Popping in with a little update on the third trimester so far! I’m sharing some birth resources, my labor prep and some of the more fun things that have come along with the third trimester! 

If you’d like to catch up, read our infertility story here, announcement here, first trimester and gender reveal and second trimester. 

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Part of me can’t believe we are here at 37 weeks while the other part feels like I’ve been pregnant forever! Time has sure been weird for everyone in 2020, but I think especially so being pregnant. 

A lot has changed since February 24th when we transferred our teeny tiny embryo. Covid-19 has shut down our world in a way no one could have ever imagined or predicted and here we are, 3 weeks from our due date with no real end in sight.

I am grateful that Covid-19 procedures are now well established and I know what the protocol will be when we get to the hospital, which was not necessarily the case for mom’s that delivered in the early months of the pandemic. 

I will be given a rapid test and Walter will be screened for symptoms. If I am positive we will both be assumed positive and be quarantined to our room for the entirety of our stay. If I am negative we will still have to wear masks due to the risk of a false negative test, but we can move about the hospital as long as we do not leave the grounds. If positive, they will advise that we stay separated from the baby for 2 weeks, which is NOT a possibility in my mind, so for that reason we are currently in a self-imposed quarantine (aside from doctors appointments) and will remain so until he arrives… and likely for a while after… It’s less than ideal, but I am so thankful that Walter will be able to be with me at the hospital no matter what. 

Labor Prep

 

At 36 weeks I started a variety of things that are supposed to either help labor get started or help it progress more quickly once it does start. From a diet perspective those things include eating 6 dates per day (no easy feat), drinking red raspberry leaf tea by the gallon (ok… not quite gallons, but it feels that way) and eating lots of pineapple (not a problem for me). I’ve also continued walking about 3 miles a day, started bouncing rather obsessively on a yoga ball and doing some painful new stretches. I’m hoping all, or at least some of these things will help me go into labor on my own and maybe have a shorter, less painful birth… we shall see. I find it horribly ironic that I spent the first 25 weeks of this pregnancy praying and obsessing about him staying in and now I wake up every day hoping he will just come out already, ha! 

 

Birth Resources 

 

Overall I have not gone crazy with reading about birth or taking courses. I waffled back and forth about taking a few more classes and ultimately decided not to. Part of me thinks I’ll do better with birth if my mind is in more of a shut off position instead of full of all the things I should or should not be doing. It remains to be seen if this is a good plan… Aside from taking a birth course offered virtually by our hospital, some other resources I’ve found helpful are the following: 

 

The Birth Hour – A podcast where women tell their birth stories. I find it really helpful to listen to actual accounts of birth from real women. They go into detail and their pregnancy, full birth story and postpartum experience. No two stories are the same and it has helped me to understand different situations that can arise and how to advocate for yourself. Through listening to so many birth stories it has given me a good perspective on what I would like my birth experience to be like, but also to understand that things don’t always go as planned. 

 

Expecting Better and Cribsheet– Books written by Emily Oster, an award-winning economist who digs into the data surrounding popular pregnancy, birth and parenting advice. Expecting Better covers pregnancy to birth and Cribsheet covers birth to preschool. I find her style of writing really easy to read and I like that she gives real life accounts, but relates everything back to facts and data so you can make informed decisions for yourself. 

 

 

Symptoms 

 

In my other pregnancy updates I shared about various symptoms, food cravings, etc… but in the third trimester I am lucky to not have too many symptoms to report. I still have heartburn, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was. I have been feeling pretty apathetic towards food, I guess because he’s crowding my stomach and I’m not really sure at this point where it is even located, ha! Luckily though, the only food that is still weirding me out is chicken. 

Since I don’t have a lot to share from a symptom perspective I thought I would share some of the fun things that have come along with the third trimester! 

Travel

 

As much as I wish we could have taken a babymoon to relax on a beach somewhere, like everyone else, 2020 really put a damper on our travel plans.

In September we were lucky enough to get away to an airbnb close by in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia for a few days with my parents and brother. The airbnb was a beautiful cabin remodeled in a farmhouse theme secluded in the woods. We enjoyed some hiking and exploring around the area as well as many hours relaxing by the fire pit! 

In early October Walter and I took our annual trip to Shenandoah National Park and stayed a night at Big Meadows Lodge. I feel really lucky that I have been able to stay active throughout this pregnancy and we were able to get in a few of our favorite hikes and enjoy one last trip just the 2 of us (well 3 if you count Layla 🙂 ) 

 

Virtual Baby Shower

 

My parents came home to Virginia with us for a few days after our trip to West Virginia and during that time my Mom and Sister-In-Law were so sweet to throw me a virtual baby shower! Things you never thought would be a thing before 2020 happened… 

Since my friends and family are pretty spread out up and down the East Coast and even as far as California, it ended up actually being a really special option for me. So many of the people that were able to join virtually would not have been able to make it in person (in normal times) so I am really grateful to have had the chance to celebrate Baby Nockett with everyone!  

We decided to keep it short and sweet. My Mom and Sister-In-Law organized a bunch of interactive games using the chat and poll Zoom functions and we were able to have everyone introduce themselves and give their prediction for Baby Nockett’s arrival date! The shower concluded with me giving a short tour of his nursery. 

(white lace maternity dress) 

 

Maternity Photo Shoot 

 

A lot of moms have told me that they are regretful they didn’t take more photos when they were pregnant. It’s a such a special time, but sometimes you aren’t feeling your best and opt out of taking photos. I knew given our long journey to get pregnant that I wanted to have photos taken to remember this time. The lovely Rachel from Rachel E.H. Photography came to our house for a maternity shoot at 34 weeks and worked her magic! Below are some of my favorites from the shoot! 

 

 

(Maternity Gown) 

 

Now there is nothing left to do but wait for Baby Nockett to make his arrival! 

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