Third Trimester: The Homestretch
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Third trimester…how can i describe it? Let’s see…Those last three months of pregnancy- I felt like time flew for two months until the last few weeks, I got more tired by the week it seemed, and my mind was full to the brim with so many lists! I didn’t feel like I could get any bigger, but my belly somehow stretched even more and the rest of me grew too- God designed our bodies in such amazing ways! To look back at pictures of myself with my basketball-sized belly just makes me giggle. Like I definitely felt that big and I was uncomfortable and it’s so obvious in pictures. LOL
The last few weeks of my third trimester I prayed so hard for the ability to surrender. I began getting extremely impatient. Like, impatient to the point where I just felt grumpy that it wasn’t time for us to meet our sweet babe yet— I wanted him here so badly! I wanted to have that control instead of simply trusting God’s timing.
On a particularly impatient night I literally googled ‘how to be peaceful and happy while waiting for labor and I found this blog post. It helped me immensely. I was just grumpily impatient and these words were the perspective I needed. Here’s the link in case you find yourself needing it too!
The first month of my third trimester was filled with baby showers and nursery painting and decorating. If you’re feeling stressed about not working on the nursery until then- 1. Don’t stress it, we didn’t start until the last few months because Wyatt was traveling a ton for work and 2. Easton doesn’t even sleep in his nursery. So we repainted the room and got the furniture built and decorated it so perfectly. It’s still my favorite room in the house. I also had two baby showers- one for each side of the family and friends. I loved having two showers because they were exhausting! Don’t get me wrong- I was grateful- but energy was so low that the showers just took it out of me!
The second month of my third trimester was filled with organizing the nursery, Wyatt wrapping up any last minute work trips, getting maternity pictures taken, and growing growing growing!
The third month was spent resting and nesting. And surrendering to God’s timing.
Looking back on the homestretch of my pregnancy now, feels so wild. I wish I would have recorded all of this then but I just couldn’t find the energy or time to write while trying to prepare for birth and our home for his arrival.Hence why these blog posts are long overdue! If you find yourself wishing you could do more during that third trimester, I encourage you to put down that pressure you have placed on yourself. It is okay to give in to the rest– Your body is working incredibly hard for you, so if you are tired, be tired. Rest.
Towards the end of that third trimester, my heartburn was so intense I felt like a fire-breathing dragon and my only really intense cravings were chocolate chip cookies and milk. I had them before bed almost every night! I didn’t think my body could stretch and grow any more and I was pretty uncomfortable because I could feel that he was running out of room in my belly too. The best feeling during those uncomfortable times were warm baths. I took a lot of baths during that last month!
Speaking of rest, at 36 weeks I began an early maternity leave. I am still so incredibly grateful for that time at home to rest and nest. My boss was so gracious and understanding of all my needs throughout pregnancy and I don’t think she will ever know how grateful I remain for that.
Up until this point I had had a lot of fun styling clothes and outfits with my bump, but during this time I reached a point where even my maternity clothes weren’t maternity enough for my bump and I also just wanted to be comfortable all the time. I dressed up for my baby showers and maternity pictures, and I tried really hard to look decent for work, but once I was home I pretty much lived in Wyatt’s clothes. He gave me a whole stack of tee shirts and sweatpants and it was glorious!
The last three months before our baby boy made his arrival were busy, fun, exhausting, a little stressful at times, beautiful, uncomfortable, full of impatience and nerves, and everything in between. I was a mess of intense heartburn and impatience. The reality that our sweet Easton would be here soon really set in! Eeeeeek!
Okay, let’s dive into the third trimester!
Baby Showers
We were so blessed to have two baby showers- one for each side of the family! And both were so incredibly special. I felt a flood of love and support from all our people after each shower and it was so encouraging.
My mother in law and sister in law, and my mom and sister all knocked it out of the park with the beautiful themes and showers too! I just have to include pictures!
Everything about both showers was a complete surprise to me and I loved that!! It’s my personal opinion that if someone is willing to put in the time, effort, and money to shower you with love and a party- let them! And let them do it their way! Sit back and relax and enjoy. Because that’s what it comes down to- these people are throwing you this party and attending this party because they love you and your hubby and your family-to-be so let them love you!
