It’s so hard to believe that we are in the home stretch of pregnancy. People tell me on Instagram that it feels like it went really fast. I’m going to disagree, lol. I feel like I have been pregnant for 1,500 years. Third trimester is from week 28-40 (or until the end). I am 34 weeks this week, but honestly that means nothing to me anymore. I’ll get into this more later into the post. I am definitely in my third trimester, so it is time for another update. I asked y’all to send me your questions on Sunday before my doc appointment this week, but even more questions came in through DMs after I gave a quick little update on my stories. So I’ve wrapped all these questions up and answered them below.
Check out my other pregnancy posts here.
How are you feeling?
Thanks for asking! I’m feeling quite large. 2nd Trimester was pretty good symptom-wise, but 3rd Trimester is harder. I’m very uncomfortable and getting some new symptoms that I wasn’t really prepared to get. I’ve started getting fat ankles at the end of the day if I don’t take time to put my feet up. I’ve also started getting Braxton Hicks contractions which are no day at Disneyland. I’m also not sleeping well because I can’t get comfortable, and then have to get up every 40ish minutes to pee. I can tell I’m getting more irritable and annoyed because I’m uncomfortable and sleep-deprived. So I’m happy we are nearing the end!
Also, if you tell me “just wait til the baby comes” in response to being tired, I will whip you with a car antenna. So please, just don’t.
When are you going to show us the nursery?
This was the most popular question, so I addressed it on my stories, but obviously will answer it here too! I am waiting on one piece to finish the nursery. I did see that my shipping status changed to “preparing your order” today and it is supposed to be here next week. As soon as that piece arrives and we finish up, I will show it to you. I’m so excited to share and I love how it turned out. It’s quickly become our favorite spot in the house to hang out.
Are you excited? Nervous?
All of the above! I can’t wait to meet our little one. While some parts of pregnancy have been a little harder, it will all be worth it to finally meet him/her! I was always on the fence about kids and didn’t really know if I was “mom material,” but now that I’m pregnant I can’t wait to be his/her mom. I am also definitely nervous. Birth doesn’t seem like a super fun time, but I keep telling myself it’s only one day. I can do anything hard for one day, and then I have a baby!
Have you packed your hospital bag? What’s in it?
I did a ton of research on this. I am 99% packed and plan to do a blog post about what is in my bag. Stay tuned!
What’s the name of the class you took again?
I took two classes from the Baby Academy. I took the free 2-hr workshop on baby care and then the all day paid online childbirth class. Stephen wasn’t with me for the 2-hr workshop so he is taking that this weekend. I will probably sit in as a refresher now that we are so much closer to the due date. I highly recommend both!
Have you asked your Healthcare provider about the COVID vaccine while your pregnant?
Yes, I actually asked them at the appointment before this last one. They said legally they can’t tell me what to do one way or another. I don’t even think I will have the opportunity to have the vaccine before my baby is born, but if for some reason that was not the case, I have decided I won’t be getting one while I’m pregnant. There just isn’t enough info on how if affects pregnant women and their baby. However, once the baby is born and I have the opportunity, I will get the vaccine.
Which diaper bag are you using?
I have several! They have different functions lol. I plan on posting about this next week!
Are you going to breastfeed? What pump are you using?
So I am going to try, but my whole philosophy about this pregnancy has been to trust my baby and my doctors. I have no birth plan other than don’t put a mirror near anything happening, I don’t need to see! Whatever we have to do to get him/her here safely is fine with me. I feel the same way about breastfeeding. I’m going to give it a go, but if it doesn’t work for me and my baby, then we’ll do something else. A fed baby is a fed baby. With that being said, I have the Spectra S2. I got a breast pump covered with my insurance. I did a lot of research on my options and this was the one I picked. I also have a Haaka which came HIGHLY recommended by my friends.
How was the Gestational Diabetes test?
Honestly, not NEARLY as bad as I thought it was going to be. Don’t listen to others because if you get anxious like I do, you get worked up about something that isn’t that bad. Seriously, my blood pressure was through the roof that day because I was so anxious. At all my other appointments it’s been low to normal. I had the orange flavor, and the drink tastes like really, really sugary gatorade. I have had nausea randomly throughout this whole pregnancy, and it didn’t make me sick. At my office, they keep it cold so it’s not so hard to get it down. I kind of felt dumb for how worked up I got about it. Just breathe and get through it.
Is your baby still large? Give us an update after the scan?
Yes! This is why I said I don’t care about my due date anymore, haha. My baby is currently measuring 6 pounds and a little over 35 weeks. He or she also has long legs. Every single time we do an ultrasound, my baby is growing at a different rate. That’s why I’ve had so many due dates. So I’m over the due date thing. Because we are still trending large, I have another growth scan in four weeks to see what the final plan is going to be. I will probably keep that final plan to myself, and just share when baby is here.
P.S. this is not a surprise. I weighed 10.4 at birth. I don’t have GD and neither did my mom. We just apparently make big babies in my family.
Can you tell us the name of the stretch mark cream again?
So this combo was working great until recently. I know genetics plays a large part of whether or not you are going to get stretch marks. My bump grew very quickly over the span of a week so I do have stretch marks now. (That was my first epic pregnancy breakdown. Lots of tears were shed over those stretch marks.) I would still recommend this cream though because I think it made a huge difference. I use it twice a day. I also use the exfoliating scrub in the shower.
Favorite gender neutral items?
Maybe I will do a post on this one too! I hadn’t planned on it, but this sounds like a good idea. I’ll work that into the calendar this month!
Was it sad to have a virtual shower? What’s been the hardest part of being pregnant during COVID?
I combined these questions. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was sad because I loved being able to celebrated Baby B with my friends and family in anyway we could. I had in my head that I wouldn’t be able to do anything, so it really was so special to still be able to celebrate. Was it how I pictured my first baby shower? Of course not, but I think we made the best of it. My friends did an incredible job, and I was so touched how they pulled it off.
It’s kind of lonely being pregnant during COVID. We aren’t going anywhere or seeing anyone, so I’ve kind of just been growing a baby and haven’t seen anyone. I miss my friends and extended family. I would say it’s that Stephen can’t come with me to appointments, but honestly regular prenatal appointments are so fast that he really isn’t missing much. He got to come to the anatomy scan, and that’s the one I really wanted him to be there for. I’m so thankful we got to be together for that appointment. I think we’re just both having a hard time not being with people during a really exciting time.
What is the deal with the Sonic ice?
Ok, I busted out laughing at this one. The Sonic ice obsession is two-fold. 1. I only like my water freezing cold. 2. I’m craving Sonic ice.
If you don’t have a Sonic near you, Sonic ice is the best. It’s small and pellet-y and perfect for chewing ice. I have always been an ice chewer, but that really intensified during pregnancy. Several of you were totally right, I have low iron and that makes you crave it more. However, I really have always been an ice chewer. So every week/week and a half we go get a bag of Sonic ice and I put that in my water. It helps me drink my water and then I get to chew the ice afterwards.
Also, I’m on an iron supplement now, and I still want the ice lol.
What’s the first thing you’re going to eat post-pregnancy?
A cold turkey sandwich from Jimmy Johns, a charcuterie board and a margarita.
That was a long one! Thanks for all the great questions about pregnancy! So happy to be in the home stretch!