Third Trimester: Baby T

Through the majority of my third trimester, I continued to have a wonderful pregnancy.  I really felt so good.  I had some low back pain, but kept a weekly appointment with the chiropractor to get me through.  I highly recommend chiropractic care during your pregnancy.  It helps keep your spine aligned and keeps baby in a good position for delivery.  Not to mention, the pain relief it provides!!
I also sat on a exercise/yoga ball in between patients instead of an office chair.  This helped my low back and hips a HUGE amount as well.  I got a kick out of how many people (patients included) wanted to try out my new "chair".  I will honestly probably continue to use this once I go back, just to help my low back and hips.

  

28 weeks

I passed my glucose test (with flying colors!!) and got my Rhogam shot (I am O negative) and Tdap vaccine.

When we had an ultrasound at our 30 week appointment on May 31, 2018, Baby T was measuring 3 weeks ahead of schedule!  He/she was a chunk already!!  This made me extremely anxious, because at this rate this baby could be 9-10 pounds by 40 weeks!!  For someone planning a vaginal delivery--- nerve wrecking!!  I passed my glucose test, so I couldn't understand why Baby T was measuring so big.  I guess I am a little girl that has big babies!!

I am pretty sure I almost had a panic attack after the ultrasound.  I just prayed to the Lord to give me faith in Him and a peace of mind regarding the delivery.  I allowed myself to be anxious about it that day, but after that we were going to move past it.  It worked, because after that I felt more confident about my ability to birth a 9lb baby.  Afterall, I had a HEALTHY baby, it was just a BIG baby!

30 weeks, Baby T measuring 33 weeks!

We went to the beach (Cape San Blas, my favorite), June 7-10.  I am so glad we went when we did, because I don't think I would have been able to go later on! The waves felt amazing.  I felt like a beached whale floating out there in the waves.  Grant and Norah Kate had a blast.  The rode waves until their little hearts content.  We all got sun-kissed and made a ton of memories!  I was one of those pregnant mama's rocking my bikini.

I kept saying Baby T was going to come here with a sun tan!

I spent the weekend of June 23 in "nesting mode."  After a lot of pushing from my Mama to get things ready (she was nervous because her third baby came 6 weeks early...) I got down (or rather, my Mama got down) the baby clothes (both boy and girl!!) from the attic.  I washed up both boy and girl newborn stuff so it would be ready to go.  I also got down the swing, nap nanny, and got the car seat washed up.  My sweet sister in law let me borrow her infant car seat.  I just really hated to pay for another infant seat when they are only in that car seat for 5-6 months before its easier just to be them in a bigger rear facing seat.

I had another scheduled visit on June 28, my 34 week visit.  I hadn't really felt well all week.  I just couldn't get comfortable.  My back hurt, I felt nauseous and I was not sleeping good.  I attributed it to the heat because it was just some kind of hot.... (I told myself I would NEVER have another summer pregnancy!!!!) Before I went to bed I had an upset stomach and some abdominal cramping.  I woke up that morning and was feeling that familiar tightening sensation in my abdomen.  However, unlike my Braxton Hicks (which I had this ENTIRE pregnancy!!) they were a little more crampy feeling in my lower abdomen and would radiate down the tops of my thighs.  I began timing them at about 4 am and they were 3-5 minutes apart lasting about a minute each... they were not increasing in frequency or intensity, so I rested and waited until my appointment that day.



I got an ultrasound during my appointment and Baby T was measuring 7lbs 4 oz at 34 weeks!!  He/she was measuring in the 99th percentile for everything.  My OB checked me and I was already starting to dilate (1cm).  She put me on the monitor and sure enough I was having contractions 3-4 minutes apart.  Because Baby T was still too early to come, I got a steroid shot and was told to go home and take it easy.  I was not a candidate for anything to try to slow down the contractions because I run a low blood pressure anyways, and the medicine they use is a blood pressure medicine.
When I got home, my contractions intensified to the point that I really considered going to the hospital.  I told myself if they did not ease up within an hour I would go get checked again.  Fortunately, they eased off (I found out the next day that sometimes the steroid shot can make you contract a little more) and I was able to rest.  i woke up the next morning (Friday morning) still experiencing contractions, so I went back to get checked.  My cervix had not changed, thank God.  By the time I got to my appointment, my contractions had eased off and were infrequent and irregular.  I got my second steroid shot and was still told to 'rest.'  I was never placed on strict bed rest.  My OB also told me that I may still end up delivering early.  Our prayer was that Baby T would stay put for 2 more weeks.

34 weeks, you can tell Baby T has "dropped" some.

When I went the following Monday, July 2, I had dilated to 2cm , 50% effaced. I was 35 weeks and she told me I could go back to work ( I had taken a long weekend off) but was to see a lighter load of patients.  I had some scheduled days off over the next two weeks anyway, so my weeks were shorter as well.

36 weeks

I started going for weekly appointments at this point.  I continued to have contractions off and on through the remainder of my pregnancy.  They were particular worse in the middle of the night and in the early morning.  Almost nightly I would wake up to contractions 4-6 minutes apart for several hours, then they would taper off.  Talk about stressful!!  Laying there, trying to determine if it was "real labor" or not!  This went on for weeks!

On Monday July 9 I was 3cm, 70% effaced (36 weeks).  Then on Monday July 16, I was a "loose 3cm", 70 % effaced (37 weeks).  She also said my bag of waters felt thin and fragile like they could break any minute.  Each visit, my cervix was slowly changing.

37 weeks

I felt like every day from this point was a waiting game!!  I really wasn't sleeping well and was still having contractions off and on throughout the day/night, but nothing would ever intensify.    I also felt like Baby T was really a week ahead anyways because he/she measured big the whole time and I had a VERY early positive pregnancy test.

Once we hit 37 weeks, I was walking a lot, squatting  and bouncing on my yoga ball.  It was Operation Bring on Baby!  I also started taking Evening Primrose Oil at 37 weeks.  I took 1000mg every night before bed.  I started my maternity leave Monday, July 16.  I ate pineapple almost daily and tried spicy foods.  I think I did every trick in the book to try to bring on Baby T!!  The saying "baby will come when it is ready" is very true.  It took baby T 4 weeks to get fully ready to come!

38 weeks (last 'bump' pic before Baby T came!)