A couple things I’ll note that were different for me from bridal shower to baby shower and to keep in mind for you as well!
- It’s much more difficult to pick up and open and move gifts to get to the next to open so having people help you is a must. Your growing belly takes up a lot of your usual lap space! LOL
- Make sure you actually eat and actually can eat the food that is served. I remember at my bridal showers I was busy socializing so I didn’t eat much but at your baby shower make sure you prioritize eating and that the host(s) know anything you can’t eat or has something specific to you. You’ll need to eat to keep your energy up for all the games and presents!
- Get your thank you notes written as soon as possible after your shower. This is a good rule of thumb anyways, but depending on when you have your shower you may not have much time before baby arrives, or have a to-do list a mile long before baby arrives that you’ll want to make sure you get thank yous done promptly so you can move on to more baby prep!
Switching Doctors
At 28 weeks we switched doctors. Yikes! Sounds stressful right? Well, it was for a minute trying to get my records transferred and get scheduled in, but once we were there- well, we knew we were right where God needed us to be.
The OB I had been working with was fine, but I had no relationship or connection with her. She was someone that I got passed to as a patient when my regular gynecologist left the practice a couple years prior. I had seen her for one annual exam before getting pregnant and had no issue with her, but once I switched I realized there was a level of trust and comfortability that I was missing. At this original office I was also very much pressured by the nurses and there were some frustrating organizational things we had to deal with too. So overall it was just fantastic that we made the switch.
The reason why we didn’t switch sooner was because I really didn’t think I had many options because of location, and if I switched to go anywhere else, I wanted to know someone who had a good experience there. Well, a friend delivered her baby at a hospital not far away that I didn’t even realize had a maternity unit, and after talking with her I realized this was where we needed to be. And the drive to the hospital when it was baby time would be shorter too! A win, win.
When we made the switch we also got to work with a midwife instead of an OB which was really even more of a blessing. Midwife care definitely has a more natural approach which I very much appreciate. We did have one appointment with one of the OB’s at this office and he was awesome too! We just felt very comfortable there.
Long story short, if you don’t feel comfortable with the doctor and nurses you are with, don’t be scared to explore other options even late in the game like this.
Glucose Test
There’s a lot of bustle about the glucose test that is done during pregnancy. The standard drink given is filled with a lot of garbage. Although most of our foods these days are full of garbage, it’s one of those things you have to decide if it’s worth looking into an alternative for in order to limit those things.
I’m big on the ‘do what’s best for your home and family’ when it comes to decreasing your toxic load. ‘Clean’ and ‘Non-toxic’ are going to be a different spectrum for everyone. Anyways, for me it was at least worth asking if they offered any kind of alternative option in the office, or if there was an alternate test I could purchase in order for them to get the info they needed.
Much to my surprise and appreciation, I didn’t have to take any kind of drink or do anything like that. They allowed me to track my blood sugar readings for 2 weeks at home. Taking it right before I ate breakfast, and two hours after I ate. It was easy to keep track of- it sounds like a lot but it really was so simple. Once I got over having to prick my finger!
Then at my next appointment I showed them my numbers and she said they looked great! It really was that simple. All I did was ask if they had an alternative. I think it’s another one of those things that prepared me for motherhood. If I have a concern or thought about something- especially when it comes to my child’s health- why not ask the questions? I touch on this a little more in one of the sections below called Birth Plans. There is no need to walk on eggshells to not rock the boat or upset anyone when it comes to what is important to you. If you have questions, ask! And if you don’t then fine, but as a new mom I hope you feel supported and encouraged to ask questions if you have them! Pregnancy and new motherhood can be so overwhelming, so don’t hold the questions in if you have them.
Maternity Pictures
This seems like the perfect opportunity to make a plug for the best photographer ever! Becca is the absolute best and so fun to work with. Here is the link to her Instagram and Facebook pages! Truly cannot recommend her enough.
