3rd Trimester Weekly Check-in - Week starting April 3rd 2017

teebric

This is a weekly check in for the mommies who have made it to the 3rd trimester!!! If you are in week 28 or past, feel free to join in on the weekly fun.

If you're just joining us, please post a mini synopsis in your first post with your EDD, how many beans, if you know the sex(es) and how you have been feeling in your 3rd trimester along with any appointments you may have this week or had recently.

QOTW: What do you love about being pregnant right now?  

If you have updated bump pics, please share! We love seeing these baby bellies!!! Or if you'd like to share a pic of your little one's nursery, feel free to share that cuteness as well!

3rd Trimester mommies and their little bundles:

@Happydays13 EDD 4/5/17 with 2 girls
@cmm012 EDD 4/9/17 with a little boy
@Knottie36622473 EDD 4/13/17 with a little girl
@babylonghorn16 EDD 4/16/17 with a little surprise bean
@teriulbricht EDD 5/1/17 with little boy
@flanners1 EDD 5/3/17 with a little girl
@BlueEyedDreamer EDD 5/5/17 with a little boy
@pnw12rn EDD 5/8/17 with a little girl
@cato99 EDD 5/8/17 with a little girl
@kelrauh EDD 5/9/17 with boy/girl twins
@marissy8 EDD 5/21/17 with a little girl
@wifeinraleigh28 EDD 6/3/17 with a little girl
@beckij34 EDD 6/13/17 with a little boy
@JaneJane EDD 6/14/17 with twin boys
@kdanjou EDD 6/19/17 with a little girl
@rmarble23 EDD 6/20/17 with a little girl

Congratulations to @cmm012 on the birth of her little boy 3/19/2017. Thanks for keeping us posted and we all wish you the best for this next part of you journey!

teebric

Hello all! 
36 weeks pregnant here and baby is most welcome to enter the world at any time! I am utterly exhausted and ready to meet my little one. I had my group B strep swab yesterday and will find out the results in a couple of days, everything else is right on track for a healthy and complication free birth! Although I haven't had a urine test yet for pre-eclampsia because I seem to get stage fright every time I'm needed to pee in a cup.. anyone else? I'll have it done next time, although they're not too worried as BP is fine and swelling isn't too bad. We were talking to our midwife about how we want an April baby, and wouldn't it be nice if his birthday was 17/4/17 (Aussie  ) and she said that as long as she gets to do the Easter Egg hunt with her children Easter Sunday she's more than happy to deliver an Easter baby! 

Anyway.. QOTW: I guess the things I'm loving now about being pregnant would have to be the hair and nail growth, but mostly feeling my little guy move around. I'm also loving the fact that in a few weeks I'll be holding my little one which, still, after all the IF stuff I've gone through feels like a dream. 

beckij34

I'll be 30wks tomorrow. Only 10wks left, aaaahhhhh!!!!! It's crazy how fast my pregnancy has flown by. I love and will definitely miss feeling him move and kick around in there. I can't wait to meet him though and start our journey together. 

kdanjou

Hi!  I'm 29 weeks today with one little girl baby.  I'm feeling huge and my doc said I'm measuring ahead so I'm hoping she won't be a 10 pounder.  I feel like she flipped to breech yesterday and I'm just praying that's not the case or that she flips back around soon. 
QOTW: What do you love about being pregnant right now?
Honestly, almost nothing.  I still like feeling the baby kicks but some of them are getting painful and I'm just miserable otherwise. 
Edited to add that I do like getting the baby's gear and stuff ready.  It feel good to be organized.

babylonghorn16

Hi All!

I'm 38 + 2 over here! Feeling pretty darn good to tell the truth! I'm just anxious to meet this little one and hear that he/she is healthy. I'm with you @teriulbricht - it still feels like a dream!! Ready to hold this sweet little baby in my arms! I've been having pretty frequent and more intense contractions (BH) lately, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. 50% effaced as of last Friday. Next appointment is Thursday, so fingers crossed I have progressed! Would love an Easter baby, but would not mind AT ALL if he/she came early!

