Where have I been the last ten weeks? Pregnant. That’s where I’ve been.
Seriously, though.. Although I have had such a great pregnancy, it’s like the minute you go into that first week of your third trimester, you’re completely zapped. Fall is typically a busy season at my job any way, so that on top of prepping for baby, nesting and all things in between, you become exhausted.
I wanted to share a quick recap with you all of my third trimester and what I’ve been doing to get ready for baby Stella. As far as appointments go, I started at around 28 weeks going to my OB/GYN every two weeks instead of every four. This seems to make things go by so, so quickly. Appointments still consist of pretty much the same ol’, same ol’ — weight, vitals, measuring your belly and asking any questions that you have. Zach and I also got our flu shots when I was at my 32 week appointment and I got the Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine at 35 weeks. This is completely optional, but I work in healthcare and anything I can do to prevent my baby from getting the flu, whooping cough or RSV, I’ll do it (after I do my research, of course!).
At 32 weeks we also got to do another ultrasound and see our girl! She has always measured ahead at her ultrasounds and she weighed in at a whopping 4 lbs. 2 oz. — Looks like we’re going to have a strong girl on our hands!
Aside from being a bit tired, I feel pretty similar to how I felt during my first trimester. I went back to craving Cherry Poptarts and Chicken Ramen Noodles for a few weeks and now I am craving healthy foods again like lean turkey, veggies, stir fry, etc. As of today, at 37 + 4, my total weight gain is around 18-19 lbs.
Although I’ve not been exercising consistently, I do try to make an effort to get my steps in every day and drink lots and lots of water. I actually cut out all diet pop from my diet a few weeks ago and I can tell a big difference already.
The past two weeks or so, my feet have started to swell and I’ve noticed that I have been retaining some fluid in my hands and legs (hence why I had to cut the pop), so I love soaking in a Dr. Teals epsom salt bath with mint and lavender every night to help with the swelling. Other than that, I honestly have had no issues (so far!) during this entire pregnancy.
I am starting to have some light cramps and pressure, but that is completely normal for this stage. Stella has also dropped a little bit, so the shortness of breath that I have had my entire pregnancy has actually eased up a bit.
After my baths or showers in the night and morning, I always use a couple of different oils and butters on my tummy and thighs to help prevent stretch marks. I’ll be doing a separate post on those soon, so stay tuned! I have found that the best time to apply any of the oils is when your skin is warm and exfoliated from the shower or bath.
As for this week, I had my second to last prenatal visit with my OB and we’ve installed the car seat and car seat bases in our cars. It makes it all seem so real when you see a car seat in your rear view mirror! I’ll be packing up my hospital bag and sharing all of the things that I’ll be taking to the hospital with me later this week. We can’t wait to meet our sweet girl!
-Jonnica