We got ours taken at 33 weeks. I wanted to make sure my bump was bumpin’ but I didn’t want to wait too late to do them just in case. 33 weeks ended up being the perfect time for me, because I definitely did hit that miserable point and did not feel cute anymore once we hit that last month. I treasure these photos now. The last pictures of just Wyatt and I, and us with just Rory too.
Prenatal Massages
If there are two things I feel like you should treat yourself to during pregnancy, it’s chiropractic adjustments and prenatal massages. Both are so good for your body that is doing so much!! I got adjusted weekly and still do and it is one of the best things I have ever done for my health.
I got two massages in my third trimester and it truly is the most relaxed my body felt in the entire 9 months. Wyatt had done research on the best place around us and got me a gift certificate for mother’s day. I was so excited but at that point I was only early into my second trimester and still getting sick round the clock so I wanted to save it for the third trimester. I saved it and didn’t use it until September and afterwards I thought why did I wait? I should have been getting these my entire pregnancy! Now I know for any future pregnancies!
Dayton Family Massage is where I went and where I still go. She is awesome at what she does and is so sweet! Highly recommend.
Give in to the Rest
If you read First Trimester: Sickness, Sleepiness, and the Sweetest Blessing I chatted then about how important giving in to rest was in that first trimester. I had to view rest completely different in that season and I want to chat about it again because in the third trimester, the rest my body needed hit me even harder.
The last month of my pregnancy I felt like a big ole exhausted blob most of the time. That’s the best way I can think to put it. LOL
And most days it was really really hard to push past it. The first couple months of that third trimester weren’t that bad but that last month I was pretty exhausted and uncomfortable. That last month I took so many warm baths and going to bed sounded so nice except for the difficulty getting comfortable.
It was such a beautiful season of life, but goodness I had my teary moments where I just surrendered it all to God because I was trying to take it all on my own and I simply was not strong enough.
I was so tired. But again going back to my preparation mindset, I was being prepared in so many ways. I love reflecting back on that and gaining that perspective.
Pregnancy Pillows
Speaking of trying to be comfortable, I have to share my pregnancy pillows with you. In my opinion it is definitely worth investing in some kind of pregnancy pillow because your rest is so important in this pregnancy season.
And then by the time we got to the end I used the frida pillow, wedge pillow, a throw pillow between my knees and of course my pillow for my head. To turn over during the night or get up to go to the bathroom was a whole ordeal with my pillows! But you just have to do whatever makes you and your growing bump and changing body comfortable.
Nursery
Oh my goodness Easton’s nursery is the cutest and I love it so much! We completed it about a month before he was born then had to get-togethers with both sides of our family so they could see it and as a last little time at our house before he would be born.
His nursery is Toy Story themed which we both always loved the idea of and bringing it to life together was a blast! There are so many hidden details from the movies, but also sentimental aspects that we love too. He has touches of all his people up in Heaven in his room and that was very important to us.
Now I will say, I loved creating, designing, and shopping for his nursery while pregnant, but at this point in his life it is merely a closet and a play room! He still doesn’t sleep in his nursery but he has so much that I’m still so glad we have a dedicated and organized space that’s all his.
I also cannot wait until he starts to be able to recognize the aspects of his room that look like some of our favorite movies to watch!
I also feel like one of the most fun but also daunting tasks of his nursery was organizing all his clothes. So even if you don’t want to put too much time into a nursery before your babe is born, definitely get their clothes organized. I went ahead and washed up clothes from newborn to 3-6 months and my mom helped me get them all organized. We didn’t do any sizes bigger than that because you don’t really know how fast they will grow and what sizes they will be in for what seasons. Easton has definitely thrown us for a loop in that!
For reference, Easton wore newborn clothes until he was 2 months old, but some babies are born too big for newborn clothes so it is just hard to know! I recommend having some clothes in newborn size washed and ready just in case. That’s also another case where prime and order pickups will be so handy for you in those early days!
Nesting
Let’s talk nesting! Something we all hear about that hits in pregnancy is nesting to prepare your space for babe, it’s just our nature and how God made us! Talking about the nursery goes right along with this and I feel like even though we know we may not use the space immediately for babe it satisfies part of the need to nest and that’s why we do it!
