Pregnancy: 3rd Trimester

Pregnancy: Trimester 3 – Weeks 28-40+

Nearing the end of my pregnancy. I’m not nervous, but I really don’t know how I feel. I’m about to be someone’s mom.

Was the baby farting, burping, blowing bubbles?

I’m still gassy…all the time. Derrick said, “Hey, bae. I wasn’t gonna say nothin’, but ya fartin’ been getting outta control.” I can’t help it.

During week 28, my stomach was doing some crazy loud bubbling. I first heard it in the shower and I didn’t think it would happen again so I could let Derrick hear it, but it happened a couple more times and we both wondered why it was so loud and what it actually was. Was the baby farting, burping, blowing bubbles? Lol, I’ll never know.

My arms randomly feel weak. I’m not sure what caused this and I mentioned it to my doctor, but she couldn’t say what could be causing it.

During week 30, my back pain started getting pretty bad. I had back pain before my pregnancy that came and went, but having back pain, plus already being uncomfortable, is not the business.

Week 31 is when it started to get super uncomfortable and there’s still 2 more months to go! I started feeling the baby right up under my rib and it gets very uncomfortable sitting straight up, so I have to recline a little.

For about a week and a half, it was a little painful to poop. It would actually be a little blood when I went to wipe, which never happens. I’m not sure if that’s just a symptom of late pregnancy or from my iron pills, which a lot of people say make them constipated.

It was already hard to breathe when it came to sleeping on my back, and when I hit 34 weeks, it became hard sleep on my side as well. How can I sleep if I can’t sleep on my stomach, back, or side…what am I supposed to do, stand?

I’m not as gassy as I’ve been for most of my pregnancy, which is good I guess.

Derrick says I started to waddle a few weeks ago, but I don’t remember exactly when. I do notice myself walking a little weird.

We went on a 3 ½ hour road trip and my foot was swollen once we got there.

At 35 weeks, I woke up to Daisy whining to go to the bathroom…at 5 a.m. -_-, and I was met with pain across the front of my stomach. It didn’t feel like a contraction or period cramps, but it hurt and lasted for 30 minutes. That was the first time I’d felt that.

Sometime during week 37 I fell as I was stepping onto a step stool and ended up going to labor and delivery to get checked. We waited for like, an hour for a room in triage. The nurses said I may or may not have to take a urine sample, so I decided to pee in a cup just in case. They had me get undressed and put on a gown, they took my temperature, blood pressure and put two monitors around my belly to track the baby’s heart rate and my contractions. I was at 1 cm. Everything ended up being okay with me and the baby, thank God!

I had my last prenatal appointment at 39 weeks and 4 days, still at 1 cm. Blah. My Dr. said if there’s still no baby by the same time the following week we would talk about induction.

On January 2nd, right before I went to bed, around 10 p.m., I started feeling the baby’s head super low in my pelvis, and I was thinking that he was gonna come that night. I woke up about 3 hours later with a slightly painful contraction and from that one I started timing them. We ended up going to the hospital around 4:30 a.m. on January 3rd. He came at exactly 3 p.m.

 

Symptoms

• Gas, but not as bad
• Weak arms
• Rapid heartbeat
• Back pain
• Uncomfortable to sit straight up
• Shortness of breath
• Racing heart
• Tender upper stomach, right under my boobies

 

Prenatal Appointments

Appointment 6:  October 17. 29 weeks, 2 days. My last 4-week appointment. From this appointment on, I will be seen every 2 weeks.

I peed in a cup, they weighed me…I’m now 128 lbs, up 1 lb from my last appointment, measured my belly…right on track at 29 cm., and listened to the baby’s heartbeat (133 BPM). I was slightly dehydrated, but nothing to be worried about and I got a prescription for my breast pump.

 

Questions I asked the Dr. and her answers

1.  Does the baby’s heartbeat start to slow down as the baby gets older?

• She said it fluctuates depending on how long you listen.

2. After delivery am I able to do skin to skin contact immediately? What if I have to have a C-section? Why or why not?

• The nurses do, yes.
• No, because the way you are draped, you are unable to do it, because the drape goes up to your chest, so you won’t even be able to see me operating. After I get baby out, I lean baby over so you can see, then the baby goes over to the NICU staff that are waiting by the bassinet.

3. Does the baby stay in the room?

• Depending. If there is a C-section and baby is doing fine, baby stays in the room, same with vaginal delivery. If baby is doing fine, baby stays in the room.

