12 weeks left. I am in complete disbelief as to how fast the time is going. Each week seems faster than the last! I feel that there is so much left to do and to be honest I feel anxious about it all. It is a good feeling; stressful and overwhelming to say the least, but something that I absolutely can not wait for.

The last time I shared an update was about 3 weeks ago; 25 weeks! At that point I was still feeling pretty good both mentally and physically yet I could sense that my body was changing quickly. I was aware of the third trimester symptoms from either friends sharing theirs or simply reading about it online and by the end of the second trimester, it seems that all these symptoms hit me. It almost felt like the first trimester all over again, but at a lesser intensity level.

Right now at 28 weeks (third trimester) she is about 16 inches long and weighs over 2.5 lbs. She is the size of a coconut or a rollerblade as my app shares with me…which feels so big to me! I sometimes can’t picture my belly getting any bigger, but I know that it will continue grow at an even faster rate! In the next three months she will more than triple her weight. Her kicks are becoming more intense but not as frequently. She seems to be the most active when I am completely at rest or in the evening as I am trying to go to bed. Go figure! I am still seeing the doctor every 4 weeks but soon it will become every 2. I will be 30 weeks at my next doctors apt. It is then, that I will start testing for gestational diabetes. I know I have talked about this numerous times and I have decided to test my blood sugar 2 hours after each meal for 2 weeks vs. drinking the glucose drink. This has been my final decision and I am interested in seeing how different foods, exercise, etc affects my blood sugar which will only help myself in the long run to take better care of what my body needs! 

Like I said before, there are so many things that have to be done before she arrives! I am trying to enjoy each week as they pass but there is a lot to think about as well as have ready- it will only make it easier in the long run. I also know that we will figure out things as we go, what we need, what works and doesn’t but it is always comforting to have some sort of plan. For her room, that is still a work in progress. We finally ordered her crib + changing table (thanks mom!) as well as the bassinet that she will be sleeping in for the first few months. It is now a waiting game as to when they will arrive. I’ve also finished created a baby registry and will be having a baby shower in July! I am grateful to be able to have a shower but creating the baby registry list was overwhelming! I asked many friends, looked at other registries, as well as did my own research to figure out what would be the best for her and fit our lifestyle needs. We are pretty lucky to live in a world today where we can order anything that we need and almost have it immediately, so I am not entirely worried if we don’t have everything right away. I’ll share my top picks later on.  

A few other important things that I need to do: 

1. Schedule a tour of the hospital so we can became familiar with the area when I go into labor and deliver the baby.

2. Create a birth plan. For this, I mainly want to have a guideline as to how I hope things will go during labor and delivery. It will be comforting to have a written document down so the nurses, doctor, and myself are all on the same page but also be aware that flexibility will be key! 

3. Schedule an apt. with a Lactation Consultant. I plan on breastfeeding when the baby is born and this will be helpful before she arrives in offering tips, suggestions, and answer all my questions. I also ordered my breast pump through my insurance (free!).

4. Night Nurse. We may have a night nurse help us for the first month. We haven’t scheduled anything or even confirmed, but we are thinking it may be helpful to have someone help us a few times a week overnight. They will help get the baby on a schedule, help me with breastfeeding if I am having trouble, and help with the baby once I have finished breastfeeding such as with changing, getting the baby back to sleep etc. I know (yet have no clue) as to how challenging the first few weeks and even months can be with sleep, so I am thinking this may be helpful for the both of us.

5. Pack a hospital bag and make sure we have everything (create a list) needed for the day we will bring her home!

6. Pediatrician. I have mainly figured out where we will be going and what we will need to do to set everything in place! Mainly it comes down to picking the doctor that we will go with.

There are many other things that need to get done as well, but as soon as we set the above list in order and get her baby room going- I will start to feel a bit more ready!

OK, so what has been going on with me!

1. Major back pain. Besides extreme exhaustion, this is the one symptom that always sticks out when others ask how I am feeling. To describe the feeling, it feels as if I slipped and fell directly on my tailbone/pelvic bone. My lower back feels tight, stiff, and that it is expanding! It is hard to sit for longer periods of time, lay on my back, and even my sides at time - which makes for a pretty uncomfortable sleeping experience. Things that help: heating pads, making sure I am hydrated, warm salt baths, walking/exercise, prenatal massages.

2. Exhaustion: I feel as if my body has returned to the first trimester! This time around however, the tired feeling feels a bit different. I feel more out of breath, tired by the end of the day, moving a bit slower, and have this feeling of wanting to always be home. I don’t have the sense to want to nap all day like I used to in the first trimester, in fact I want to work as much as I can during the morning hours and then take it easier as the day progresses. I just feel that I have zero energy for things later in the day and especially in the evening; my brain just doesn’t feel like operating and I become physically uncomfortable by then.