QOTW: I love just not giving a sh*t right now. I'm less than 2 weeks away and I've decided to just say ef it... casual attire to work and everywhere in between, eating whatever I want, being lazy without guilt! It's been fantastic! I also love getting nursery decorated and ready.

teebric

@beckij34 I feel like mine has flown by also!! 

@kdanjou I feel you! It was really hard to come up with anything I'm enjoying. As for the measuring ahead, don't stress too much it's hard to get an accurate size and weight of baby in utero. Oh and I had the same feeling around 32 weeks that baby had moved from being head down but he's definitely head down now. 

@babylonghorn16 glad to hear you're feeling good! It gives me hope that maybe I'm just going through a rough patch and I'll feel good again soon. I've also been enjoying that side of pregnancy! Napping, eating chocolate and ice cream haha

i had a mini meltdown last night before bed. I think the hormones are starting to get the better of me. I can't sleep comfortably anymore, I'm starting to feel nauseous again, I'm tired ALL the time, but still have trouble sleeping, heartburn in the middle of the night, everything hurts etc etc sorry for the rant, I just needed to get it off my chest... 

janejane-2

Hi ladies! I'm two days shy of the 30-week mark, yay! I've started weekly stress test (NST) which are annoying but necessary. Sleeping has become an issue mainly my back is always hurting. (Only at night not during the day). I have a pregnancy pillow but it won't cut it anymore. Any side I sleep on hurts my back. I even try sleeping on like 4 pillows so I'm basically sitting up and that only kinda helps. Sigh. 

wifeinraleigh28

I'm 31+2 today with my baby girl, who I already love so much it hurts! I've been a bit distracted lately because my 2 and 4 year old nephews arrived yesterday and we've had our hands full! I love these boys and I'm loving their visit, but I'm exhausted! My energy is plummeting and I'm having a much more difficult time moving around these days. I actually cried yesterday because I struggled so hard to get my underwear on and DH couldn't hear me call for help!

I have 8 weeks until I'll be induced and honestly it can't come soon enough! I feel guilty admitting this but I have not loved being pregnant like I feel I should after the IF struggle. Even in 2nd trimester when I had the most energy and felt the best, I had a difficult time sleeping because of my carpal tunnel (which is still a huge issue). I'm looking forward to this baby getting here!

QOTW: I love feeling her move. Sometimes I wish I had x-ray vision so I could see exactly what she is doing in there! I really can't wait to meet her and see all those cute little movements in the flesh! I am also loving getting everything ready for her. Our completion discount for our Amazon registry is going to be available tomorrow, and hopefully the one for BRU will be available soon, because I can't wait to get the last of what we need! Our nursery is just about finished. Our glider should be coming in this week (finally)! So everything is coming together slowly but surely!

janejane-2

@wifeinraleigh28 - i hear you about wanting x-ray vision. My 2 little boys won't stop moving even at say 1am! LOL.

My energy is also slowly going down. I still have another 6 pounds to gain (in the next 9-10 wks) to hit the minimum that I should reach. Of course I might gain more but I'm trying to be mindful of my weight gain. Doesn't help that my MIL wants to feed me junk which is a far cry from my usual healthy eating. However, with less energy its becoming easier to gravitate to the bad stuff (i.e. carbs) since she's always dropping it off.  

rmarble23

i love that you ladies are being honest about not loving all of this that we should.  im still waiting on that 2nd tri energy and sex drive that never showed up.  poor DH  

I am 29 weeks tomorrow.  sleep is becoming a pain the past couple nights.  i get woken in the middle of the night by either DH, the dog, heartburn or something  else and just cant seem to get back to sleep for a while.  today i actually overslept by 45 min.  I was lucky i made it to work on time.  I also ended up with a high fasting sugar this morning which according to Dr Google is possible b/c of adrenaline from being late.  after that everything else was just a terrible case of the mondays

QOTW:  i love feeling baby girl move and i cant wait for all the fun stuff i am going to get at my shower.  i am also milking DH for everything that he is willing to do even if its small things like put away leftovers from dinner (which he never did before getting pregnant)  On the flip side i am over stairs, i have one flight to go up to get to my car in the garage at work and i refuse to use the elevator and be "one of those people" I am seriously considering parking on a higher level just to use the elevator and not get the negative thoughts and vibes from everyone.

teebric

I'm sorry everyone is feeling like this! At least we are all on the final stretch. Thank you all for being honest, maybe I should have added "what are you not enjoying about this pregnancy" to the QOTW.. These hormones are certainly getting the better of me lately.