4. Does the umbilical cord have to be cut right away, or can it stay attached until it is done pumping?

• That’s the trick, umbilical cords don’t pump (I interrupted and said, “well, the placenta”). The placenta…you can’t see anything pulsating, so if you want me to just hold off, just let me know and I’ll wait.

5. Can you record the birth?

• No, because OBGYNs get sued.

6. Can we apply for their social security card at the hospital or do we have to do it once we leave?

• I have no idea, just honest. I think that may be in the paperwork you fill out.

7. When should I start dilating?

• It varies from person to person.

 

Appointment 7: October 31. 31 weeks, 2 days. I took a urine test, they weighed me…I gained 3 lbs, which put me at 131 lbs and measured my belly, which measured at 31.5 cm. and she checked the baby’s heartbeat (138-139 BPM)

My doctor really didn’t know what to say about me having weak arms when I mentioned that…blah.

We talked about my back pain and how women’s posture during pregnancy can make it worse. My insurance only covers 2 ultrasounds, so I will not get another, blah. The only way insurance will cover another ultrasound is if the doctor is concerned about the baby’s health…if the baby is measuring too big or too small.  She was telling us if baby is too big, the baby can get stuck, the head will come out, and the rest of the baby won’t come out, so they have to do maneuvers to get the baby out. Worse case scenario, baby gets stuck and baby dies.

 

Appointment 8: November 18. 33 weeks, 6 days. (34 by the doctors count). Routine checkup. Urine test, weighed me, now 132 lbs, only up 1 lb, listened to baby’s heartbeat (145 BPM) and measured my belly, which measured at 33 cm. I had been having shortness of breath and a racing heart. She said that since the baby is in my upper abdomen, I’m running out of room, so it’s very common that women complain about that and I can try changing positions to help with my breathing. She explained her thoughts on why my heart was racing while sitting down, but said she wasn’t a heart doctor. She stated that pregnancy in itself puts strain on your whole body including your heart, because of the extra fluid that you’re holding in your blood vessels.

 

Appointment 9: December 5. 36 weeks, 2 days. My appointments will be 1 week apart from this point on. As usual, they did a urine test, weighed me…still at 132 lbs, listened to baby’s heartbeat (140 BPM), and measured my belly, which measured at 36 cm. The Dr. did the Group Beta Strep swab test, where they take a long q-tip and take a swab from your vagina to your butt and slightly into your rectum… eek! Group Beta Strep is a bacteria that normally lives in your colon and if it infects the vaginal area, it can cause meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis in the baby. If you have the bacteria, they treat you with antibiotics during labor and the baby should be fine.  She also checked my cervix and I was at 1 cm. I had to get blood work done before I left.

After she checked my cervix, I had slight cramping the next day, which the Dr. didn’t warn me about, so I thought my mucus plug was starting to come out. I ended up texting one of Derrick’s cousins who works in labor and delivery and she gave me the rundown.

She said from this point on, if I have contractions every 3-7 minutes, for at least an hour or if I think I broke my water, then come in. She said it can be clear or green tinged, which means baby has pooped inside the amniotic sac already.

 

Appointment 10: December 12. 37 weeks, 2 days. Just another routine checkup. They did a urine test, weighed me, now at 133 lbs, up 1 lb from last week, measured my belly, which measured at 37 cm., and listened to baby’s heartbeat (138 BPM). She told me again, if I have contractions every 3-7 minutes for at least an hour to come in.

Appointment 11: December 20. 38 weeks, 3 days. I had a urine test done, as usual. They weighed me, still at 133 lbs, measured my belly, which measured at 37 cm., and listened to baby’s heartbeat (142 BPM).

Appointment 12: December 27. 39 weeks, 3 days.  I had a urine test done, they weighed me and I gained 3 lbs in one week, putting me at 136 lbs. They measured my belly, which measured at 38 cm., checked the baby’s heartbeat (146 BPM). She checked my cervix and she was so rough and it hurt sooooooo bad. Usually my vaginal exams don’t hurt that bad. It felt like she had her whole fist inside my vagina. I was still only 1 cm. dilated. She said if by the same time next week, he has not come yet, that we’ll be talking about induction. She doesn’t like her patients to go past 41 weeks because there is an increased risk of fetal death. She said to walk, try castor oil, and that sperm in the vagina helps. Upon further “research,” I found that sperm helps to soften, or ripen the cervix for labor. Derrick was of course happy to hear that.

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