My Pregnancy Journey: Third Trimester [with my #2]

If you haven’t read my first trimester journey entry [+ how I found out I was pregnant], read that here. Second trimester journey is here.

Third Trimester

Third trimester was a bit of a rollercoaster in the beginning, until I found my footing towards the end… then it got a little wobbly [all the emotions + fear started popping up]… + eventually, I got to a place of peace + readiness. Third trimester started off similar to second trimester — I had two big trips planned… one for work + one for our babymoon [!]. Halfway through all the travels, my body was like — you need to slow down now. My emotions were at an all time high + I didn’t feel grounded at all. After our babymoon [30w], I made promise to myself: slow down.

I dropped all tentative plans for traveling [aka we decided to stay put for Thanksgiving!], created a priority list, + focused on tying the bow on work a couple weeks before my due date, so that I could really go inward + honor this sacred transition. Towards the very end of third trimester, I kept thinking to myself — what would I regret not doing [or doing] if I went into labor now? My answer was always — not slowing down + connecting with the baby more. As well as connecting with Isaac + Noah!

The last few weeks of pregnancy are SO meaningful, + I wanted to be fully present to it all. It’s so easy to get caught up in the nesting energy + focus on the never ending list of “to dos.” Also, I realized that at times, I was using the nesting energy to distract myself + feel a sense of “control.” Finally, towards the very end [39w] — I was able to settle into a new, slow rhythm + state of mind, + allowed myself to simply be. I’m so grateful that I was able to get to that point — the space gave me permission to take everything in, prepare my mind + body for birth, + honor the closing of this chapter of 3… while giving even more space to welcoming in our beautiful baby boy!

Third Trimester — Physical + Emotional Changes

• Cravings = All the red meat! Also craving ICE, ICE, ICE! Which made me think that my iron was low — but it was normal when I got my bloodwork back!
• Bloody nose literally every day… only in my right nostril. I feel like I have passed so many blood clots through my nose ugh
• Colostrum started coming out of my nipples! Also, my nipples started to get really tender [+ even a little bit painful] around 38 weeks
• Belly is growing, gowing, growing! I’m in my cute belly era + I LOVE it!
• So many kicks + wiggles
• My skin FINALLY cleared up. It took 5 months! Ironically [or not so ironically] it cleared up when we were on our Babymoon in Kauai… which made me think that some of my skin inflammation had to do with stress? Either way, so happy my skin is finally clear again!
• Exhausted, but energized... I literally would wake up at 5am ready to take on the day, but balanced that with taking mid day hypnobirthing meditations/naps lol. Eventually [39w], I was mostly exhausted + I could tell my body was saying — rest, rest, rest… you need to savor all of your energy to birth your baby! I would curl into bed immediately after dinner
• Nesting mode ACTIVATED. It’s easy for me be in the “doing” stage + keep crossing things off our to-do list [+ adding more things to our to-do list lol], but towards the end of pregnancy [37w], Isaac + I were like we need to stop with the doing, + focus on the being
• Had a bit of sleep insomnia for a few weeks. I could barely sleep the last couple weeks of pregnancy [literally getting up every 1.5–2 hours]… I think a lot of it had to do with nerves of the possibility of going into labor. So much anticipation!
• Slept with a pillow in between my legs, which helped. Sleeping was so uncomfortable!
• Constantly have to pee — so ready to not have to pee all the time anymore!
• Had a few moments during third trimester where I felt really light-headed + like I was going to faint. I noticed that this would mostly happen if I was standing in one spot for longer periods at a time [aka at the park, talking to someone while standing up]. I’m assuming it had to do with low blood sugar. Thankfully, I never passed out — sitting down, drinking water [+ eating a snack — if I had something on hand], + just regrouping always helped
• Week 31, I got COVID. Thankfully, I only had it for 2 days [poor Isaac had it for 3 weeks] — but it was terrible… achey, chills, headache, lots of pelvic pain, exhausted
• Week 32+, LOTS of Braxton Hicks contractions! It’s so interesting because I never got them with Noah… so I started freaking out a bit when they first started happening a lot, wondering if these were labor contractions. Nope, just Braxton Hicks! Towards the very end of pregnancy [Week 39 + 40], it definitely evolved to be moreso prodromal labor
• Week 33, started to get a bit of pelvic floor pain + even had rectum pressure — the baby was low, low, low. But then weirdly it went away after a few days! When I talked to my midwife + doula about it, they said it’s normal for the baby to move up + down. Thankfully he didn’t stay in that extremely low position for long + the pelvic floor pain went away. Week 38, pelvic floor pain came back — it mostly was activated when doing moves like donkey kicks, etc. So I stopped doing any exercise moves that felt uncomfortable + just listened to my body!
• Week 35+, stomach started getting sooooo full towards the end of the day, I could barely eat dinner. I basically ate all my meals before 2 pm lol. Week 39+, I just wanted all the soups for easy digestion. I also felt like my belly was completely expanded at its max at this point… it was rock hard + it started to get more uncomfortable moving around
• Week 38, started to feel a bit numb in my right big toe. Apparently, numbing sensation in pregnancy is normal [it has to do with the uterus expanding + pressing on nerves in your legs, toes, fingers, + hands]. It was so strange!
• Week 39, I strained my right hip + could barely walk for a couple days. I remember praying — please let me not go into labor tonight. Thankfully, it went away on its own after a few days. I think it was due to over-walking one day, resulting in round ligament pain
• Emotions at an all time high 😆 Had a huge cry in the shower Week 38 + I think that was the somatic release that I needed to get out of my head + into my body — grieving the end of this beautiful chapter as a family of 3, + creating space for our next beautiful chapter as a family of 4
• Week 39+, every night, I had a “oh my gosh what if I go into labor tonight” moment. I would get super nervous before bed. Then, in the morning I would feel amazing + the nerves would be gone + I would feel “prepared” + so confident for labor… then by night, I would get nervous again
• Physically, for the most part, I felt great. I felt strong, empowered, + so grateful for my body growing a healthy baby boy! Also, I loved watching my belly grow — I felt so feminine + I loved it!
• Changes that happened with Noah that didn’t happen this time around: I never got a pregnancy tumor in my mouth this time! [THANK GOD!]. I never got pregnancy melasma. I never got indigestion. I never had to do IUGR monitoring. I never got brain fog [to the same extent as least lol].