@JaneJane I'm with you on the sleeping, the pregnancy pillows never worked for me, last night I switched to 3 under my shoulders/head and one under my back and I spent the majority of the night sleeping on my back propped up which slightly helped the major heartburn I was having. I have been thinking about moving to my glider but it doesn't recline super far so I'm unsure how I'll go. Have you thought about a pregnancy massage or chiro/physio visit? 

@wifeinraleigh28 that's right, you have visitors, make sure you take time to rest up, the nephews may not totally understand but I'm sure your sister will! Oh the daily underwear struggle... and the socks *sigh*. Don't for one second feel guilty about not loving this pregnancy! Yes we have all been through a lot to get here and we're all so very grateful to be pregnant but that doesn't mean we have to enjoy every moment of this hormonal rollercoaster. Not to mention the massive changes that are happening to our bodies. 

@rmarble23 I was expecting this massive surge of energy during 2nd tri, only to realise that all I got back was a little of my pre-pregnancy energy and didn't need to nap all the time. Oh I never got the increased sex drive either, I'm too uncomfortable to think about it hehe. I'm sorry you're also struggling with the sleep and your Monday was awful.. hopefully the rest of the week is better for all of us! 

cato99

Hi all! I'm 35 weeks and just chugging along. Next week I'll start with more frequent OB visits and regular ultrasounds--I am super stoked about that because I haven't seen the baby since my anatomy scan at 18 1/2 weeks! I'm in total agreement with what so many of you have already said in this thread--third trimester discomfort and nausea are a drag! I also wish I had X-ray glasses because I'm like "Is that foot or a hand or an elbow or... wait is that your little butt?" Also my libido was like SEE YA at the start of IVF and never really came back, haha.

@teriulbricht I think it's great that you asked that QOTW because the third trimester can be a pain but it's important to at least try to think through the positives of these final weeks! 

flanners1

Hi ladies! 36 weeks here too with a baby girl who is squirming around in my belly like mad. It's getting tight in there!
I had my weekly check yesterday, and my cervix is back to 2.2cm and closed! Whoop! So I am a little more relaxed this week. Getting my cerclage removed next Monday and that means they are attaching me to the monitors for a few hours afterwards to see if I have any contractions. If not, we can go home. I fully intend to go on a staycation in a 5 star hotel in our city with hubby for a couple of days after that - due to incompetent cervix we didn't have a baby moon, or any kind of holiday since my cerclage in week 18. So I'm going to make the best of it! If baby doesn't decide to come first that is... (hospital bag shall be in car and 5 star hotel not too far from hospital just in case!). 

QOTW - agree with everyone else that the movements are the absolute best bit. Otherwise I've been really lucky and not felt too uncomfortable. I guess having an incompetent cervix was bad enough and the powers above have decided to spare me any other major symptoms or pains? 

@wifeinraleigh28 I hear you on the visitors. And don't feel bad about the meltdown. We all have one once in a while and over the most stupid things. Just cry your heart out, it does help. 

@babylonghorn16 oh so close! Glad to hear you're feeling good despite BH. Keep us posted! 

wifeinraleigh28

Thank you @teriulbricht and @flanners1 for making me feel better about my discomfort and crazy hormones lately. I do feel incredibly fortunate to be pregnant and this far along, but at the same time I'm ready for the next 8 weeks to speed along!

