We had our first appointment of the third trimester. It’s here when things start to pick up, of course. We go back in two weeks, and then another, and another until we get to 36 weeks.
And then I’m going to have to see the relatively not-friendly front-desk staff at my doctor’s office every week and LORD. I am not looking forward to that. The doctors at the practice, the nurses, the technicians, sweet Jesus, THE BILLING DEPARTMENT, are all tremendously lovely and wonderful people. For reasons that baffle me, the doctors’ front desk staff are a surly lot.
Anyway, we had another great appointment. Everything checks out well, I gained four pounds this month, our daughter’s got a strong heartbeat and I still can’t have a glass of wine. Yes, I know, your doctor said it was OK. That is wonderful for you. My doctors are not of that camp, and so in our house there is no glass of wine this Christmas.
My favorite part about this appointment was that, while not 100% sure, the doctor helped us figure out approximately were our girl is taking up space in the not-so-ample space that makes up my midsection. I had a dream the other night that I saw her little foot sort of poking up through my belly – not in a horror-show-type way, but that way that people tell you happens at the end – you can see a foot, a hand, etc. Turns out that where her feet are right now are in the same spot as they were in the dream, which makes sense because that’s where I’m feeling the most action.
But pretty much I’m feeling action everywhere. She’s sitting right on my bladder, which is great fun, believe you me. And since I’m so short and lacking in torso real estate, there isn’t a spot where I’m not feeling this kid moving around. The other night I had a glass of milk before bed and she bust out what I could have sworn was a rumba as though she were trying out for Dancing With The Stars in my uterus.
It’s strange, because almost like clockwork, I entered the third trimester this week and all of the tell-tale signs of the third semester came creeping in. Do you know what has me peeved like nothing else?
TURNING OVER IN BED.
Switching from sleeping on my right side to my left, and back, because you know I’m tossing and turning in what feels like a Sisyphean attempt at sleep, has become a chore. I look at the course of the half-marathon I ran earlier this year and I wonder what woman that could have been to have accomplished that because this woman needs a crowbar just to lug her ass out of bed.
I mean, A HALF MARATHON! And I finished! Without stopping! And now getting up from a chair winds me. There is no dignity in this experience for me. And I’ll tell you what – nothing has made me appreciate my athleticism and love of exercise more than this pregnancy. Nothing. I can’t wait to move again. I look at people running and my jealous knows no bounds. And trust me: it has nothing to do with weight. Nothing at all.
I just so miss the thrill of moving. I didn’t realize how much all of this had become a part of my identity until I was kept from being able to do it. And it’s not that I have resentment over not having the capacity to exercise like I used to – the most I can muster is walking and yoga – but it’s a huge part of my life that I miss. Once I get the clearance, I’m back out there, daughter in tow, I can tell you that much.
So yeah. I’m big and unwieldy and sore. I’m seeing a chiropractor next week, and I’ve started wearing a maternity belt – though my doctor this morning recommended this item, which is on its way. Scott spotted a stretch mark on my hip, I can barely finish a meal because I’ve run out of room and I’m pretty certain that bathroom visits are going to become a major challenge.
But we’re OK. We’re healthy, growing and blessed to be problem-free. Back in the summer, during the worst of the first trimester, I really wondered if I would make it. I really did. It was so awful. But I made it through and I’ll do the same thing here, too.
Oh what I wouldn’t give for that crowbar, though.
I’m between 35 and 36 weeks now, and I could use the crowbar both to get out of bed and to get him out of my ribcage. I would be good with either of those things. (I am also pretty short, so there’s not a lot of room going on here, either.)
Oh, this is SO the part I remember. I had pubic symphasis dysfunction (don’t Google, if you have it you will know and are better off not even thinking about it) and so with every movement in bed my pelvic bones ached and cracked and complained. I developed a very intricate maneuver involving our headboard to turn myself from side to side. I also got one of those huge body pillows, which did help me sleep. Just wait till you can lie on your belly again – it feels amazing the first time you can do that.
