The Third Trimester | My First Pregnancy

The last few weeks have been quite an adventure. As I write this post I am no longer pregnant, my baby is now in this world and part of my family. As she sleeps I'm happy to reflect on the last trimester of my pregnancy and remember the ups and downs of that time.

I must admit my first two trimesters were "easy". Easy compared to some women I've spoken to and heard their stories. I was low risk, any symptom that I was effected by were generally mild and I was able to stay active and maintain my physical and mental health. Until the third trimester hit - more specifically the second half of the third trimester.

My first half was pretty similar to the rest of my pregnancy. I stayed active and was still able to fit into many of my pre-pregnancy leggings and track pants and beside the random poor night, sleeping pretty well. Then, as if over night, everything changed. Below are the highlights of my third trimester:

Swelling

My face, arms, hands, legs and feet became so swollen I could barely recognize my own body. Basically none of my shoes fit anymore besides my sneakers, and only because the laces were so loose they might as well not have been there. The swelling was painful at times, and no amount of elevation or contouring could help me. I was officially at the stage where the only thing that could save me from my swollen extremities was labour and birth (a common theme throughout the rest of these points you'll notice).

Pressure

Pelvic pressure to be specific. If I took too long of a walk or went too quickly down the stairs it felt like baby was about to come rolling out of me. I was no longer comfortable exercising or going for the long walks I once enjoyed. I was always nervous that I would overwork myself and deliver the baby too early and she'd be in NICU because of me. I later found out that this was far from the case. Nevertheless, the pressure was nerve wrecking and a constant reminder that baby A was on her way.

Labour/Braxton Hicks/False Labour

Hand in hand with the pressure mentioned above came Braxton Hicks contractions. Although I mildly experienced these throughout my pregnancy, they returned with a vengeance in the last month of my pregnancy. These were defiantly more painful, and sometimes even stopped me in my tracks. There were a few times that I thought to myself "alright, this could be it! We're going to the hospital tonight!", but they always wore off and never became consistent enough to make me go into labour. I learned later that false labour is very common when approaching the due date. The worst part is, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are any closer to labour or that labour is happing soon, it's just mother natures way of preparing you for the big event.

Body Confidence & Self Love

This is the category which I had the most difficult time adjusting too. As happy as I was to be carrying this baby to full term, it definitely took a toll on my physical form. I gained around 35 pounds, plus all the extra swelling, I felt as though I could barely recognize myself when I looked in the mirror. None of my clothing fit me - granted I was weeks away from giving birth, but it was to the point that my oversized baggy t-shirts and sweaters became tight on me. Even some of my maternity leggings were ready to call it quits on me. I had to actively remind myself that this was all temporary and that my body was doing an amazing thing - and as I sit here I still need to remember that my body has changed, and thats a good thing because it brought my beautiful baby girl into my life.

Everyone who has gone through labour told me one thing - no matter how your pregnancy goes, the last few weeks are hell. It's mother natures way of motivating you to go through labour and be ready to birth the child. And if you're a first time mom reading this - labour really is a b*tch! But when baby is in your arms it's a magical feeling. You really do forget about all the pain, pressure and pregnancy symptoms you faced over the last 10 months.

One piece of advice I will tell you, whether you're a first time mom or perhaps on your third child reading this to compare. If you haven't yet - book an appointment with a pelvic floor specialist! Find someone in your area, speak to other moms for a referral or ask you midwife if they recommend anyone and go. I learned so much about my body after my appointment, some of it was pregnancy related - most of it wasn't. But this is something I highly recommend everyone make an appointment with. And if you've already given birth that's more of a reason to go and get yourself checked out. I had an appointment 5 weeks before I delivered baby A and I scheduled my 6-week postpartum to make sure everything has healed nicely (including making sure my bladder went back to it's original home). Look at this as a form of self care - and see a professional. Peeing when you sneeze isn't normal, and we shouldn't normalize these symptoms. Go get it taken care of mama!

I can't believe that my (first) pregnancy journey is over now. My baby has joined my husband and I into this crazy world and we have started our little family. I am so happy I took the time to start this blog so I can look back at my journey and reflect on how the times have changed. When I flew back to Ontario and told my parents I was pregnant we were living in a different world. I never in a million years would have thought that my first pregnancy would take place in the middle of a world wide pandemic. That many of those first experiences like baby showers and meeting my friends new born babies would have to be put on hold or cancelled because of social distancing guidelines. These last 10 months were simultaneously the shortest and longest time of my life, and an emotional rollercoaster each and every week. This has definitely been a time in my life which I will never forget, but this experience has taught me that I can do anything. And while I am here I want to give a special shout out to my husband Shawn, he has supported me through the entire pregnancy, my job loss & rehire, and all the cancelled plans. He has been there to hold my hand when I needed support, and give me a push when I was feeling down and I couldn't thank him enough for being the best husband and best friend I could have asked for. As this chapter closes, we start a new one. Now its full force baby time!