Luckily our house was in a pretty good spot so we didn’t have any major projects we wanted to do, but we did freshen up a couple areas of our home and deep cleaned spaces too. Starting maternity leave at 36 weeks allowed for a lot of time to rest and nest, so having that time was very beneficial.
So Many Emotions
Obviously up until this point emotions had been high because of the hormonal roller coaster, but for me several things hit me really hard during this last trimester. Obviously so excited that we were getting so close to our boy being here and becoming parents, but there were other emotions too.
Up until that point it had just been Wyatt, Rory, and I. And we were a very dedicated aunt and uncle too. I had many emotional moments about it not just being Wyatt and I anymore, that Rory wouldn’t be our main dude anymore, and that we wouldn’t have as much time for our nephews and niece anymore either. These were all things I took great pride in, things that made me who I am. All of those emotions hit me hard and sometimes kept me up at night.
I am a person that loves incredibly hard and so those were things I thought about a lot. Feeling these emotions while simultaneously experiencing overflowing excitement was such a paradox!
What an emotional roller coaster!
Postpartum Prep
So honestly, I don’t think anything can really prepare you for postpartum. I know that’s not super helpful but I feel like it’s such a personal experience, ya know?
I would see all these things on Pinterest and Instagram about prepping your bathroom for postpartum with all the supplies you would need and that felt like such a great idea, but as a first time mom I definitely thought to myself like I don’t even know what I will need- so I just waited until I learned what the postpartum diaper cocktail at the hospital was. And when we got home from the hospital, I organized things how I needed to and ordered supplies from Amazon and did some order pickups. I am a person that loves a plan, but for me I was okay in this season not having everything completely laid out ahead of time.
One thing I did enjoy preparing were new pajamas and lounge sets for that postpartum period. Jammies with button up tops to help make breastfeeding easier. And comfy lounge sets to feel more put together while still being very comfortable. I found great options at T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s, Aerie, Old Navy, and Target.
Other aspects of postpartum prep we did were setting up diaper caddies- one for the family room and one in the bedroom. We had groceries in the house, but that was mostly by accident and timing because we went grocery shopping the day before, but it was nice that we were pretty well stocked when we got home from the hospital.
We also had our plans in place for when it was baby time. We knew who would be taking care of Rory (our dog) and the house. We knew who we wanted to be our support at the hospital and we knew the chains of communication and how that would all go, and it was really nice to have all of those plans in place ahead of time. It definitely felt like we could be way more in the moment when I was laboring at home rather than having to figure a bunch of logistics out.
Birth Plans
Another part of prepping for your sweet little one’s arrival is thinking about a birth plan. A birth plan sounds very detailed and intricate but it can really be as broad or as narrow as you see fit as the mother. You could have one specific thing written down that is of the utmost importance to you, or you could have your dream birth written down with every detail. Your birth plan is what you make it. It’s more so how you view it that matters.
I feel like I have heard many varying opinions on this topic so allow me to give you the rundown. Some people either don’t do any kind of birth plan because either 1- they feel annoying handing the nurses/doctor a birth plan or 2- mentally they are better off to not go into an intense situation with clearcut plans that may not go exactly according to plan so they feel better off with no plan or 3- they really just don’t have any specific thoughts/wishes/requests.
Let me break each one down- 1…No. Just no. And if you are a nurse or doctor that has ever made a mom feel this way then shame on you. But to any new mama feeling this way- NO. You have every right to speak on things that matter to you for your own health and your child’s health. If you have any specific wishes or requests there is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing that. The doctors and nurses work for you. Not the other way around. You are not there giving birth and bringing life into this world trying to make everyone else’s lives easier around you. I’m not saying be rude or disrespectful, I’m simply saying if there is something that matters to you, then don’t shy away from sharing in fear of seeming annoying.
2- I feel like this is the most common take I have heard on birth plans. And it’s completely understandable! You can’t predict every detail and it’s entirely in God’s hands so mentally if you can be more prepared for birth in that way, then you have to do what you have to do.