I was SO jealous of the runners, too. I actually helped my labour start by dragging my sad, sore butt off the couch and hauling it around the track by our house, slowly and waddling all the way – could barely walk the next day, but my labour started! Don’t worry, you’ll be back out there and loving it in no time – I managed to do a 5K 2 months postpartum, very slowly. I cried happy tears when we crossed the start line, because it felt so good to move again!
Hang in there!
“Supporting pregnant women all over the world… one belly at a time.” Thank you for my new favorite ad slogan!
Hang in there, Erin. It sounds like you guys are doing amazing. And just think, your baby will be here before Saint Patrick’s Day, right? Sounds like the Shea Smith house is going to be deserving of a Guinness toast! AND I heard that Guinness helps your milk come down… in? What does milk do? Anyway, it could be a win-win-win!
I have to give unsollicited advice..so I won’t…but I’ll let you in on a small thing that helped me. (Sside from sleeping in the spare bedroom!)…
At about your point in the pregnancy, I bought satin pyjamas….they were slippery enough to sorta help in the colossal effort which was turning around!
I’m at 29.5 weeks, and I’m feeling the same way with regard to sleeping. I’m different though, in that I have a very long torso. I think she has LOTS of room to play in there. My shape looks different from minute to minute! While I was never exercising enough in the past, I, too, miss the ability to even just walk up one flight of stairs without feeling like I’m going to pass out. I’m guessing exercising will need to be something that I make a priority in the future. Good luck to you in your last trimester!
I loved my pregnancy body pillow in the third trimester — I was so, so glad that I had it. I propped myself on my side between the body pillow and a regular bed pillow, and it helped so much.
Oh my gosh you’re so funny! Since I’m not even showing yet I have forgotten about all of these indignities from first pregnancy. I remember having a hard time eating at the very end – not only was I out of room but I couldn’t eat bending over my plate like a normal person thus had to almost balance my plate on the belly. THAT must have been attractive lol.
Ohhhh, the sleep! I am just shy of 32 weeks, and started doing the whole tossing and turning thing a few weeks ago. It is so annoying. My hips hurt no matter what I do. I have a body pillow, and it still doesn’t help!
I have been lucky and can still exercise, but it takes a toll on my body whenever I do, and I have had to back off in the last few weeks. I figure, though, that this really is the home stretch of the pregnancy. Hang in there, though! It’s not always easy, but you’re almost done with the pregnancy and can move on to taking care of your daughter.
A tip for turning over – instead of going from side to back to other side, try going from side, to all fours, to other side… it sounds like it would be hugely disruptive to sleep, but I found it was actually much easier to do it that way than to roll onto my back. Give it a shot!
Also check out http://www.spinningbabies.com (funny name) for info about a technique called “belly mapping” that can help you figure out where she is in your belly.
You and I are similarly built. There is almost no space between my ribs and hip bones. The third trimester was a joke. I should send you pictures. ha.
Anyway, your bathroom comment reminded me of how, toward the end, I would just kind of back up to the toilet and plop down. There was no gentle squatting or sitting. My center of gravity was so fubar’d I was basically a walking Humpty Dumpty. I could sit and watch my belly stretch and move and all the bulges kind of slide around. It was crazy.
The good news is 2 years later my stomach is almost completely normal again.
I broke down and saw a chiropractor only a week before my due date because I had that pubic symphasis thing, too. Thought it was one of those things that would only be cured by actually giving birth, but it turns out chiropractors can work miracles. It was absolutely amazing — I almost cried walking out to my car because I felt like a halfway normal person for the first time in weeks. You can now count me as a chiropractic convert.
Alison, I’m hoping for the same thing this week!
Oh, Erin, I felt the same way during my pregnancy. I could barely get out of bed. It was more like rolling and sliding until a foot hit the floor. I really missed all things athletic: running, hockey, hell, WALKING without being out of breath or having to stop every five minutes to pee.
And the dreams? I had weird ones: the foot sticking out of my belly (with a date stamped on the bottom of it, WTH?), even ones where the baby was completely out of my body but I had to put her back in before I woke up. Friggin’ weird.
The end is near. Enjoy the last trimester!