Third Trimester Part Two: 33 to 35 Weeks
My third trimester of pregnancy started around September 1st. You can read “Third Trimester Part One: 28 to 32 Weeks” recap first if you’d like.
In this post, I’ll cover details and updates during weeks 33 to 35, which occurred between October 11th to October 31st.
A big realization I had about pregnancy is that there’s certain tiers to all the symptoms, changes and stages. Right when you get to a new tier, it can be overwhelming and uncomfortable but then you accept it and it becomes your new normal. Then a few weeks later, you reach another tier, which is again, shocking at first but then you adjust. This pattern continues all throughout pregnancy, so the sooner you can identify, make peace with, and accept the changes - then the smoother each stage is. Knowing that the majority of these symptoms and discomforts are temporary has really helped me stay positive.
Week 33:
On Monday October 13th, we had an appointment at the midwife office that included an ultrasound appointment and reviewing the results of my blood work. We were really excited to receive confirmation that baby boy is already head down, with his back to my belly. It was so cute to see his feet and little toes. He was measuring 4.6 pounds.
I also learned that I’m B+ blood type… I never knew, so that was nice information to receive. The only thing they suggested is that I take an iron supplement. This didn’t surprise me at all because it’s super common in the third trimester and I am not a huge meat eater. We picked up some iron tablets from the pharmacy on the way home. I read that you should take Vitamin C with it to help absorption so we got that too.
My only other ultrasound was at 12 weeks so they didn’t have any further points of reference on his size development for the entire span from 13 to 33 weeks (oops!), so she scheduled me for another ultrasound at 35 weeks to ensure his growth is progressing at a healthy rate.
All in all, it was a good check-in and they confirmed that I’m on track to plan for a healthy home birth (my dream… woohoo)!
I am still maintaining my weekly movement schedule which entails prenatal yoga, prenatal pilates, face yoga, daily bike rides, and daily walks. We purchased one of those big exercise yoga balls so I could start utilizing it more frequently at home (rather than just at the gym).
I still feel very mobile and energized but cardio is getting tougher as baby continues to press against my lungs. There was a humbling moment when I had to run up a long flight of stairs to catch a train and I was so out of breath.
His kicks are becoming more frequent and more powerful. Even though it’s uncomfortable, it’s reassuring knowing he’s growing stronger.
Since this was my birthday weekend, Clay bought me a prenatal massage at a place on our street. It was absolutely divine. As mentioned above, I was low in iron and a side effect of that is restless legs, which has definitely been something I’ve experienced more frequently in the third trimester. The massages should help enhance circulation. It should also reduce swelling, relieve aches, and improve sleep so I’ve decided I’m going to continuing treating myself to a prenatal massage once a week for the rest of pregnancy (and probably postpartum).
I started eating dates daily. I think they’re incredibly delicious so I really enjoy making snack bowls / plates with the dates, yogurt, peanut butter, honey, nuts and fresh fruit.
Week 34:
Nothing really changed between week 33 to 34, except that sleep became more disrupted. I can’t make it through the night without having to get up to pee at least once. As my belly continues to grow and his kicks strengthen, I also wake up trying to get into a comfortable position, switching from side to side. For the past 9+ years, Peaches has slept at my feet but we’ve been trying to get her to sleep on Clay’s side so I can move about more freely.
As usual, I went to prenatal yoga, prenatal pilates, face yoga and a cacao ceremony. Since the massage the week prior was so incredible, I got another prenatal massage with the same woman. I shared that I’d like to see her each week and we came up with a routine that focuses on my legs, feet, arms, hands and chest. I honestly haven’t had any back pain so I’d rather have her focus on those other areas that are more ache-prone.
I continued with my iron supplement, vitamin C and electrolyte water.
A huge highlight of week 34 was going shopping for baby items. Since we moved to The Netherlands and all of our family lives in the United States, we were facing complications with the online registry, shipping, insane import taxes (21%) and clearing customs.
Clay’s parents asked if we’d be okay with receiving a monetary allowance to spend at local shops here. They noted their preferred items from our registry they wanted to get us such as a baby blanket, fuzzy bear coat, and baby bath tub so we tried to find the most similar item from shops here in The Netherlands. It was SO fun going picking out these things in person. We even filmed a video showing all the items. It’s posted here on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D9z2aaRcv/
We also filmed and shared the items from my Aunt Laurie + Uncle Mike and Grandma + Grandpa. They were incredibly generous and got us a bunch of really practical, functional gifts that will be so helpful as first time parents. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CF98aD2QB/
And we filmed and shared the items from my Dad and his wife Tristeen. I was super appreciative of how many things that got for ME (not just baby) such as oils, boob tubes and the home birth pool. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17RyawVqtF/
The “nesting” energy officially kicked in. Week 34 included a lot of deep cleaning. Clay tackled projects like the back garden, vacuuming the ceilings, and organizing our laundry closet.
I worked on organizing the drawers, cabinets, registry items, deep cleaned the rugs and our couch.
