This past Wednesday I hit the magic 28-week mark in this pregnancy, which signals the official entry into the third trimester. This being my third time around, I can’t help reflecting on differences between how I am feeling now versus when I was expecting our first or second child. Maybe some of you can relate!
I no longer own a copy of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” I read this book cover-to-cover with my first pregnancy, including the scary chapters on “complications.” I now purposely try to avoid reading about pregnancy complications! I don’t want to know what can go wrong!
I wrote down each week’s passage on my calendar so I can tell at a glance how far along I am. I always knew off the top of my head how many weeks along I was with my first child, but not so this time!
I’m gaining more weight with this baby. blah.
I never had morning sickness with any of my pregnancies, but I did throw up a couple of times with both the first and second. I have not thrown up at all this time, which may be one reason I was so inclined to give this baby the middle name “Joy.” (just kidding!)
However, starting about a month ago, I get what I think is acid indigestion almost every morning…
I am still not sure about when to go to the hospital when I’m in labor! I’ve never actually timed any contractions. My water broke with my first, and I was induced with my second. So, I will be right there with all the first-time moms, wondering if it’s real labor or braxton hicks.
I am inspired and intrigued by those moms who deliver at home…but am not ready to head down that path!
My birth plan: 1. Avoid being induced (I hated being strapped to monitors and IV poles). 2. Avoid a C-section. 3. Get to the hospital early enough to get an epidural!
I am looking forward to nursing this baby more than ever. With my first, I expected nursing to be difficult and exhausting (it was). I looked at it more as something very beneficial for my baby that I was willing to sacrifice my body and energy to provide for her. I have found, though, that nursing was a special time with my babies that I miss. It was a sacrifice, but honestly, after those first early weeks, I think nursing mothers have a much easier time because we don’t have to deal with mixing formula or washing bottles.
Any other moms out there…feel free to share your own reflections on your pregnancies! You know how we love to bond over those stories!
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