Yup, I’m STILL here! 39 weeks and 6 days… And we’re still just truckin’ along!

I’m sorry that I keep faking people out by not posting. But the truth is, I’m kind of running out of things to post. Unless you want to hear me talking every single day about how I’m pretty much done being pregnant and dealing with false contractions all the time, and I’m ready for this baby to be here already!

But I feel like that bit of whining would get old pretty quick, so I’ll spare you. That would be the reason for my random absences lately though, not because I’ve had a baby. Sadly enough! haha.

We do have a doctor’s appointment this morning though, so cross your fingers for me! Maybe we’ll hear some good news!

Third Trimester Recap

Until then, I wanted to keep up the tradition and do a quick third trimester recap for you all. If you’re really interested in following along with my pregnancy journey, you can check out my weekly bumpdates over on Freckles & Fingerpaint. But since I know that an overload of pregnancy information isn’t everyone’s thing, I’ve been trying to do some quick trimester recaps here on MFL for anyone who just wants a quick overview (check out my first trimester and second trimester recaps!)

But of course, first we need a photo montage!

And just for some real fun, how about a 30 week comparison! Holy bump! I get told all the time that my bump isn’t that big, but when I see pictures like this, it sure feels humongous!

Third Trimester

Weeks? 28-40

Baby’s size? Went from the size of a coconut to a watermelon/pumpkin. He also grew from about 2 ¼ lbs to over 7lbs (or more… we’ll see any day now!)

Total weight gain/loss: Approximately 10-12lbs during this trimester (about 28-30 overall).

Maternity clothes? Oh yea. I was still able to get away with non-maternity tops until about 32 weeks or so. Then it was all maternity, all the time! In the last 2 weeks, I even had to resort to a few of Chris’ tshirts when I was just relaxing around the house, because none of mine fit over my belly (without the bottom half hanging out!)

Stretch marks? I think I might end this pregnancy with only one super tiny one (that I’m not even 100% sure is a stretch mark…). Which would be a miracle!

Sleep: Sleep has been hands down my worst pregnancy “symptom”. I have unfortunately found sleeping to be very uncomfortable, probably thanks to my bad hip pre-pregnancy which only get worse when I lay on one side too long. I spent many a night on the couch, because I kept waking Chris up from either a) getting up to pee 2-3x a night, or b) tossing and turning!

Miss Anything? Wine, sushi, being able to put on my shoes without holding my breath, running, working out as intensely as I used to… yup, same as last time!

Movement: Constantly. He is one serious dance fiend in there. Honestly, I’ve rarely ever had to actually pay attention enough to do “kick counts” as recommended by the doc (aka look for 10 kicks within a 2 hour span to make sure they are active enough), because he is always moving so much! Especially when it gets around meal time. This kid likes his food, apparently!

Food cravings: Honestly, I didn’t have too many bizarre cravings in the 3rd trimester. Twice I had a thing for BLTs, and basically ate them at least once a day for a week, but otherwise, it’s just been random cravings here and there (i.e. bean tostada or tuna melt). For the most part, I’ve actually had a hard time getting myself to eat these last several weeks, because nothing sounds good!

Aversions: Not really. As I said, most of the time I’ve run into the problem where nothing actually sounds GOOD, but nothing sounds gross either. It’s very confusing (for both me and Chris!)

Gender: Gender was confirmed again at both our 30 week 3D social scan AND our 35 week ultrasound. Baby Freckle is most definitely a boy!

Symptoms: Overall, I’ve really had it super easy this entire pregnancy. While of course I’ve had some of the usual symptoms – hip pain, lower back pain if I stand up for too long, round ligament pain, etc – none have really been that bad. I’ve had almost no swelling, which is a blessing, and have been able to stay active throughout this entire pregnancy (which is probably why I’ve had things really easy so far). Sleep, and thus constant exhaustion, has honestly been my only serious issue! Oh, and I did have a lovely case of false labor last week, and contractions ever since, so that’s fun.

Belly Button in or out? In, thanks to my gallbladder scar. Although it is significantly flatter than it used to be!

Wedding rings on or off? I finally had to trade out my wedding rings for another ring that is a ½ size bigger. My regular ring still fits, but with the heat and too many tortilla chips (or anything super salty), it gets a little tight. And my doc warned me about swelling post-partum, and how she has had to cut the rings off people before. Yikes!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy for the most part this trimester. These last 2 weeks have definitely been a little bit hard on me mentally though, because I’m so ready to have this baby! I’m finally starting to feel uncomfortably pregnant, and after we finished all of our birthing classes and everything I have just been mentally ready for him to get here. So a few tears may have been shed after my false labor episode and the 1.5+ weeks of waiting since…

Final Thoughts on the Third Trimester

Overall, I think the third trimester has actually been my favorite of them all. I know most people love the second trimester (aka the “honeymoon trimester”) because after a long and exhausting first trimester, you finally feel like yourself again. And while that was definitely true, I also had a really hard time during that second trimester embracing my bump and the changes that my body was making.

In the third trimester though, my bump really took off (finally!) and people finally started actually noticing! I mean, I made it through 5 grad school interviews at 27 weeks pregnant without a single person guessing – that’s how much I was lacking a real bump! But once I hit about the 30 week mark, the bump took off and he decided he needed some more room in there!

In general though, this has been a pretty easy third trimester for me. Yes, I’ve started feeling bigger, clumsier, and all around “pregnant”, but I have also been really lucky that I’ve been able to workout frequently, stay active, and make decent food choices (for the most part), which I really think has contributed to my easy pregnancy!

These last 2 weeks of pregnancy, however, I’ve determined are a sheer test of will and mental strength. Because guys, they are HARD! You’re ready to be done. You’re body is ready to be done. And you’re just stuck playing the waiting game, wondering if every little twinge or pain is “it”. But it’s not. Just 2 weeks of teasing! And here I am, 1 day away from my due date, and I’m STILL being teased! haha.

All-in-all, this pregnancy journey has been quite the roller coaster. And while I’m happy that it’s coming to an end, it also has really made me grow as a person and made my relationship with Chris even stronger. So I am most definitely thankful!

Now cross your fingers for me that Baby Freckle comes out soon, or I might start losing my sanity!!!!

So tell me: Mamas out there – any tips for surviving these last few days?

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