought sweet, sweet relief in the form of being able to hold my bladder through an entire night. Now I’m back up to once-a-night toilet visits, and I suspect that’ll only increase. A couple nights ago I had to get up THREE times. Ugh!

My appetite is still going strong. I’m at +20 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight (you can track my weight gain here), completely within range of the 15-30 pounds expected at start of third tri. Tragically, the increase in metabolism has me eating through the night again. Each time I pee, my stomach starts growling so bad I have to get a snack before going back to bed. Mixed nuts and whole milk – both packed with proteins and fats – have been my go-to. Baby girl sure does love her milk!

Exercising is becoming more difficult for sure. I ended up raising the handlebars on my road bike, which definitely helps for extra belly room (you can read the full instructions HERE). Crouching down is still uncomfortable though, and since my ride is straight and flat, without cars, I’ve taken to riding hands-free most of the six miles (don’t tell my husband 😉 ). It used to take me about 25min to do the ride, and now I’m closer to 35min. I cruise at about 3 gears lower than normal, and my heart really gets going! Finally crawling into work has me exhausted and weak, at which point I’m ready to take a nap and devour everything in sight.

My doctor had me start taking iron to help with the weakness. My second trimester glucose test showed me borderline anemic, so the iron supplement should help my body create more red blood cells, which will carry more oxygen through my body and help me feel less weak.

Emotionally…. well, I’m having a baby! She’s kicking a lot more, and I swear she responds to my touch and voice. She’s most active when I first get up, in the afternoon and dinnertime, and falling asleep. Occasionally she kicks during the night too, but only after I get up first. She also kicks a lot when I’m hungry or have just eaten.

It’s really starting to sink in that I’m having a baby! I am SO excited. Last night during my regular pee run, I couldn’t fall back asleep for the excitement. I keep imagining what she’ll be like. What is someone like who’s half me and half my husband?

I talk to her about what we’re doing. She gets really active when I’m active, so I tell her that we’re climbing, or doing aerials, or biking. I tell her about me and Richard, about the life we have and the one we’re setting up to welcome her into. I tell her about her extended family and all the places we visit.

I also warn her about labor. I read a really great article about going “all natural,” and the woman basically said, “Anytime I thought I was going through a hard time, I thought about what my little baby was going through!” So I let her know what to expect, and that it might be scary for her but that her mom and dad are waiting for her on the other side and will take good care of her.

The nesting instincts are kicking in for real. I keep fearing we won’t be prepared for her! Richard asks what specifically we still need to do, but all I have is a vague concern that things won’t be absolutely perfect for her. Even saying it, I realize it’s the hormones talking. We’ve already done so much to create a good home for her, and we still have three months til she arrives.

There’s part of my brain that knows things will be hard – harder than either of us can imagine! – once she arrives, but emotionally I have ZERO concern. We’ll have our sweet little girl with us, we can figure out anything else, right?

To be honest, even labor doesn’t have me too worried. Is that normal? I mean they say the only guarantee of labor is baby will be outside of mother. The chances of anything drastic happening to either of us in this day and age are pretty low. I’d like to give birth naturally, no epidural, but if that doesn’t happen so be it. I’m also learning about C-sections, because that seems like one thing that really is out of your control. Beyond that, I’m reading what other women went through during labor and what mantras or movements helped them.

Overall… getting big and uncomfortable but overwhelmed with excitement! Can’t wait to see what the next few months bring.

KK 19dec18