(Photo Credit: my son David)
We made it through my favorite, easy-breezy 2nd trimester. It’s onto the last stretch of this pregnancy. Anemic? Check. Charlie horses in my feet and legs? Check. Wondering if it’s even possible for me to get bigger? Check.
I think I remember not being able to breathe because my lungs are smushed, and using the bathroom every 5 minutes because the baby thinks it’s hilarious to kick my bladder is next on the list.
The reality that this baby is coming is sinking into my psyche now.
I really need to get onto my baby knitting. So far this baby has nothing mama-made. I never really made anything for my first 2 babies, but they had baby books too. I didn’t even buy Solveig or Ingrid a baby book, because it seemed like I was paying for failure to do so. I don’t even scrapbook. But I can make them something.
I can already tell that my diet is slowly morphing into this rigid life of:
“I need to eat this to get my iron up.”
“I can’t eat that because it gives me heartburn.”
“I should eat this because it will keep me full for a few minutes.”
“This food has too much calcium, and I just took my iron, so I should wait a few hours to eat this.”
“I need to drink this next cup of water in the next hour to stay on track or I can tell my ‘uterine irritability’ will start to kick in.”
The joy of eating and drinking gets sucked out of the last trimester, as I start thinking of myself like a car who needs a specific composition of fuel to keep going. I’m taking more pills for my iron levels, and getting more tests done as the birth is just around the corner.
I’m starting to be uncomfortable, no matter how I am sitting…or laying…or standing.
It’s that time when I dream up the meal I’m going to have after birth. Last time I went to the butcher shop and picked out a gorgeous Greek-stuffed flank roll, and tucked it in the freezer for Knut to cook after Ingrid was born. I wonder what I should plan for my decadent meal this time for Knut to cook up. Oh, I haven’t had a summer baby in awhile. I should pick something he can grill for me. I can’t wait for coffee again. This baby has not appreciated coffee at all. He better not mind me drinking it when I’m feeding him. One of my kids did that for me and that became a long, exhausting year.
Third Trimester: Here we go. Let’s do this thing.
Katharine blair says
May 4, 2016 at 5:32 pmBaby Blair number five is five weeks old today and I’m still feeling this way. As a chronic over producer of breastmilk I drink nearly a gallon of water everyday and still make urine the colour of caramel. (Gross, I know) I’m at the point where I’m mostly drinking heavily diluted juices so that the tastes can vary even a little bit. With all the other babies this has carried on through most of the first few months so there is still a little ways to go.
Good luck and dream big for that first meal, you will have earned it.
Mom says
May 4, 2016 at 10:34 pmIt’s fun to where some summer pregnancy clothes for a change isn’t it? A whole new wardrobe for a few months! 🙂 Hang in there! We’re praying for a healthy safe pregnancy, labor and delivery. So excited to meet our new grandson! Oh, is he going to get spoiled!!!
Sarah W. says
May 5, 2016 at 2:49 amI completely empathize with the third trimester discomfort. I’m 38 weeks pregnant with baby #3 and this has been the most painful pregnancy I have ever experienced. Back pain, pelvic pain, intense false labor pain, veracose veins, the list goes on. Although I haven’t thought much of my first post-pregnancy meal, I have given a lot of thought to my first post-pregnancy beverage…a cold beer? Perhaps a mojito…or an iced latte with two shots of espresso! Oh, the options. You look wonderful. I love the baby bump updates. Hang in there!
Sarah says
May 7, 2016 at 4:33 am<3 You look wonderful, Gretchen. Oh the heartburn… hang in there, soon enough you will be able to have whatever you want AND have a sweet baby in your arms!