One Woman’s Honest Third Trimester Story And What Helped Her Through It
The third trimester is the final stretch. And for Zoe it came with its own set of experiences. Some uncomfortable, some genuinely beautiful. Here’s what she went through and what helped her. And mumma, your body knows what it’s doing.
Here’s what we cover…
- How She Felt Physically
- What Helped Her
- Her Baby’s Movements
- How She Felt Emotionally
- What They Were Both Looking Forward To
How She Felt Physically
The third trimester brought some new physical experiences for Zoe. She felt warmer and sweatier than usual and got out of breath more easily, even walking up stairs or talking. Afternoon naps became a regular part of her day and genuinely helped.
Lower back pain arrived towards the end as her baby grew heavier. She also experienced sharp sudden pains down below, called lightning crotch, which sounds alarming but is actually very common as the baby moves lower. It catches you off guard but passes quickly.
Her ribs felt bruised and tender from her baby sitting quite high. Heartburn was present most nights and sleep became harder towards the end between the bump, the kicks, bathroom trips and general restlessness.
Restless legs and calf cramps also showed up, particularly at night.
What Helped Her
For lower back pain – sitting on a birthing ball, a hot water bottle, gentle massage from her partner and walking around rather than lying down.
For calf cramps – her partner massaged her legs using a Theragun on her calf muscles, magnesium oil and magnesium body butter massaged in every evening and magnesium salt baths. She found this combination genuinely effective.
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Magnesium Oil
For heartburn – Gaviscon was her go-to. Sleeping on her left side helped too.
For restlessness and sleep – accepting that sleep wouldn’t be perfect and resting whenever she could through the day.
And for her mind – she and her partner did a five hour one-on-one hypnobirthing session over Zoom with The Positive Birth Company which she found really calming and helpful for birth preparation.
Her Baby’s Movements
By the third trimester Zoe’s baby was strong and active. Head down and kicking regularly, especially when her partner tried to kiss the bump. She also had hiccups during filming which Zoe found endearing.
Zoe loved having family and close friends feel her bump and bond with the baby. She knew she would miss the feeling of her baby moving inside her once she arrived.
How She Felt Emotionally
Zoe was surprisingly calmer about birth than she expected to be. She chose not to read every book or consume every podcast. Her approach was simple, take in what feels right, let go of the rest and trust that things will unfold as they should.
She found that the first trimester was by far the hardest of the three, and by the third trimester she felt much more settled and ready.
One thing both she and her partner agreed on was that the second and third trimesters flew by at what felt like double speed. The weeks disappeared faster than either of them expected.
What They Were Both Looking Forward To
Zoe was most excited to hear her daughter’s voice for the first time. Her cry, her little gurgles. And to watch her partner and the rest of her family to hold their baby girl for the very first time.
Her partner was looking forward to all the firsts, tasting food, touching sand, swimming. And carrying her in a carrier to a coffee shop and smelling her head.
Whatever you’re looking forward to mumma, you’re almost there. Your baby is almost in your arms.