Week 35:
A huge week of preparations all around. Pregnancy is starting to get very real! It’s getting harder to juggle parenthood prep with my work (shop, podcast, clients, content, etc). I have multiple close friends who had their first baby unexpectedly at 36 weeks so I’ve been feeling the pressure increase to “have everything ready in time.”
As I write this at the end of week 35, I’m feeling a bit drained from all the appointments, to do lists and logistics. Likewise, I’m probably the most overwhelmed I’ve been during pregnancy.
I know we’ll never be 100% ready but I would reallllly appreciate if our little man stayed in at least two more weeks so I could finish my last hospital appointments, complete the home birth plan with our midwife team, receive the last haul of packages that still need to be delivered, read more about breastfeeding, confirm travel plans with family who will be visiting, and soak up the last moments with just Clay and I.
The restless leg syndrome increased so we bought some compression socks and they have been helping. I’m still continuing daily bike rides, walks, prenatal yoga and pilates, yoga ball exercises, eating dates and my weekly prenatal massage.
I purchased raspberry leaf tea from a local herbal shop here so I started drinking that. It’s said to help tone and strengthen uterine muscles, which is thought to lead to more efficient contractions during labor and potentially a shorter or easier birth… so I’m all for that!
I started feeling some sharp, unpleasant sensations down in my pelvic region. It could be lightening crotch but I’m not sure yet.
Over the last few weeks we had received / purchased a solid amount of items for baby boy that the items were starting to takeover the cabinets and closets. They needed a proper home within our home! (especially because it’s all SOO cute).
We began creating and decorating a space for him. Our apartment isn’t very big… well it’s normal sized for European standards but most American’s would probably classify it as small. We have one bedroom that barely fits our king bed, a chair and nightstand. Then our living room somehow functions as an office with a desk and bookshelf, a relaxing space with a couch and projector, an eating area with a kitchen table AND now… also has Hayes’ corner with a shelf, my yoga ball, a cabinet and rocking chair. I’m honestly so impressed with myself that I made it all function in a way that doesn’t feel cramped, and is still super cozy!
All that to say, we don’t have an actual nursery. His basinet will go on the side of our bed and his clothes / items will all have to fit in the corner of the living room. We still wanted to make it special so we spent quite a few days imagining and executing on the project.
Clay painted the rocking chair. We got a tension rod and little wood hangers so we could show off his adorable clothes. We also got pretty baskets to organize the items into. I’m sure we’ll continue to add to it, but it felt really good to make major progress on this project and have a dedicated space for our sweet boy.
I had my 35 week ultrasound, an appointment with the midwives to begin home birth planning, and an appointment at the hospital.
The ultrasound showed he is still head down, back to belly and was measuring 5.6 pounds. With the manual examination, she said he was already pretty engaged. We listened to his heart beat and she said it sounded really good as well.
At the midwife appointment, we started discussing home birth plans. We went over the checklist of needed items. We had purchased / ordered the items online the week prior.
Inflatable Home Birth Pool (+ liner and pump) ✓
Indoor Hose (to fill birth pool)
Sterile Gauze and Cotton Wool ✓
Maternity Pads ✓
Mattress Protector ✓
Sterile Umbilical Clamp ✓
Disinfectant Alcohol ✓
Thermometer ✓
We also talked more about my iron and ferritin levels and actionable steps. I have been diligently taking my supplements daily, in the morning, on an empty stomach and with vitamin C to increase absorption. (I do wish I had started this earlier in pregnancy, so if I could go back in time, I would have began that sooner). To be cautious, the midwife scheduled me for another blood draw at 37 weeks to see if my iron levels will improve. They said some people react well to the iron supplements and it will increase, and that other people don’t take to it… so I guess we’ll see. I feel the same so I’m not sure.
We also got registered with a Kraamzorg, which is for in-home postpartum care. Our introductory meeting with her is next week to determine our specific needs.
Lastly, a few notes on the hospital patient intake appointment. I am not naturally comfortable in hospital settings. I actually think this was my first time in the hospital for myself since I was born?! Of course I’ve visited sick loved ones in the hospital, but I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever gone for myself. Before the appointment, I had quite a bit of anxiety about it but thankfully the gyno was really sweet. She actually used to be a midwife so I appreciated her well-rounded perspective. Even though I still want a home birth, it was good to familiarize myself with the hospital in case an emergency happens. I have another appointment scheduled with them November 5th and November 11th to do some final checks before they give me their full support for a home birth.
On October 29th, I went to a momma meet up at a local boutique here. There were 6 attendees, all of which were already moms. I was the only person there who was still pregnant. This actually worked in my favor because they shared SO much knowledgeable insight, personal stories, experiences and perspectives. Of course you can read and hear about these things online but getting to sit down in an intimate safe circle and chat about all the highs and lows was really helpful. The main things I took away from the conversations were 1) prepare for absolutely anything, and 2) start learning more about breastfeeding because most of them didn’t prepare enough and were blindsided by various aspects of it.
Coming Soon. In Part Three: I’ll cover weeks 36 to… 39?!