3rd Trimester Introduction
Real People:
As I got closer to delivery I remember trying to pump myself up for the big moment. I was so excited about having a baby, it just seemed like the, the third trimester was the longest for me. It just seemed like it went on forever. I would say this, this trimester I’m experiencing a little bit more of emotional mood swings. In my third trimester I felt just so big. I felt like I didn't know how I was gonna manage to deliver, a child that seemed so huge. I was afraid that I was gonna be in labor forever. I mean, there's just, I mean there's so many unknowns. And my first baby was a caesarean, so this would be my first natural birth, and I was still a little frightened about that. It all still seemed unreal to me at the... I've heard the heartbeat the whole way along. I've heard, felt the baby kick, but it's actually gonna be outside here living with me? Okay. I went to those birthing classes where they show you a birth, and I walked out with my husband and said, "I can't go through with it. We can't have this baby." mostly I think that we're prepared for the baby's arrival and our trip to the hospital, from a tangible perspective. Emotionally well, I don't think we'll be ready until she's here. Welcome back to a truly exciting part of our journey. Today, we're going to find out about labor and delivery, which is what your months of preparation are all about. Today we're going to visit several of the garden areas that you saw last time, and we'll discover a few new places too, as we continue our journey towards a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
Host:
We have a lot to cover today, so let's jump right in. We'll start with how you may be feeling during these last months of pregnancy. Several of the symptoms that you experienced over your first two trimesters are probably still with you, and possibly more bothersome than before. Plus, there are some new symptoms that are more likely to show up near the end of your pregnancy. This last trimester I would say is, so far the most physically challenging. Bending over is, is definitely harder. The, the, and the shortness of breath. The amount that I was eating increased tremendously. I feel like I’m slouching all the time and I have to remind myself to sit up. But I have that constant reminder of this new thing called a backache. My hip joints were sore; my pelvis was sore. My stomach was itching a lot. It was huge. In my third trimester, my ankles always swell, and I get a little puffy. I've been very lucky, in that I don't have to get up and go to the bathroom all through the night. I have really good pregnancies, and I didn't feel that bad, and people, my girlfriends say, "oh, I hate you because you feel so good." My stomach was so big. People used to tell me I was as far out as I, as I am up. I had the watermelon feeling big time. I had major back pain. I think my back was all out of whack because I was all forward and, I was a mess.
Real People:
I started experiencing contractions around 20 weeks, and the doctor tells me that that's not all that uncommon. I did have a lot of Braxton Hicks, and I, and I walked every day, and, and it happened a lot while I was walking. Real labor is completely different than Braxton hicks, and of course I didn't know that. And, but when I experienced a Braxton Hicks are up higher and the labor pains are in your back, and very much lower, for me. During my third trimester I was very absent-minded. I would forget things. With every one of my pregnancies I was absent-minded. It just seemed like my brain and my thinking process was on vacation. Towards the end I started thinking this is never going to end. I'm going to be pregnant for the rest of my life.