3- Cool! LOL
Now that I have broken that down, there’s the other side of the coin- people that do bring birth plans with them to the hospital. I read that it was best to bring any type of plan or request in writing so that way from nurse to nurse and shift to shift it could be easily communicated and would be less likely to get missed. Also, like I said initially- it can be as broad or as narrow as you need it to be. BUT- in all caps- realize that this is in God’s hands. You may be dreaming and praying for something specific in that delivery room, and goodness gracious the power of prayer is incredible, but God is going to work how only He can. God does not follow a birth plan. So if you have wishes, share them and pray on them. But be open to what beautiful miracles can happen outside of that birth plan. Don’t get so attached to it that it negatively affects you if the birth doesn’t go according to your plans.
My personal experience with creating a birth plan was more so a list of some requests that were important to Wyatt and I and that we had both discussed and planned for as we prepared for birth. I’m not going to share the specific details of my birth plan- because well, I share a lot but I do think there are some things that should be kept private. Our nurses and doctor were incredibly receptive. We talked through each one with them and we heard each shift change re-communicate them. Some of the things I had written down as a request are simply their policy anyways. And goodness they worked hard to make sure every request I had was spot on.
Here’s something I will share with you- I talk more about this specific part in The Birth Story of Our Baby Boy but I will share a little here. My hope and goal was to be able to have a natural labor and delivery. And I fought hard for that and my nurses and doctor fought hard for that for me as well. They could see the pain and anguish and never once did they pressure me to change my mind because they knew my wishes. Even once I decided to get an epidural, two other nurses came in and said Kylie- we know you want to go natural, so if you want we can try one more position to help and I agred. And they turned me and did something funky and I was in so much pain I just could not. BUT how incredible that they knew my wishes and were working so hard to make sure I could have the experience that I hoped and prayed for!!
This is why you share what’s important to you. This is the purpose of a birth plan.
Also, if you have zero clue what you may even want to include on a birth plan, simply go to Pinterest. There are so many you can look at that will get your wheels turning about what may be important to you or what doesn’t really matter. I think if nothing else, at least let yourself see what birth plan options are available that you may not have even thought about.
This is definitely not the same as a birth plan but a part of prepping for birth- I cannot recommend enough to make a playlist for your labor and birth! I started a playlist early in my pregnancy of songs that I either really loved in that season, or that resonated with me. I love worship music so that’s the genre I focused on, because nothing makes me feel stronger or more encouraged than praising Jesus.
We listened to that playlist for hours while I was laboring, but one song in particular that really carried me through my third trimester (Same God by Elevation) that’s the song I knew I wanted Wyatt to turn on for me once it was time to start pushing, and then the playlist could just shuffle from there. It was incredible.
Again, I cannot recommend making a birth playlist enough for whatever music speaks to you, calms you, and encourages you!
I even made a playlist for the car drive to the hospital full of 80s hits so that I could focus on just singing and belting out the lyrics, instead of focusing on what I knew would be painful contractions. I also recommend this if you have time! The concert Wyatt and I had on the way to the hospital was so fun!
Packing for the Hospital
I am a list maker! Pretty much anything I am doing or want to do in my life there is a list for. Making this hospital packing list seemed so daunting though. It intimidated me! You can read all the blog posts and see all the lists from others, but it still just didn’t feel right to me. I felt like those lists weren’t complete enough, or like I had no idea what I was doing so I just wanted to take a million things, but also didn’t even know what million things to take. I was a mess!
Somehow, I managed to put together a packing list which I put below for you. And to be honest, I can’t even recall if there was anything unnecessary, but I don’t think I forgot anything major. I think that I felt pretty prepared! But also people that come visit you at the hospital will bring you anything you need, so really if you target something it is totally figureoutable!
Letter to My Son
Like I have already mentioned like a million times at this point in these pregnancy blog posts- I was so excited to meet our boy, completely in love with him already, very emotional at the thought of this incredible blessing, and getting very antsy to meet him.
So I wrote a letter to my future son about everything I was thinking and feeling. I linked it below in case you want to give it a read.
