Third Trimester: We Almost There, Y’all
It’s been a long nine months, and yet it feels like I just found out I was pregnant the other day. The third trimester has been the most physically uncomfortable one yet, even though the first one was a doozy. During the first trimester, I was throwing up a lot and felt generally miserable, but at least I could bend over and be on my feet for work! Now it feels like I’ve been hit by a train every time I clock out for the day.
I hate not being able to bend over and pick stuff up, especially now that my carpal tunnel has gotten bad (I had it before pregnancy, but now it’s baaaaad). I can’t tell you how many things I’ve dropped today alone because my hands just won’t work. I am not a fan of the swelling and the soreness of all my muscles at all times. Getting out of bed to go pee every hour is a struggle, not because I have to pee, but because physically getting out of bed is an Olympic sport every time.
Even though I’m complaining a lot, pregnancy in general has not been the worst thing ever. I’ve had a pretty straightforward pregnancy, with little to no complications. I’m very happy and very lucky to be able to say so! I’ve been knocking on wood every chance I get. I’m in the homestretch now, so I’ve just got to keep my wits about me and follow what my body is saying!
Now that we’re in the homestretch, I’ve been thinking a lot about what to do when it’s time to go to the hospital. I know that I am wary of pain meds, mostly because I usually try to avoid taking them in my normal life…but damn, giving birth hurts! I haven’t done it yet, but I KNOW it hurts. Contractions are painful enough, and as the days go on, they get more intense (although there’s no pattern yet). I keep asking myself if my “no epidural” stance is realistic for the pain tolerance level I have.
I also know that I want to do things as naturally as possible. I’m definitely not one of those “crunchy moms” (no hate, it’s just not a lifestyle I could realistically commit to), but I’m a firm believer in natural birthing methods just because I figure we’ve been doing this whole pregnancy and birth thing for years and years and years…why overcomplicate the natural process of labor? Of course, I’m giving birth in a hospital so that if an emergency happens, we can be prepared to handle it. I’m just lucky my midwives agree that doing things as naturally as possible is doable for my pregnancy.
I think that whatever happens, it’ll be worth it to meet Olivia! Every day I feel her little kicks and stretches, and I keep wondering what she’s going to look like and what personality she’s going to develop over time. I’m excited to teach her everything I know and I’m excited to learn from her as well. After all, parents can learn a lot about themselves from their children. I hear about that kind of stuff all the time!
Although I’m nervous about being a first time mom, I think I’ll be a good one. I already love Olivia more than anything, and knowing that I’ve got Matt in my corner alleviates my anxiety about being a good parent. Matt has also been putting in the work, reading Dad Books, researching, and generally getting things done so that I don’t have to stress about him or the state of our new living space too much (although we have a LOT more to unpack, it’s been nice knowing that we’re getting close to being comfortable in our new place). I think we’ll both be good parents! The simple fact that we both have faith in each other’s ability is what makes me think we’ll be okay. Olivia’s got a solid support system outside of her mom and dad as it is, so either way I think she’ll be a strong, happy little lady.
I’ll tell you what, though. I’m looking forward to not being pregnant again for a few years. This journey has been awesome and incredible, but I’m ready to transition into figuring out nursing, teaching Olivia how to do stuff, and being a mom in general. It’ll be nice to not have so much heartburn after eating literally anything. It’ll also be nice to have my hands and legs back from all this swollen, water-retaining nonsense. Ultimately, it’ll be amazing to watch my little Liv grow up into whomever she decides to be in life. I just gotta get her out first!
Hello everyone! I’ve got 19 days left until my due date, which is crazy. Like I said at the beginning, I feel like I just found out about my pregnancy, and now we’re at the end?! Wild.
Anyways, thank you for reading as always! I’m playing the next two weeks by ear, seeing as we are approaching The Big Day pretty fast. Of course, I want to do the July Wrapup, but if I’m in labor that day, we’re obviously going to hold off on that until I’m adjusted at home. I don’t like to schedule posts too far in advance, and I’m not a fan of the thought of posting the wrapup early (you never know what can happen in seven days), so I think we will just see what happens. I’m kinda sorta sure I’ll have time to write up something in between feedings and sleep if Olivia comes before her due date…kinda sorta sure!
Either way, I’m taking August off from the blog. I’ll come back with a wrapup post on August 29th. August for me is going to be full of learning how to juggle motherhood and my own needs, so I’ll need that month to do so.
So, follow me on Twitter if you’d like to stay up to date on what is going on with me and the blog! When I go into labor, Twitter will probably be on the “First To Know” list because I’m Like That. I also tweet out every blog post, and I retweet a lot of good, funny, interesting stuff so if you need a Daily Dose of Mary, go ahead and follow me on there.
You can also subscribe right here on Medium by entering your email below! They’ll send you an email whenever I post a blog or a story, so it’s a good and easy way to keep up with me without using Twitter.
Once again, thank you for reading! If Olivia hasn’t made her entrance by July 25th, I’ll see you back here for the Monthly Wrapup!
