I knew the third trimester had hit when I started to feel really, really tired of being pregnant. Pregnancy is a marathon and, by the start of this last leg, I was definitely more than ready to be done. Currently wrapping up this blog post six and a half weeks postpartum (things have been just a tad hectic around here, to say the least), I can say that the feeling had only increased exponentially for me by the time baby girl made her arrival. Read on for a recap!
Week 28: I kicked off the trimester by purchasing items for our upcoming baby shower. Since this was baby number two, we decided to keep the event very low-key, hosting it ourselves at our home. This week I also decided on a paint color for Alden’s woodland-themed toddler room (Sherwin-Williams Privilege Green).
Week 29: This week was largely spent prepping for the baby shower. I finished crafting decorations, and Andy and I both spent time planning our menu and grocery shopping. Andy also did a ton of yard work since the event was planned to be outside.
Week 30: Baby shower time! We were so grateful to our family members who helped to make it a wonderful, memorable day. As mentioned, we hosted the event at our home. We served up pulled pork, crock-pot mac and cheese, and plenty of snacks for a low maintenance lunch-time get-together. Activities included a diaper raffle, a scratch-off ticket game, an opportunity for guests to guess the baby’s birth date (everyone ended up being WAY off, myself included) and yard games. Inspired by our seaside trip to Connecticut, we went with a nautical theme for the gathering.
This week we also celebrated the Fourth of July and I bought some new outfits for baby girl. It was during this week that I also had my first article published on The Everymom. I started reading this site shortly after Alden was born so I was SO excited to have the opportunity to write for it. You can read the article here! You can also visit my contributor profile here.
Week 31: I had a doctor’s appointment on the day I hit 30 weeks — everything was going smoothly! This week Andy and I also painted Alden’s toddler room and started moving some furniture in anticipation of preparing to move him to his new room before his baby sister arrived.
Just as exciting as the first, this week my second article was published on The Everymom: I Was Advised Against an Epidural—But Getting One Saved My Birth Experience
Week 32: Andy and I finished painting Alden’s room and I ordered some more items to finish the room off, including curtains and curtain rods. I also started purging the house of extra “stuff.” The nesting instinct was undeniably much stronger this time around — perhaps because I knew how little free time I’d soon have? In between work and baby prep we also made some time for fun and took Alden to the zoo.
Week 33: Much anticipated maternity photo session with e.p. studios! Eliza is an absolute joy to work with and we were so pleased with the photos she captured of our growing family. It was a blistering hot, humid, summer day but the session went smoothly and I’m so glad we now have beautiful images to look back on to remember this time in our lives.
This week we also had another doctor’s appointment — everything continued to look good! Reflecting on these visits, I feel grateful that Andy was able to accompany me to all of my prenatal appointments during this pregnancy. My pregnancy with Alden aligned with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that I had to attend all of my appointments alone. I often felt the pandemic robbed me of a traditional pregnancy experience. I am so glad that this time around was drastically different (and more of what I had always envisioned).
A busy week for sure, I also started stocking the freezer for when baby girl arrived. Chili and banana bread were the first to hit the freezer shelves!
Week 34: We continued working on Alden’s room by updating the outlets, hanging curtain rods and curtains, and allowing Alden to start playing in the room so that he could get used to it. Thankfully, he loved it right from the start!
Week 35: The freezer stocking continued: Ziti, pear crisp, pumpkin pasta, Italian meatballs, taco meat, Korean meatballs, Greek meatballs, etc. etc.
Week 36: We took a fun morning trip to Fly Creek Cider Mill. I love going to the mill every fall and am really glad we were able to squeeze a visit in before the fall rush. (Although, as it turns out, we would later find time to make a weekday visit with both the kids in early October).
Week 37: Unfortunately we had a little bit of a scare. Thankfully, it ended up being nothing serious but it prompted us to get the bassinet re-assembled and get our hospital bags fully packed. I was thankful that, having been gifted a Baby Boldly bag, most of my bag was already packed for me. (Side note looking back on my hospital experience post-birth: I can’t recommend these bags enough! It was truly wonderful having most of my bag pre-packed for me. As an added bonus, all of the items were so luxurious — it definitely elevated my hospital experience).
Week 38: Odds and ends! I purchased some clothing pieces that she still needed in her wardrobe (this knit set ended up being such a smart, useful purchase), did laundry, double checked that we had all the items that we needed, and continued cooking meals and snacks for the freezer.
Week 39: This week we had our first official false alarm. After having consistent contractions for approximately four hours, Andy and I both began hurriedly double-checking our hospital bags. By morning, however, the contractions became much less consistent before ultimately letting up. We were disappointed but not necessarily surprised!
Week 40: And so the contractions continued! Every night I would experience the Braxton Hicks contractions from 6 pm to 11 pm. Just like (annoying) clockwork. To say I was getting anxious would be an understatement.
Week 41: I had a doctor’s appointment and was so disappointed that the contractions I had been having for over a week were really just false alarms and not doing a whole heck of a lot in terms of starting true labor. I’ll admit I had a momentary emotional breakdown during the appointment and was actually in tears from sheer frustration. It was at this time that we scheduled an induction for the upcoming weekend should labor not start on its own. I was equally frustrated that the earliest I could be seen for an induction was a whole four days away. It might as well have been a lifetime.
Thankfully, labor did, in fact, start on its own.
But that’s a story for another time. Stay tuned!
Favorite Third Trimester Products
Maternity to Babywearing Cardigan, Ritual Prenatal Vitamins, Aveeno Soy Moisturizer, Burt’s Bees Belly Butter, Honest Body Oil, Suede Clogs, Honest Gel Cleanser, Belted Maternity Tunic
Feature Image Credit: e.p. studios
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