My nephews left this morning and I miss them terribly. They are both at such cute ages. And the 4 year old got so attached to DH. It was so cute listening him call for him all over the house. I wish they lived closer and that I could see them more often. Sadly, I'm thinking it may need to be awhile before they come back because I don't need toddlers running around when we already have our hands full with a newborn. I don't think either of us could handle that kind of stress. I'm thinking by Thanksgiving though we should be ready, but it saddens me to think of not seeing them again until then.

Love the QOTW @teriulbricht. It's a good idea to focus on the positives

teebric

@cato99 it's so nice to see baby when they're a little bit bigger! Oh and I'm always wondering what body part is poking me from the inside, can't wait to see his movements outside the womb!

@flanners1 yay for your cervix being closed and at 2.2cm. Good luck for next Monday and hopefully you get to enjoy that staycation! It sounds absolutely divine. How nice that you've not been too uncomfortable (apart from the incompetent cervix), I really hope it stays that way for you!

@wifeinraleigh28 I think it's completely normal. I've always thought that there was a certain amount of discomfort towards the end of the pregnancy so all the mama's-to-be are so intent on getting the baby out that labour and birth doesn't worry them anymore. I've got this lightbox that I've been using to countdown the weeks before our EDD, well this week I skipped forward a few weeks and wrote "2 weeks to go" I'm hoping that by putting it out in the universe it will prove true!
Oh it's never easy to see nieces and nephews leave! Mine (one of each) only live less than an hour away but I have always loved spending time with them and having them over for sleepovers. I'd really like to do that again this easter break but I'm not quite sure my body is up to it. I think I'll have to see how I'm going.

And yes @cato99  and @wifeinraleigh28 its always good to focus on the positives, but I'm thankful for this space to have a little vent every now and then and find so much support!!  

BlueEyedDreamer

AFM, I am 35w5d and had a great checkup this morning. The baby has dropped and is head-down. I'm 1-2cm dilated and 50% effaced! We talked about scheduling my induction if he doesn't come before 39 weeks.

There is only one OB practice in my city, with 4 OBs. Two of them I feel much more comfortable with than the others. I was with one of the ones I really like today, so I asked her if it was possible to find out who would be there each day around the time of my induction. I told her that I feel a lot more at ease with her and one other doctor and that I'd prefer to have them there if possible. She was so nice about it and said that it was perfectly normal to feel that way and gave me the dates when she and the other doctor would be there during my 39th week. I was hesitant to ask at first but am glad that I did. I feel like the other two OBs would be fine and that me and my baby would be safe with them, but they just make me feel a little bit more on anxious than the others. 

QOTW: Like many of you there is not much I'm loving about pregnancy right now. I do love feeling him move around... except for those stronger kicks! Ouch! Overall, this pregnancy has been pretty rough on me, and I'm definitely ready for it to be over, even though it is likely my last. With constant nausea, aches and pains, and two scary trips to the hospital, I just can't wait for him to be here and to hold him in my arms!

@babylonghorn16 You're getting so close!!! So exciting!

@teriulbricht I'm right there with you on the hormones, total lack of comfort sleeping, heartburn, etc. It's rough!! At least we are in the final stretch, right?   

@JaneJane I gave up on pregnancy pillows a long time ago. I try to use various sized pillows around my body where I need them, but even that doesn't cut it with my hip pain at night. It sucks! I hope you can find some relief for your back - maybe a visit to a prenatal-friendly chiropractor?

@wifeinraleigh28 Sorry to hear about the transverse position. Hopefully she still has time to move head-down for you! Either way, you have a great attitude about it. A healthy baby and healthy mom are the most important things at the end of the day!

@rmarble23 I hope your week is getting better since your bad Monday!

@cato99 I'm glad you'll get to see your LO with an ultrasound after such a long time!

@flanners1 So glad to hear that your cervix is doing well! And the staycation sounds wonderful.... 

teebric

@BlueEyedDreamer I too have a favourite practitioner that I'm hoping will be around for the birth. You want to feel comfortable with the person who will be delivering your baby and helping you labour! Heres hoping it won't be long before our little ones are here and our favourite practitioners are around! 