3. Mental Health: I could almost write an entire separate blog post on this topic. In the last few weeks I have started to feel anxious, overwhelmed, “blah", and a bit sad at times. I am completely aware that it is situational and believe that even good stressors of life can bring about these types of feelings. It is very possible to feel extremely happy while feeling anxious at the same time! There are some days that I am so overwhelmed that I just break down and cry. Once I take a step back, figure out what needs to be done, and start accomplishing the smallest of tasks, everything seems more manageable. The idea that she will be here in 12 weeks is both a scary and exciting thought! I don’t think anyone understands how your life will change until it happens. I feel anxious and overwhelmed again with the idea of taking care of her in the future, working now (& having things done before she arrives so I can enjoy that time!), my body as it changes each and everyday, getting everything ready for her with doctors, hospital, things she will need (there is so much to think about it), and just the fact that she will be here so soon! I don’t have too many friends that are pregnant so it can be hard to relate to others at this time, which can make it feel lonely and isolating! I feel tired more frequently and often have zero energy to do anything socially which again, makes it a bit more isolating. Again, I understand and am aware that it is situational and these feelings will change, become more intense, as well as become non-existent at any given day! I am coping by making sure I am continuing with my exercises, I am still teaching my yoga classes, working as much as I can in the morning, walking outside, spending time at home, taking it a bit easier certain days, and meeting friends during the day.

4. HEAT. Despite the heat of the summer and the fact that it is harder to control my own body temperature, I am actually happy to be pregnant during these months. What I am learning each day is how to modify, slow down, and how to stay hydrated all day long. It is almost impossible to go for a longer walk in the afternoon or take any type of workout class in a gym/studio later on in the day. My goal moving forward is to try my best to complete my workouts early in the morning! I am happy that I can wear comfortable clothing that isn’t as tight - summer just makes it easier for that sense when you are pregnant and especially in the heat. The heat causes me to feel tired, dizzy, and a bit nausea so I have to make sure I am constantly drinking water or eating cooling foods all day long.

5. Exercise/Workouts: I happy that I am able to continue on with the my same workouts as I have done previously before pregnancy, obviously at a very modified level. Yoga is starting to feel amazing again and I have been trying to go at least 2x a week. I am still working out at Barry’s but only continuing on with very light jogging/walking and mainly sticking to body weight exercises at this point. Reasons being for me personally, the studios feel even hotter to me as the temperatures increase outside, I am more winded easily, and I just want to take it a bit slower- it feels better that way. On the days that I do not take a class (about 3-4x a week) I try and walk for about 45 minutes (usually 1-2x) a week to get fresh air and be outside. Once again I have to go in the morning or I can forget about it! I am hoping to start swimming again in the ocean once the beach water heats up a bit, that always feels the best on my body.

6. Increase Thirst: Some days I feel like that I can’t get enough water in my body to feel satisfied. I am extremely thirsty all day long and I don’t know if it has to do with the heat or simply being pregnant. My oddest craving is lemonade; I never really drank it before, but I can’t stop with it during pregnancy. I usually make my own with fresh squeezed lemons, a mix of water/club soda, little sweetener (stevia or coconut sugar). Of course with increase thirst comes the problem of having to pee every second of the day, but the more water I drink the better it is for the development of the baby.

7. Stomachaches: I have the typical/normal round ligament pain in my belly area as my belly continues to expand and grow but after I eat I have such stomaches. By the end of the day, I feel as if I can not find anything else in there food wise, yet I am hungry. It is difficult, but I am learning to try and eat smaller meals throughout the day and dinner be the lightest one. Sometimes it makes me feel as if I can’t catch my breath and my stomach is extremely bloated, but by the morning I feel back to normal. Being extremely hungry all day, having stomachaches, and feeling like you can’t fit anymore food is the strangest feeling.

Those are the major symptoms I am feeling now as I head into the third trimester. I am happy that I can share this with you all! Here are a few quick things:

Baby’s Due Date: August 31st
Name: TBD! We are having a hard time with this! We have a few that we like / love and then keep changing our minds.
Food cravings: chocolate covered almonds, lemonade, smoothies, fruits, sweet potatoes, fries, anything cooling
Food aversions: coffee at times (ugh!), chicken, certain vegetables, anything spicy.
Workouts: Average 4x a week between yoga, weights, light jogging, walking
Baby’s first outfit: My mom and I went shopping the other day and found a special outfit for her the day we get to bring her home! If I can find the link, I will link it here!
Necessities: Chose a diaper bag (in a different color than linked) + stroller + car seat. As well as the crib, changing table, and bassinet linked above.
Weight + Belly size: All right on track! I have gained about 17 pounds and the measurement of my belly is right on target for my frame.