The third trimester definitely went by the fastest. It’s hard to believe my pregnancy is over! What seemed like forever has gone by in the blink of an eye. As I write this, little Lainey is taking a nap next to me. She is three weeks old and I am finally getting around to writing about my experience.
Changing Providers
One of the biggest changes that happened during my third trimester was changing my OBGYN! Yep, you read that right. I changed providers right at the start of my third trimester and saw my new OB when I was 30 weeks. I was so nervous to switch late in my pregnancy but it ended up being the best decision!
Leading up to this point I was having some major fear and anxiety about how labor/delivery would go. I was unhappy after my appointments and finally told my husband we had to make a change. When I brought it up, he completely agreed and encouraged me to make the switch. After talking with my doula and a couple of friends and family, I made an appointment with the new provider. It took almost 3 weeks to get everything switched from my original provider. I was a nervous wreck during this time! The original provider was taking forever to send my chart but had also canceled my next appointments. I was sure that I wasn’t going to have an OB at this point. lol But finally everything got switched over and I saw the new OB a few days later.
As soon as I met with my new OB, all my fear and anxiety were gone! It makes such a difference to have a provider who supports you in what you want, takes time to listen to your concerns, and educates you about your options.
I talk a little more about why I think it is so important to have a provider you trust in my pregnancy essentials post. You can check that out here!
Return of the nausea
If you remember from my first trimester, my nausea was really bad. I started having nausea again around 30 weeks. It would start usually around 6 pm and last for a couple of hours. It started to subside around 36 weeks. I couldn’t figure out anything that helped it so I just kind of dealt with it.
Diet and Exercise
As I got closer to her due date, my taste buds started reverting back to what they were like during the first trimester. I wanted alllll the carbs and super basic foods. I had a lot of oatmeal, gluten free chicken nuggets, and sweet potato fries. Oh, and I was completely obsessed with a toasted club royale on gluten free bread from Jason’s Deli. (Extra honey mustard, of course.) Poor Dylan ate Jason’s many times with me with no complaints.
During the third trimester, my workouts became more stretching, banded exercises, and walking. My body was exhausted just getting through my workdays and working out like I was used to just wasn’t something I could do. Instead of beating myself up about it, I listened to what my body needed and rested. Thankfully, my trainer Kim was super supportive of this! If you are looking for a trainer, I highly recommend Ground Zero Fitness. I linked her website here.
Exhaustion
As the belly grew, my exhaustion grew too. My body was physically tired towards the end of the day. I worked all the way up to the day I delivered. Work began to get really hard standing all day. I would be on the couch or in bed when I got home to try to get as much rest as possible. (Fun fact: I worked a full shift the day I went into labor. I got off at 8 pm and she was born 7 hours later!)
Baby Movement
One of the best parts of the third trimester is feeling so much baby movement! The kicks get stronger and you can see the baby moving when you look at your belly. So wild!! She started to react to noise and light. She would start kicking super hard and squirming around until I ate a snack and then would stop! She is just as hangry now as she was then. lol One thing I already miss is feeling her move around!
Braxton Hicks
I started having braxton hicks contractions around 32 weeks. They were more annoying than anything. The tightening in my belly got stronger and stronger. I remember many times trying to counsel a patient but having to stop because they were squeezing and taking my breath away!
Nesting
Nesting is a real thing for sure! Around 35 weeks I started feeling like I needed to organize every drawer, closet, room, you name it! I cleaned out so many things it was kind of getting ridiculous. At about 38 weeks, we had everything that we wanted to do before she arrived done. At that point, I didn’t know what to do with myself. We were anxiously waiting for her arrival!
Be on the lookout for my birth story next!!