Trigger Warning: hospital visit in third trimester for baby’s lack of movement
Our third trimester began with a scare that I still have trouble wrapping my mind around. On a Monday evening Wyatt and I had taken about an hour drive and on the drive back home that night I was super uncomfortable and felt like Easton was just trying to bust out. I had to recline the seat and lay back but also like arch my back, it was a whole scene on the highway because babe was all over the place and I was hurting because of it. So then the rest of the night he was pretty quiet and I didn’t feel many movements, and I assumed he was sleeping. Up to this point in pregnancy he generally allowed me to sleep pretty good without many crazy movements that would wake me so it was not uncommon that I hadn’t felt him much that night.
Fast forward to mid-morning the next day on Tuesday and I hadn’t felt him move yet that day which worried me slightly, but I was trying to remain calm. Wyatt decided we should go for a coffee run to see if maybe the caffeine would spark some big movements. We went and got coffee and still nothing. That afternoon I went to my sister’s house to hang out. It took my mind off of things for a bit which was super nice, because up to that point I was constantly trying to play knock knock with him through my belly as we often would do, only to get no response. I told my sister what was going on and she suggested a little more caffeine and fixed me a pepsi- always my pop of choice. A little later that afternoon I was driving home and I felt like maybe I felt a small flutter- which was very unlike Easton’s movements at that point in pregnancy- but I was grateful just to feel something.
I was starting to get concerned, but trying to keep perspective and not panic. Although at that point I had consumed more caffeine in one day than I had my entire pregnancy (I had cut it out almost entirely until later in third tri) so it felt odd to me it wasn’t having any effect on him.
Getting through the evening and night was an emotional roller coaster. I felt like maybe I would feel him but maybe not, like it was just in my head and I was struggling. In hindsight, I wish we would have just gone to the hospital that night after not feeling him all day, but Wyatt and I both decided we would give it a little more time. By Wednesday morning I was a wreck. Begging God for a movement from Easton- a big movement like he had always done that would help me to know he was okay. Trying to get ready for work I couldn’t stop crying and just felt sick. I had this awful feeling in the pit of me that something wasn’t right with him. But I couldn’t call my midwife until 8:00 and that’s also when I had to be at work. I cried and prayed my entire drive to work. I got to work and told my boss what was going on and as always she told me whatever I needed to do, go do. I called my midwife’s office and they told me to come right in and go to the mother/baby unit of the hospital.
By the time I got home from work Wyatt was ready and we left for the hospital. We turned on worship music and didn’t talk to each other the entire drive. We were busy talking to God and begging Him for everything to be okay. I had every scenario running through my mind and the only good scenario I felt like was a slim chance by that point. We got to the hospital and after all the routine stuff, she put the monitors on my belly.
And then a swift kick in my belly right at the belly monitor.
And another. And another. He was not happy about that thing being near him and on my belly. And from that moment on he was again my rambunctious constantly moving and kicking silly boy in there, playing knock knock back and forth with me. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus.
They continued to leave the monitor on for about an hour just to keep an eye on him and he was constantly moving. By the time the nurse came in to take off the monitors she said that she was shocked he was only 28 weeks because his heart activity on the monitor was so strong, like that of a full term baby. Her words gave me such peace and relief.
What a wild story, but I knew God was with us and with Him every step of the way. I know that story could have had a completely different outcome and it’s only by the grace of God that he was good and healthy and didn’t make his healthy happy arrival until he was fully ready.
They didn’t really have a specific reason for why we went a couple days without feeling much movement, other than that I had an anterior placenta but that had never caused any issues before when it came to feeling his movements. While I wish we had an answer for why, all I cared about was that he was healthy.
What a way to kick off the third trimester!!
And that pretty much sums up my third trimester of pregnancy up until those good ole contractions began!! Ahhhhh!!! Next up is the birth story of our sweet Easton James! The Birth Story of Our Baby Boy
Lord thank you for the blessing of these mamas making it into the homestretch of pregnancy. Thank You for carrying them through this far and continuing to carry them through until delivery. Your love, strength, and perfect design makes all of this possible! Please continue to keep Your loving hand on these mamas and babies. Please give them the patience, perseverance, and guidance they need in this last trimester. We praise You Lord for the gift of life and the way You designed us all to do this. Amen.
All the love,
