Pregnancy Recap Part 5: Baby No. 3

The third trimester

Written at 36 weeks 3 days

{36 weeks - my birthday}

This pregnancy has been the same as my other pregnancies in many ways, but it has also been a unique experience in itself. 

The differences have been most apparent in the last trimester. 

Her position, for one, remained in question until just recently. Unlike with the boys, baby girl was breech as far as we could tell, for a majority of the pregnancy. I felt lots of tickles and wiggles down low in my uterus. 

Recently, though I have been feeling the nudges and kicks up high (where I'm used to feeling them) and at my last prenatal appointment the doctor told me she felt that the baby was head down. 

Another difference has been a lack of heartburn. There are moments when I feel heartburn, but they pass whereas I had constant heartburn with the boys. This has been a welcomed difference. 

I feel pressure on my cervix which is also unique to this pregnancy. Little miss seems to be wanting out!

I have Braxton Hicks contractions, which is not new to me, but what is new and different, again, are the painful contractions. I have been experiencing painful contractions nightly for probably two weeks and they keep me on edge for sure. Especially as I now get them intermittently throughout the day. 

They aren't regular at all so they haven't caused me to go into or call labor and delivery, but I did research to see what was up and if it was a sign that I could potentially go into labor early. I couldn't confirm the latter but I did discover that some women may experience prodomal labor (basically prolonged early stage of labor) and I seem to match all the symptoms for that. Which sadly means, this could go on for weeks.

I think I can tolerate it until my scheduled c-section which is the 4th of April, but we shall see.

Another difference and probably the most interesting is that I am dilated 2 cm and Im 50 % effaced already! I stayed locked up tight all the way until the very end with both boys so this is a new experience for me!

Among all the differences the thing that is the same is how grateful I am for my pregnancy and the soon to be baby!  I will never forget how scared I once was that I might never have these little people to love and having them makes every discomfort well-worth it!

Here are some third trimester bump pictures: