Ever since we shared the news that we were pregnant with our third baby, I had high hopes for writing weekly pregnancy updates. We wanted to share the nitty-gritty details, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. I thought I had already written pages and pages of pregnancy updates, but there are already 16 pregnancy updates here!
I was mad at myself for not writing about my first two pregnancies and letting them pass without much thought. But the truth is, not much happens during pregnancy. Well, it is, of course it is! I’m growing as a person within myself and that’s the biggest thing that happens to me. Even as I sit here writing this, it amazes me how real people are growing. It’s incredible that my body can do this without me giving it any direction or guidance, and that it can cook a full-fledged baby just by sitting there for nine months.
But outwardly, apart from feeling a little tired and having some sciatica, nothing much is going on. In fact, it’s easy to forget that you’re pregnant. I went for a long walk on the weekend, but I was exhausted by the end of it. I never really understood why I was so tired until I remembered I was pregnant.
Coping with the tiredness
I feel less tired now and it’s not like it was during the first trimester. Looking back, I was pretty much a zombie for 6 weeks with her. I was so tired that I could barely concentrate on anything.
Right now I’m feeling tired, just like I do after a particularly long and busy day (and that includes an intense gym session during lunch!)
To combat this, just go to bed really early. I usually go to bed at 9pm, read a little and fall asleep by 9:30pm. It’s not rock’n’roll, but I usually get 9 hours of sleep and feel great in the morning.
As someone who used to go to bed between 10:30 and 11pm, it took me a while to get used to this earlier bedtime routine. Because this means you need to start winding down early for the evening!
Sciatica
I expected this since I had sciatica with my first two pregnancies. Pain that runs down the lower back and buttocks and is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. Thankfully, I didn’t have it happen in my third trimester, so hopefully this will start to ease up soon.
The main effect I have found is to sit correctly in a comfortable chair. I find it painful to slouch on the couch for several hours, so I try to sit properly and sit in a comfortable chair while I work. Stretching can help relieve pain, but sitting properly can prevent it from developing in the first place.
Granted, this probably won’t help your sciatica!
Staying active and healthy
I feel like I’ve gained more weight during this pregnancy than I did with George and Joseph, and I can understand why. I’m tired and lazy, so I don’t exercise and eat junk food that’s quick and easy to make. Staying within a healthy weight range isn’t rocket science, it’s just a matter of eating as many calories as you burn.
The solution is simple:
- exercise more
- eat less junk
- eat more healthy food
Yes.. it seems very simple when listed like this, but it’s actually not that easy!
I like being healthy and active, so there are a few things I do to help with that.
I bought an activity tracker watch to track my steps. My goal is to track his 10,000 steps a day, and I feel like this watch will give him a little more motivation to walk than to drive. Instead of just throwing a ball in the yard for your dog, you’ll be inspired to take him for a long afternoon walk.
And when it comes to meals, you just have to be prepared. I prepare a lot of mason jar salads. I love it because it’s very colorful and beautiful to look at. That means you have 3-4 days worth of healthy lunches ready and waiting.
Maternity wear
I haven’t bought any maternity clothes yet. The funny thing is, I felt bigger during the first trimester. I was convinced I was pregnant with twins, but I couldn’t believe how big they were. I didn’t want to buy maternity clothes before the first scan, everything seemed too tight.
But now it seems to have flattened out and at 16 weeks I feel like I’m back to normal size.
People say it’s due to muscle memory and the fact that my abs aren’t as strong as they were five years ago when I was expecting George. I may not have had a six pack back then, but I definitely got stronger and had the strength to keep my tummy flat until around week 20!
I mostly wear leggings, dungarees, dresses, and low-rise jeans, but this week I’ll be shopping for jeans at H&M. When I ran a poll on my Instagram Stories asking for maternity jeans suggestions, I got about 40 suggestions for H&M Skinny Fit His Maternity Jeans, with H&M definitely being the most popular. I think I’ll buy a couple of jeans and a bunch of long t-shirts from Primark. I prefer tight-fitting clothes because baggy clothes only make me look fat. I’m 5’3 and a size 8-10, so I tend to drown in loose clothing.
I bought some crop top style bras from Primark. They remind me of the “bras” I used to wear when I was about 10 or 11 years old. It’s super comfortable and supportive, which was great when my breasts seemed to be getting bigger every day!
These are maternity leggings (gift) from Love Leggings, but they’re a little too big for now. It’s cute, soft, and very valuable. I was advised to order one size up, so I went with a size 12, but I wish I had gone with a 10.
How we’re preparing for baby
It wasn’t!
It’s funny how things change when a third child is born. With George and Joseph, I started reading all the books, buying everything, researching everything, and spent most nights watching “One Born Every Minute.” This time…um…nothing.
All of our newborn baby supplies are currently loaned out to friends and family. I have some friends who have babies, so I know I’ll be passing on some baby accessories and bob.
I know all I really need this time is a boob, a Moses basket, a car seat, and for my baby to grow. In fact, I have gotten rid of most of my baby items. Not because I thought I’d never need them again, but because I bought most of them second-hand for George, and by the time Joseph used them they were all a bit shabby. Now that I have more money, I’m looking forward to buying new baby clothes!
What I would like to get is another La Love Soothe shirt. I had it for George but lost it by the time Joseph arrived (why lose a $75 top when you can keep a 2 pound Primark t-shirt for 10 years! I get it!), but I would like to get another one. This has been an absolute lifesaver and has made my “fourth trimester” so much easier.
This photo was taken 4 years ago, but I swear I look 10 years younger!
Extending our house
Even though you say you haven’t done anything to prepare for your baby, it’s not entirely true. Planning permission has been granted to extend the house so there will be a large kitchen/diner, two additional bedrooms and a large living area in the bedroom!
The decision to have a third child and the decision to expand on our home went hand in hand. There was no need to do one without the other. Perhaps I should have done one at least a year before the other!
The house is going to be huge, and once the baby is born, knee-deep construction will begin, so this is really terrible timing. Sam was given the impossible mission of making the extensions waterproof in time for the baby’s birth in early October. Considering the engineers haven’t even finished their calculations yet, Sam plans to do most of the work himself…well… Let’s just say I’m optimistic!
You can wait a while and delay the construction work, but you’ll only be delaying the inevitable disruption even further, so you want to get the construction done as soon as possible. Starting now also means it must be completed by the time your baby is in their own bedroom. If you’re late, your 2-year-old may end up sleeping with you in the bedroom!
I’m very lucky. If the building work gets too messy and dirty, you can escape to Abersock’s caravan or hide out at your parents’ house (they’re already a little excited about that possibility!)
How we’re preparing our boys for a new baby brother or sister
It seemed like this news took a long time to sink into George and Joseph’s hearts. I couldn’t understand if they didn’t understand or if they really didn’t care. They’re not completely excited yet, just talking about it matter-of-factly. They often talk about the baby in the mother’s womb, and they are really sweet and caring. Whenever Joseph notices my belly sticking out, he strokes it and kisses it. George always asks if the baby is okay and if the baby liked certain things. This weekend I went on the slide with him at the Soft Play Barn and George was thrilled to find out that baby loved the slide too!
George is a little worried about how the baby got there and how it will come out. I decided to cheat a bit and choose the easy option of telling him all about the c-section (I’ve had two boys that way and am planning on having a third with this baby). I showed him the scar and told him the doctor would numb my tummy and cut out the baby and then stitch it up. He seemed very happy with this answer, but then goes on to ask if he could cut the baby out with scissors to see if it’s okay. He then reassured me that he would get the baby back soon and he just wanted to make sure it was okay.
Will we be finding out the gender?
Now that we know George and Joseph’s gender, we talked about having a different experience without revealing their gender. It’s said that it’s more interesting if you don’t find out, but it’s still undecided.
I was glad to know that because I felt like it helped me bond with my baby before she was born. I think the boys will understand it a little more. They are currently calling the baby a girl, but they both seem adamant that it’s a girl, even though I keep explaining that it could be a boy, and if so… If not, it might be a bit of a shock.
I’ve heard many voices saying, “Do your best for the girls!” Commenting is getting a little tiring. She’s talked to her late girlfriend’s parents, who have three boys, and everyone says the same thing. Why would you want a girl if you have two boys? It’s as if people think that boys aren’t as nice as girls and that they’ll be disappointed if they have a third boy. People think it’s a shame that she has three boys, but when you say that you’d be just as happy if it were a boy and you don’t want her fourth one, there’s real confusion in their eyes. You can see the color. Baby, I hope you end up having a girl (yes, people really ask that!) We don’t have any control over gender anyway!
So part of me wants to know to stop having conversations like this, but part of me wants a surprise. You have 4 weeks left to decide!
Am I feeling any movement?
Sometimes I think I can feel movement, but it’s not regular. There have been several times when I went to bed at night and felt a throbbing sensation in my lower abdomen. But it could also be gas, or it could just be a tender area along the scar tissue, as my old c-section scar feels like it’s stretching. I definitely felt a kick around week 18 of taking Joseph, so I’m sure I’ll feel regular movement soon.
Read more: 37 week pregnancy update (with George)