People weren’t kidding when they said to enjoy pregnancy while it lasts! I’m officially 29 weeks today, in my third trimester, and each Tuesday we get a little bit closer to meeting our little boy.
I always imagined I’d be active on social media during this time, sharing constant bump updates and the progress we’re making in preparation for the body. But to be honest, it’s been really nice to unplug the last few weeks to sneak in as many date nights as we can and enjoy this time that we have to ourselves in the midst of ordering baby gear, re-organizing and decluttering our condo, and planning for our future.
Since I haven’t been openly sharing my daily life like usual, I’ve been getting the most amazing DMs from and questions from you! Here are some that come up very often and if you are pregnant or plan to be soon, I hope they can be helpful to you.
Are you planning to have a midwife, doula, hospital birth, etc.?
Before I even got pregnant I was always curious about people’s birth plans, what they planned to do and how it worked out for them. I have an amazing doctor at a hospital that’s a 10-minute drive from our condo. She is so involved in the process that even after the nurses do their routinely check, she will do everything again because she wants to measure for accuracy, hear the heartbeat for herself and ensure we are both doing well. I’ll be delivering at the hospital, and initially, I thought I’d have a doula or midwife by my side but I honestly have a great support system with both moms, my sister-in-law and close friends that I just don’t feel like I’m anxious, lost or confused. Also… Google has been my best friend.
Are you 100% sure it’s a boy?
I get asked this ALL the time; in fact, even the nurses suggest to buy neutral things because you never know. We did a 3D ultrasound scan around 17 weeks to find out the gender, and then the second trimester ultrasound a couple of weeks later also give us similar results. Unless we’re all missing something… James and I are pretty certain it’s a boy!
Whaaat have you been craving, mama?
Throughout my pregnancy I’ve craved things with a lot of flavour and juiciness; fresh fruit, veggies (especially with dip, YUM!!!), Greek or Mediterranean. I had a month-long craving for Subway sandwiches (specifically the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki). Lately it’s been oranges; we are buying like 3 bags of oranges a week… insane!
Besides the bump, have you noticed other changes in your body or mind?
I am constantly amazed at how we’re able to change, adapt and modify our bodies to grow and nurture another life inside us… and that’s technically even before the full mom-life begins! While I’m generally in a happy and positive mood, I have gotten so much more sensitive to the feelings of others around me. A classic example would be when I bought James an anniversary gift; it wasn’t big or crazy but he was SO happy and appreciative, and that made me bawl my eyes out. Similarly, another time someone was telling me something that’s bothering them lately and thinking about them being hurt made me very visibly upset.
Baby brain and exhaustion is a real thing. I sometimes get an uncontrollable urge to rest or sleep, and it’s really hard to fight it while you’re working! I also forget a lot of little things; I’ll often begin a new task without finishing the last one… and have to remind myself to focus. In an effort to remind myself of things, I try to write them down ASAP or email myself so I can eventually get to it.
Physically, I’ve started to feel pain that I never experienced before. Swollen knees, aches around my lower back and hips, the ability to get up easily or bend and pick something up. It’s also very fun to see my belly grow!!!
Do you feel prepared for labour, delivery and the baby?
I believe there is a reason why this is a “40-week” process. As each week passes, we become a little more prepared. You do the research you need to do, get answers that peak your curiosity, and in turn, that knowledge and insight is your way of getting ready. If you asked me this a couple of months ago I’d say NOOO WAY! But since then we’ve learned and educated ourselves more, gotten some basic necessities. We have our baby shower in a couple of weeks, as well as a few prenatal classes, and I have a feeling that after those things we’ll basically be as ready as we can be!