Third Trimester — What Helped

• Finally slowed down! If we get blessed with a third baby [which we’d love!], I will not make any travel plans after second trimester. It was just too much. Looking back, I cannot believe that we MOVED from Chicago to Santa Monica when I was 7 months pregnant… how, how, how! Granted being pregnant with a toddler is very different, so giving myself a lot of grace. Slowing down also looked like saying no to plans, resting just because, + building the “cocoon.” All the nesting!
• Movement: Light weights 1–3x per week. Hike 1x per week. Yoga 1x per week. Started pre-natal pilates 1x per week. Also, tried to get in a lot of steps [5–10K steps daily]
• Dates with Isaac: 2 months prior to our due date… Isaac + I were like, we need to prioritize each other! We set the intention of going on dates 1x/week after Noah’s first birthday… but then we never got around to it. However, knowing that we were on the precipice of our lives completely changing [again!], we FINALLY made it happen + I’m kicking ourselves for not starting sooner because it’s been so nourishing for us! Every Thursday morning we went on a yoga + coffee date!
• Removed all information/noise that wasn’t birth related: Since I had stopped scrolling during second trimester, this mostly applied to podcasts. I stopped listening to my normal podcasts, + instead listened to my birth playlist [or called a friend!] on walks. Also, I started reading birth books at night: Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth, First Forty Days, + The Zen Mamas.
• Built To Birth YouTube: Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I didn’t know about Bridget Teyler sooner! Week 39, I learned about Built to Birth on Youtube + I devoured so much of her content as quickly as I could. I loved watching her birth journey, + I listened to her pregnancy/labor meditations multiple times a day. It made me feel so empowered. Highly recommend!
• NOT having to do all the prep work that we had to do while I was pregnant with Noah: Obviously, if it’s your first pregnancy — prep work is essential! But having done this before, it was so nice to not have to buy ALL the things, go to birth education classes, create a nursery, decide on postpartum care, etc. Instead, I was able to simply focus on the spiritual side of prep work for birth + becoming a mother of 2! [Granted, I kind of wish that we would have done a second registry with baby #2… but I wasn’t really sure on the etiquette there + it ended up falling to the bottom of my list.]
• Being in nature: Hiking, beach days, sunset walks… so nourishing to my soul!
• Bodywork sessions: Went to acupuncture every other week starting at Week 32 + I feel like that really helped calm my nervous system down. Also did a few Chiro appointments!
• Baths: I should have started taking baths so much sooner! Week 38, I started to take “rose petal” baths at night, drank herbal tea, lit candles + listened to my birth playlist. It was a beautiful way to honor the day + wind down at night. A lot of times Noah was in the bath with me!
• Grieved the end of the chapter of 3: I really allowed myself to feel all the emotions that were bubbling up… particularly the end of life as I knew it as a family of 3. Lots of tears were shed. I had many moments of “this might be the last sunset as a family of 3,” “this might be our last beach day as a family of 3,” this might be my last cuddle session with Noah before he becomes a big brother” etc. I knew that my heart would expand as soon as I gave birth… but I had to honor the closing of this chapter of the 3 of us.
• Fear clearing: “I can feel fear, but I’m not afraid” became a mantra that I held onto. I had to release SO much fear the last couple weeks of pregnancy [I’ll talk more about that in my birth story]. Looking back, I do think that fear was an “intuition” about what was to come… but there was no way of knowing that at the time. I felt so scared about going through labor again — worried about tearing, not sure if I could handle the pain, forgetting how to breathe/push, emergency c-section transfer… etc. Ultimately, I had to just trust that this baby was going to come into the world perfectly.
• “The Sacred Transition Checklist” [Weeks 35–40]: Read more here!

