HaleyThe last trimester of this pregnancy is flying by, probably because it’s summer and we’ve been busy fitting in beach trips before I get too far along and too uncomfortable. But just like that, I’m 8 months pregnant.
We had a great time visiting cousins in Panama City Beach, Florida, but I’m glad this is the last trip we’re taking before baby. Between the long car rides (see my tips on car trips while pregnant), different beds and lots of sun, this pregnant body is ready for a slower pace for the rest of the summer.
8 Months Pregnant Update
Baby Growth
Despite flying by, some days I still wonder how I’m going to make it another 6 to 8 weeks until delivery. My belly feels huge, heavy and tight—as if I’m about to pop. Baby boy was measuring ahead via ultrasound by about 1.5 weeks as of my 28-week appointment, but the funny thing is that my fundal height measurements have been right on track. I have no idea what to make of that—maybe that he’s just like a stuffed sausage in my belly. Despite the 28-week ultrasound showing him head up at the base of my rib cage, when my midwife measured the heartbeat, she said he was head down based on the low location of the heartbeat on my belly. Hopefully that means he’s there to stay.
He tends to have crazy movement at night, anywhere from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. I’m sure I notice it more then too because I am more stationary. I don’t remember my other babies being this active at night. Hopefully this doesn’t mean he’ll have his nights and days mixed up when he arrives.
So far, I’ve gained 23 lbs, which is a pound or two more than I had gained with baby #2 and #3 at this point. (I didn’t track my monthly weight with baby #1.) This doesn’t surprise me at all because I have felt bigger this entire pregnancy. And, of course, baby #4 is on track to be my biggest yet, though only time will tell. Historically, my weight gain plateaus at some point during the final two months of pregnancy, but this little guy keeps me on my toes so I don’t know what to expect with him.
Mama Symptoms
Just before the 8-month mark, pregnancy insomnia began to set it. It doesn’t happen every night, but seems to happen a couple times a week. Though I wake up about 5 times a night anyway, some mornings I can’t go back to sleep so around 4 a.m., so I’m up for the day. Thankfully, I’m a morning person, but by late afternoon I start winding down quickly.
Some nights, I’m woken up by intense heartburn, but typically the heartburn in this third trimester starts sometime during the day. This pregnancy, my belly is so big and everything already feels crammed inside me, so I think that’s intensifying the heartburn.
I’ve been combating a case of mild anemia by increasing my red meat and leafy green intake, as well as making sure I’m taking a prenatal multivitamin with iron. They will recheck my levels at my next appointment, so hopefully these steps are working to raise my iron levels.
Another thing I’ve experienced earlier this pregnancy is pubic symphysis pain. I know some women have it so severe that they can barely walk. Mine isn’t that bad, but I tend to notice it more after sitting for a while or when I’m trying to go to sleep. But I’m seeing a chiropractor regularly now until delivery, so hopefully that will help.
I haven’t had any food aversions this last trimester. Sometimes, I feel full before dinner (thanks to a squished stomach) and have to force myself to eat. And other times, I wake up early in the morning starving because I didn’t eat enough dinner. I’ve been trying to eat a scoop of nut butter about an hour before bed to help combat this. I’ve been craving salads, mainly because it’s salad season and we have fresh greens thanks to hydroponics. So loaded mega salads are my fav, and I’ve recently topped them with fresh blackened grouper James caught at the beach.
Workouts the past three weeks have been minimal since we had back-to-back beach trips, but I squeezed in one CrossFit WOD and time on the elliptical between trips. Now that we’re home for good, I’m ready to get back into my workout routine—however slow and light it may now be.
The next week and a half will be busy, as I am prepping for VBS at our church this week and then teaching the Kindergarten class next week. But the last week of June, life will slow down a lot and that’s when I’m planning to tackle my first batch of freezer meals. I may not have time to build up a stash as big as I had built with Scarlett, but just having a few meals in the freezer will put my mind at ease.