I decided after feeling pretty crappy these last few days that I would get myself to the hairdressers for a cut and then I treated myself to a manicure! It feels good to have pretty hair and nails! Go do something for yourself this week ladies! Even if it's just a small treat you all deserve it! 

kelrauh

Hi ladies! 
I am slacking on posting this week. I have been battling a nasty cold for over a week so I haven't done much. We also decided that we should sell our old truck and the car my husband uses to commute to work, for a more reliable truck. He was hoping for a double cab but we learned the hard way car seats wont fit in it, so we settled on a crew cab. I have had my Honda CRV for a couple years and love it. I also got my daycare confirmed this week, so I feel like we are crossing big things off our list. 

I am supposed to be on modified bed rest, but I have deemed that at this point I would like to spend some time with DH before babies come. My doctor just says don't over do it so I can go to restaurants as long as I get dropped off at the door, I did car shopping too but I stayed in the car so I wasn't walking too much. It has been nice to relax a bit and be a bit normal. Less than 5 weeks and they will be here no matter what! My Dr. Even mentioned my scheduled c-section. She said we have defied all odds and she's afraid to say it but we may just make it to my scheduled c-section but either way we will have healthy babies 

QOTW: I am struggling with pregnancy at this point, I am 32.5 weeks and measuring 42 (I grew 3 weeks in 1 week). I have contractions continuously but they aren't actual labor. With that said, I love feeling feet and different body parts move. I feel little man more than baby girl but its crazy to think how big they are inside of me!  

wifeinraleigh28

@BlueEyedDreamer I'll also be induced at 39 weeks (supposing this LO is head-down and I don't need a c-section), and I have also asked who will be working at that time! I have my favorite practitioners too. They won't actually schedule my induction until a week prior, so I asked for who would be on the schedule for the several days around my 39th week. It's Memorial Day weekend when I'll be induced, so my OB said I likely won't be induced until Monday night to start the process. I don't think I'll have much say in which day I go in, but it still eases my anxiety to just know who will be there for me! Also, congrats on getting so close!

@kelrauh I've been thinking about you! Glad to hear your life is getting pretty normal at this point! Car shopping sounds like fun, and just being able to go out and go to restaurants after being in the hospital for so long sounds amazing. So glad you and the babies are doing so well!

I forgot to mention we have our first class at the hospital this Saturday! It's called Bringing Baby Home so I imagine it's all about caring for a newborn. I'm sure the class will be filled with paranoid first timers like DH and me I'm excited that our classes our starting, feels like we've reached an epic milestone!

babylonghorn16

@kelrauh that's great you are able to get out and go eat!! Hubby and I have been going to restaurants around town that we've never been to, but that we've always wanted to try. Might as well while we can! Oh and thumbs up on the truck purchase. I'm in a RAM crew cab and LOVE it. It's super comfortable for road trips and there's plenty of room for carseat + passengers! You'll have 2 carseats though, huh?... still, VERY roomy lol. My hubby is driving my Challenger now, but we will most likely trade that one in for an SUV soon. Thinking Yukon, but pocketbook is thinking something more practical. Anyway, hope you stay comfortable for your remaining weeks!!

Update: no progression to report from today's prenatal. I DID, however, get my birth plan approved! Yay! Doc said it was very reasonable and only changed one thing - I initially stated that if my water broke, but no contractions had started, that I wanted to wait 12 hours before induction. She said 12 is pushing it, and felt more comfortable with 6. I agreed. If anyone is interested, I'll share the entire plan with you. Just lemme know.

janejane-2

@kelrauh - glad to see that you and your babies are doing well. What week will you be induced? I'm with you, I feel baby boy A so much more than baby boy B. 

I had another NST today. Took almost 2 hours. Apparently I was contracting but I couldn't feel them. I was told to drink more water, 3 Liters. I can usually do 2 but 3 will be hard and require so many more trips to the bathroom. (But everything for the babies!). Anyways, NST also took long b/c the nurse couldn't find that baby boy B was trying to practicing breathing. She talked to the MFM who wasn't concerned given that I'm only 30 weeks but hopefully this won't be an issue at 32 weeks. I have another NST next week. 