Third Trimester Moments

#1] Week 29 — Our Babymoon! We started off in Todos Santos… but after two days, we were like, nope this isn’t the vibe we were hoping for [especially with Noah!]. We booked a last minute ticket to Kauai + it was the best decision ever. One of my favorite vacations!

#2] Week 30 — Did my last run. : ( I noticed I just wasn’t recovering fast [hip pain], so I knew it was time. Started pre-natal pilates!

#3] Week 31 — I got COVID. Isaac got it a week before me + then Noah + I got it. I was super achey, chills, exhausted, + had mild headache… thankfully it only lasted two days. Another sign to SLOW DOWN. Isaac ended up getting it for 3 weeks!

#4] Week 32 — FINALLY STARTED GOING ON WEEKLY DATES WITH ISAAC! The yoga + coffee dates mentioned above!

#5] Week 34 — Pregnancy photoshoot! Always such a fun time + I’m always blown away by Zoe’s photos. She’s the best!

#6] Week 35 — Started all the labor prep! Read: The Sacred Transition Checklist [Weeks 35–40]. Also shared more about how I was feeling during these weeks.

#7] Week 36 — NAME WAS *ALMOST* FINALIZED. Will share more later : ).

#8] Week 38 — Isaac + I did our first ever hotel night away from Noah + it was glorious! It was so nice to connect with each other, knowing that I’ll be tethered to a baby for at least a year [while breastfeeding], so we won’t be able to do something like this for awhile.

#9] Week 38 — My maternity leave started! I feel so grateful that I was able to take a couple weeks prior to the birth of baby to really go inward. If we get blessed with another pregnancy, I think I would start a bit earlier — like 36 or 37 weeks [since 37 weeks is the official benchmark for having a home birth + when you are considered “full term”!]. It’s hard to know the ideal timeline, especially because it’s such a mystery on “when” labor will actually start.

#10] Week 38 — Noah’s birth “mementos” started breaking. First it was a crystal necklace that we got during our babymoon while I was pregnant with Noah. Then it was an “N” ring that I bought a few days before Noah’s birth. A few more similar things happened to items related to Noah’s birth. I realized that these items “breaking” were telling me to release Noah’s birth. It was time to bring our baby into the world fully with fresh eyes + give him the space — physically, mentally, + emotionally — that he needs.

#11] Week 38 — Wrote out my labor intentions. Our prayer every night became, “If today is the day, it’s been a really great day.” [This ended up being our prayer for almost 3 weeks, lol]

#12] Week 39 — It got really real. I really worked on my mental state + feeling as relaxed as possible... savoring this slow time to bond with baby in my belly. Baby was going to be here SO soon + it felt quite surreal. I said my birth affirmations every day until baby made his arrival ❤:

• Gratitude 💛 I am so grateful for this experience.
• Trust 💛 I trust that my body + baby know exactly what to do.
• Purpose 💛 The pain has a purpose. I can do anything for one minute.
• Power 💛 I am so strong + capable + powerful. I can do this… I am doing this!
• Open 💛 I open my heart, mind, + body to birth my baby.
• Peaceful 💛 I am having a relaxed, peaceful, beautiful birthing journey.
• Supported 💛 I am not alone… I call upon God [Let go, + let God], my angels, my maternal lineage, my birth team, my baby, + my highest self to help guide me.
• Love 💛 I welcome my baby with so much love… I am about to meet my baby + I cannot wait to hold him in my arms!!!!

#13] Week 39 — Wrote out “commitments” to myself, to Isaac, to Noah, + to baby boy — creating vows to each individual relationship. It was such a meaningful exercise + I plan on re-visiting these commitments every year… + updating them as needed!

#14] Week 40 — Due date came + went. I called every day after Week 40, a “bonus day.” The message I got from our baby was that he is in zero rush + that he is loving this slower pace that we are finally living, + he wants us to keep enjoying it! I embraced each day as a blessing + felt super grateful for the “bonus days.” They were filled with a lot of self-care, + I felt like I was really able to tend to my soul, as well as feel a lot more empowered about my birth journey that was to come. However, as we inched closer to Week 41, I started getting a bit nervous… googling membrane sweeps, castor oil, the miles circuit, + other natural induction methods. I really wanted to go into labor as naturally as possible + hoped that I wouldn’t need to have to do a membrane sweep, etc.

#15] Week 40 + 1 Day — Had an acupuncture appointment that freaked me out. The baby was moving like crazy + I swear that he completely flipped positions + I thought he might be breached. I was terrified. I had an appointment with my midwife the next morning to make sure everything was okay, + thankfully he was in perfect positioning.

#16] Week 40 + 3 Days — Mucus plug fiiiinally started coming out!

#17] Week 40 + 4 Days — I finally felt so at peace, my fears were cleared, + I was ready to birth our baby into the world. That day I journaled…

“Gabriel, we are ready for you… I know you are coming very soon. I can feel it. I think today may be the last day or even *the* day.”

Right after journaling, I got up to go to the bathroom… + I had a BLOODY SHOW! I immediately texted my birth team. A couple hours later, I started feeling contractions. I couldn’t believe it. It was happening!

Love,
Elisabeth