Third Trimester Recap
I feel like I got the hang of being pregnant during the third trimester and I started genuinely loving it. I was so excited to meet my baby but I also got sad that my pregnancy journey was almost over.
My baby was super active during the third trimester which was so much fun and he started getting hiccups around week 35. I felt bad for him because I know that I don’t enjoy having hiccups. Whenever it happened, I tried to take some deep oxygen packed belly breaths to help him out. It always helps me get rid of my hiccups and I think it helped him too.
Have an awesome third trimester
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Heartburn and acid reflux are very common during the second and third trimester. They can be caused by several factors:
- Nervous tension can which disrupts the digestive process.
- Excess stomach acid or too little stomach acid can cause the acid to bubble up the esophagus.
- During pregnancy, hormones are causing your muscles to relax and this also includes the stomach muscles. Lazy stomach muscles can allow stomach acid to move up the esophagus and cause heartburn or acid reflux.
- In the third trimester, many of your organs have been displaced to allow room for your growing baby. The stomach gets squished upwards which can cause heartburn or acid reflux.
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Third Trimester Recap
I always wanted to be someone who loved being pregnant. During the first trimester and when my butt muscles were causing me pain in the second trimester, I never thought this would be possible.
As I started to treat the pregnancy symptoms I was experiencing with natural remedies, I started to really enjoy pregnancy. In the end I loved being pregnant and can’t wait to do it again. During the end of the third trimester, I found myself looking at the 20-week pregnant mamas in my yoga class with envy knowing that they are only halfway through this incredible journey to motherhood.
Third trimester bump watch
I totally fell head over heels in love with my bump during the third trimester. It really became an extension of my body and I didn’t squish it or bang it into things quite as often as I did in the 2nd trimester.
Dressing up my bump was so much fun in the third trimester. I enjoyed having a limited wardrobe because it made dressing easier and it allowed me to get creative. There were a few key things in my wardrobe that fit so I found fun ways to accessorise. I was also lucky that was summer so I wore tons of loose comfy dresses.
The bump did start getting in the way around the 35-week mark. I started spilling food on it because I couldn’t get close enough to the table and my plate. It became really hard to put on socks and don’t even get me started on shoes! I was really lucky that it was summer time because I lived in my Birkenstocks and didn’t wear any shoes that had laces. One day I decided to wear sneakers and my husband had to help me get them on and tie the laces.
Favourite things about the third trimester
I loved my bump in the third trimester. It was so big and cute!
My baby was moving almost constantly in the 3rd trimester and I loved it. Nothing is cooler than feeling him wiggle around in my belly. I spent lots of time having little chats with him. It was a cool way to start connecting with him even though it felt silly at times. Around 34-weeks I also started feeling him get hiccups which made my whole belly jump.
Third trimester exercise
With my butt pain gone I was SO EXCITED to get back on my yoga mat! I decided to go to prenatal classes twice a week. The decision to choose prenatal classes over my regular classes was because I was out of shape from the break I took and I wanted to connect with more expecting moms. I loved how each class started with everyone saying their name, how they were feeling, and sharing something else pregnancy related.
I also started swimming once a week for 45 minutes. At 33 weeks my baby was sideways and swimming was a great way to get him into the birthing position which happened around 35 weeks. It was also the summer so it was amazing to spend some time outside enjoying the summer.
Finally, I continued to walk my dog for 1 or 2 hours a day. I was a slow walker near the end of my pregnancy but my dog didn’t mind.
I got a lot of exercise during the third trimester!
Third trimester cravings
Nothing is better than in season fruit! I was berry and peach obsessed during the third trimester. When berries were in season I was literally spending $10 a week on fresh in-season berries at the farmer’s market. When peaches came into season I ate a big basket every week, 2-3 peaches a day! I may have gone a bit overboard but they tasted like candy.
I also had a random craving for puffed brown rice cereal with maple syrup and almond milk. It made for a yummy breakfast topped with peaches and some collagen powder for protein.
Third trimester mood
My mood has been pretty stable throughout my pregnancy. There was one evening around 34 weeks that I started crying like crazy for no reason at all. I just started and couldn’t stop. I tried so hard to figure out what was making me emotional but in the end, I think it was just hormones. It happened again a few times as the birth of my baby was getting closer. Knowing that my life was going to totally change and wondering if I would enjoy motherhood was really overwhelming and when I’m overwhelmed I cry.
Third trimester sleep
Sleep became more difficult for me in the third trimester. It became harder to get comfortable and I found I was restless in the middle of the night. One night I was dreaming that I was doing yoga and getting really deep into pigeon pose. Eventually, I woke up and my hips were aching despite all of the pillows I was using to support my pregnant body. And of course, I was getting up to go to the washroom 1 or 2 times a night making it harder to get a deep sleep.
I found I started getting tired again during the day. After long walks in the summer heat, I felt a little fatigued and it would take me a while to cool down and feel normal again. I also started napping almost every day; I figured napping is good training for when the baby comes.
Third trimester healthcare
Hypnobirthing classes started at the beginning of the third trimester. I was really focused on having a natural water birth without any pain medication so I knew I needed to do something to prepare. The hypnobirthing philosophy and approach really resonated with me so we decided to sign up for the classes. I loved all of the self-hypnosis techniques we learned and the recordings were awesome. My husband also found the material we covered to be very helpful because it outlined his role in the birth. After going through the class and practising leading up to the birth, I was actually looking forward to giving birth and I had absolutely no fear. I also loved listening to the relaxation as I was falling asleep.
My visits to the midwife increased during the third trimester from biweekly to weekly. We also had a few extra ultrasounds because my belly was measuring small. Initially, I wanted to keep ultrasounds to a minimum but I figured we were better off safe than sorry. I’m also lucky to live in Canada where healthcare is covered so the extra ultrasounds to check on his size and to make sure he was getting the nutrients he needed were at no additional cost to us.
My baby flipped head down week 35 which was a big relief! I was doing everything I could at home to encourage him to flip. I went swimming, spent lots of time with my forearms on the ground and my butt in the air, and did lots of visualization. At one point I got a clear message from my baby asking me to stop nagging him to flip! A few days later we learned he was head down.
This photo is the last photo taken before going into labour! I’m eating charcoal ice cream.
What I was happy to leave behind in the third trimester
I was so happy to leave behind having to sleep on my side! I’m usually a back sleeper so being able to sleep on my back, or however I want, is amazing! I was happy to be able to move gracefully again as well. With an extra 30+ lbs and a big belly, even flipping from my left side to my right side in bed was a bit of an ordeal. Putting on underwear, socks, pants, and shoes was also a struggle that I’m happy to leave behind.
I was also so excited to be able to eat oysters and other foods I had been avoiding for months. I like to eat my meat medium rare and my egg yolks runny so it is nice to eat them cooked the way I like them again.
Healthy Holistic Pregnancy
My book Healthy Holistic Pregnancy provides you with detailed information on the best foods to eat and key supplements to take to support your growing baby. It also explains in detail which supplements and superfoods you may want to consider avoiding when you are pregnant due to safety concerns.
Pregnancy can also come with many discomforts and symptoms; the good news is there is something you can do about it! Healthy Holistic Pregnancy provides natural solutions for over 25 common pregnancy symptoms including morning sickness, stretch marks, fatigue, and back pain.
Healthy Holistic Pregnancy has a bonus section on yoga and essential oils safety. It also contains 15 nourishing recipes that will take you through the first trimester and beyond.