@teriulbricht - loving the idea of a haircut and mani! I totally need a haircut. 

kelrauh

@babylonghorn16 - DH is not happy that we had to go crew cab but we picked up the truck tonight. I love it and Im sure he will too its just not his manly truck he wanted and we cannot afford a new crew cab so it's not perfect. 

@janejane - I am having a c-section on may 9th which is 37 weeks and 2 days. I have the option of a vaginal birth right now. I decided if they don't want to come natural on their own before the c-section, I would rather just go ahead with a planned c-section than get induced. I would hate to get induced then have to have either one vaginally and one c-section or both c-section. If I go into labor naturally I will most likely try natural but I do have the option. I am a go with the flow person, I told DH tonight that if I go into labor and they give me the option I will decide then what I want depending on the situation at hand. 

teebric

@kelrauh glad to see everything is ok, and that you've been able to get out and about a little bit. I'm sorry to hear that you too are feeling the struggles of pregnancy. I guess as we all get closer to our babies arrival we are all feeling less comfortable but it won't be long till we can sleep (nap) on our stomachs or backs, and it won't be long till we're not carrying this extra weight at the front of our bodies putting extra strain on the rest of our body, and it won't be long till we hold our little ones in our arms and feel ALL the good feelings! 

@wifeinraleigh28 glad to hear your classes are starting! Let us know how you like them! It does make it feel so real! 

@babylonghorn16 bummer about the no progression! But yay for your birth plan, it's a shame the doctor got funny about not letting you go 12 hours after your water breaks, fingers crossed they don't break early for you! As for the birth plan, I'd love to check it out, I need to write one up. 

@JaneJane the haircut was well worth it! It feels so good! 3L is a lot of water!! Good luck with that! I struggle to get my 2L in unfortunately.. it's a daily struggle. 

wifeinraleigh28

The class yesterday was very informative! We learned all about newborn care once we get home. We were also able to practice swaddling and diapering which was cool. A bonus was that one of the nurses teaching the class was also a certified car seat technician so we had her inspect the install of the car seat base in my car (turns out we had it all wrong, yikes!). She's also going to be teaching our infant CPR class in a couple weeks so we'll drive DH's car to that one so she can inspect the install of his base!

All of the talk in this thread about birth plans is making me start to rethink what I want a little bit. My MFM wants me induced at 39 weeks because of my autoimmune disorder, which puts me at an increased risk of fetal distress at the end. But the LAST thing I want is to go through the induction process and then end up needing a c-section. Part of me wants to fight for increased monitoring for fetal distress in the final week and wait until I go into labor naturally, OR just schedule a c-section from the get go. I'm torn, because on the one hand I really want to trust my doctors and would hate to be putting my baby at risk by waiting, but I also would prefer to avoid a c-section if I can help it. I don't know what to do.

teebric

Sounds like the class was really good @wifeinraleigh28 with the birth my midwife told me that if I was unsure about anything to always go through BRAIN with the doctor or nurse who is wanting a specific treatment plan
B - what are the benefits
R- what are the risks
A - what are the alternatives 
I - what is your gut instinct 
N - what if you do nothing 
she then said if they can't give you solid reasons or appropriate answers then really think about why they're suggesting it in the first place. I thought this might help if you do want to discuss it more? I'm sorry you're feeling this way but maybe if you ask this you'll get the answers you need to feel more comfortable about induction or you'll completely change your mind and choose an alternative. The good news is you've got still got a few weeks to go. Have you done any research into your auto immune and pregnancy? 

wifeinraleigh28

Thank you @teriulbricht! BRAIN will be such an easy way for me to remember which questions to ask! I haven't done much research other than speaking to my rheumatologist and MFM about it. My rheumatologist doesn't anticipate any problems whatsoever, mostly do to the fact that I haven't had a lupus flair in 8 years, and when I did, we caught it in time and I got proper treatments so no damage was done to my kidneys. All my labs have been normal this entire pregnancy. My gut instinct is that I can deliver this baby without intervention, but I want to be smart about it of course!