Third Trimester Wrap-Up

The end of the road. I’m going 3/3 on trimesters. This one is all about the big baby growing inside me making everyday tasks more challenging as well as a general state of uncomfortable. Last pregnancy, my third trimester was late winter/early spring, since he was born in the middle of March. This time…the weather is not my friend. I am generally a huge fan of warm weather and summer-lover. Not this year. Forgive me, but the sweat is everywhere! You can usually find me in jeans, even in August. I had to ditch them by May this year.

See the growth from earlier this pregnancy:

Trimester one wrap up here.

Trimester two wrap up here.

Week 27 – Baby’s the size of a head of cauliflower.

I began nesting – cleaning and organizing the house. Especially baby items! I also had my glucose testing this week. I’ve heard that this is awful, but I didn’t think it was bad at all. You have to drink a sugary drink (tastes like a flat soda or sports drink) and wait an hour. Luckily, I passed and didn’t require any further testing.

 

 

Week 28 – Baby’s the size of an eggplant.

I’ve noticed a large varicose vein popping out now. Did not experience this last time!

Week 29 – Baby’s the size of an acorn squash.

Starting to get an itchy belly this week! All that stretching and growing makes my skin itch.

Week 30 – Baby’s the size of a zucchini.

Oh, the heartburn. This is likely going to be one very hair baby! Starting to have trouble reaching my feet. Flip flops for the next ten weeks…luckily it’s summer, so no big deal!

Week 31 – Baby’s the size of an asparagus.

Fetal movements are slowing down and becoming less strong as baby is getting bigger and has less room to move.

Week 32 – Baby’s the size of a coconut.

I’m meeting with the doctor twice monthly now. Comments from strangers range from “You’re so tiny!” to “Are you sure you’re not having twins?” Though, my fundal measurements (when the doctor measures from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus) are dead on, so I know I’m growing normally!

Week 33 – Baby’s the size of a head of lettuce.

The swelling is getting more noticeable – had to buy shoes a full size bigger and take off my engagement ring.

Week 34 – Baby’s the size of a butternut squash.

Had a good checkup this week, everything’s going well!

Week 35 – Baby’s the size of a pineapple.

I’m noticing that I’m feeling more impatient than usual. We took my older son to a free big brother class the hospital offers this week! It was great! I highly recommend these classes to anyone with an older child to help prepare them for the change of a new sibling.

Week 36 – Baby’s the size of a canary melon.

This week we took a hospital tour. Though I’ve delivered at this hospital before, they completed a renovation since then and it couldn’t hurt to refresh on all the basics! I’ve also noticed numbness in my arms when sleeping.

Week 37 – Baby’s the size of a large cantaloupe.

This week we had an ultrasound to check on the amniotic fluid and overall health of baby. They guess baby is 6 lbs 11 oz now, and guess he will gain about 1 pound if he stays in there for three more weeks. They also confirmed he has hair! They did a Group B strep test, and my first cervix check – I’m 3cm dilated! Doctor said baby could come at any time, but guessed in two weeks. Also had a baby shower this week!

Week 38 – Baby’s the size of a winter melon.

At the appointment this week I am *almost* 4 cm dilated, and about 70% effaced…he could come any day now! Results from GBS test came back negative, which just means I won’t need any antibiotics during labor. I took a nice relaxing swim in the pool and some swelling actually went down! For a little while, anyway.

Week 39 – Baby’s the size of a swiss chard.

I had a few contractions, but they haven’t been regular enough to start timing before they slow down. I’ve lost mucous plug and had bloody show – more signs of impending labor. Dilated 4 cm dilated this week at my cervical check, but baby is still hanging in there!

Week 40 – Baby’s the size of a watermelon.

We made it to the due date! Here I am that morning – I snapped a quick pic before heading out to the hospital! Baby boy was born on his due date!

 

Overall, this pregnancy was very different from my first! My cravings were for greasy food, I had essentially no nausea. There were lots of skin breakouts, bloody noses, my teeth/gums didn’t bleed at all, and I had lots of swelling. All of these things are in stark contrast to the symptoms of my first pregnancy, though both resulted in baby boys! It goes to show, each child, and therefore each pregnancy is different, despite what you’ve heard from old wives’ tales. Thank you for following along on our journey! Please feel free to let us know what your pregnancies have been like in the comments below!