Grumblings

[spryng]

3rd trimester sucks.

I'm tired all the time but when I go to bed I can't sleep. I can't get comfortable even though I have a thousand pillows. And if I eat too close to bedtime, I wake up with food in my throat a few hours later.

My hips are sore from lying on my side but I can't lie on my back without feeling breathless and lightheaded. Sometimes a walk helps sort out my hips, but then I get shooting nerve pain.

It's always too hot. My hands and feet are pulsing with too much heat.

I'm hungry all the time but I don't want anything. Making food is a lot of effort even though I am literally home all day.

I feel bloated and huge. I don't like going out in public because I am so visibly pregnant. I miss being able to ghost around, unnoticed. Also I have very few clothes left that fit but I don't see the point in going and getting any more. Just put me in a muumuu and leave me.

Sometimes I get dizzy just from sitting.

On the other hand, the alternative is none of this and no Lady Jr. No one said pregnancy was easy, but damn if it isn't harder than I expected. No, scratch that - not harder, necessarily, but I thought I'd be able to deal with the discomfort easier, or at least with grace. I thought I could take the bodily changes in stride. Like everything would just happen gradually, but instead it's like BAM suddenly you can't sleep.

I am seriously questioning my intention to work until my due date.

I'm also 100% scared of labor.

And then I think about meeting Lady Jr and it all seems worth it.

Comments

[dreamsrundeep.livejournal.com]

Oh, god. YES to all of this. I'd forgotten so much of this, but it all came roaring back to me reading your entry. Pregnancy - I think I underestimated the aches and pains associated with it. The loosening of the ligaments causing hip and joint pain, the annoying pains in the lady parts, the heaviness and uncomfortableness. And then crown that with being *unable* to sleep either because the baby is moving, you are hurting or can't find a comfortable position, the heartburn/food in the throat feeling.

I FEEL YOU.

Hang in there! You are doing great! You are SO CLOSE! And then there will be a baby! YAY!

I gave up at 36 weeks. I asked the doctor to write me out of work because I literally felt like I couldn't walk another step. I was so tired that I was crying at the thought of having to walk from my car to my desk. And I had a 'reserved' spot at the front of the building (because I was HUGE!) and used the elevator. It still took me 30 minutes to walk to my desk! A slow, slow waddle. The boys were born at 37 weeks on the nose. I'd equate 38 weeks to my 36 weeks (with twins). If you have to go out, go OUT! Lay on the couch and do nothing. It is WORTH it. Rest as much as you can. Baby will be here soon!

[spryng.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the validation. Not knowing anyone in town who's going through the same has made me constantly question whether or not I'm legit having a hard time or being weak.
I definitely underestimated all the aches and pains. I mean, everything was fine until we moved, and then WHAM.
I'm just thankful I can work from home, otherwise I would probably try to leave early, which would be a disaster because every project ever is due on Oct 1st. Hah. Hopefully she's not super early. :)

[ladibug21.livejournal.com]

I worked until my due date and REALLY regretted it. I was angry and miserable and completely unproductive. After my due date I had 11 days at home and I forced myself to walk 20 minutes/day but otherwise I napped and watched bad TV.

If you can stop working sooner, do it.

I really don't understand the biology of making the end of the 3rd trimester so miserable and then you spend the first months after birth super sleep-deprived. You'd think nature would want a rested mama going into that.

[spryng.livejournal.com]

I feel like I'm already angry and miserable and unproductive, lol. But we're about to have 4 projects drop at work, all due Oct 1, so I equally feel like I'd be really letting them down if I skivved off early. I talked work into letting me have 3 months off after, so it's kind of the least I can do.

I know! Everyone keeps saying "rest while you can" and I'm like "it's waaay too late for that." I try to think of it is a ramping up to the 100% sleep dep that is a newborn. At least I'm still getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night now. :)

[xotiffany.livejournal.com]

I have always felt like it's natures way of preparing you for the sleep deprivation of a newborn. But you (hopefully) get the angry part of it out of the way before the baby arrives. Because I'll tell you, we all get angry and emotional about it. It really is true that the moment you see that little baby, everything else is so small in comparison and a lot of it is forgotten.

Don't work yourself too hard if you'd rather have those moments to relax and just have to yourself. You deserve to take the time before the beeb arrives.

[audesapere.livejournal.com]

That sucks. :( but it's temporary! i don't know what else to say. Maybe try one of those meal plans or kits for cooking? I'm sure it will all be worth it!

[spryng.livejournal.com]

Oooh yeah, Blue Apron. I have several friends who use them as a meal planning service. I wonder if I could just sign up for a month... thanks for the reminder :)

[audesapere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are all kinds of them for every diet / preference / lifestyle imaginable, and I'm sure they're happy to take your money no matter. And seriously everyone i know who uses one loves it.

[jadesymb.livejournal.com]

Third trimester is the WORST.

I mean, it is all worth it, but it sucks.

I know nothing about your labor plan, so I don't want to comment on being scared of labor, only to tell you that my second kid, the labor was just fine. Do you have a labor plan shared somewhere other than LJ? Or did I miss it?

Lots of love.

[spryng.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the validation :) I think I needed to be reminded of how bad the third tri is for everyone.

I have a plan and it is mostly just: see how it goes. I would love to avoid an epidural, but I'm going to see how bad the pain is in the first few hours before committing. And I want to avoid a c-section if at all possible, but I know sometimes it's actually necessary. I guess the only set request is that if I do have to have a c-section, my wife be allowed to supplement Lady Jr's microbiome. She is very adamant about this. :)

[jadesymb.livejournal.com]

That was pretty much my plan too. Knowing what I know, I'll give you the advice I wish I'd followed.

Avoid Stadol if possible. I had another woman tell me this and I ignored her because I was in pain and wanted to avoid the epidural. They told me it would "take the edge off the pain." What they meant was that it would make me high as a kite and do NOTHING for the pain. I talked to the paintings on the wall. I got up and tried to leave. Part of my memories of my first labor are just smears of color and a tide of pain for every contraction.

I was in labor for while and it was enhanced with Pitocen and it was too much pain for me. I ended up finally, thanks to my mother in law and husband, agreeing to the epidural and it was amazing.

For my second I basically asked for the epidural as soon as I arrived at the hospital and it was glorious. Of course, for my second one I went into labor on my own and was not induced and that was also much better. That said, I have a ridiculously low pain tolerance.

Many women do it without an epidural and love it, so totally plan to avoid if possible. But I highly recommend signing the paperwork giving permission for one before you go into labor, or as soon as you get to the hospital. In case you change your mind.

Lots of love and support to you!!!!

[lantairvlea.livejournal.com]

Having been there two and a half times (shhh, ultrasound and official announcement Tuesday) I can sympathise.

I did work until the day of (taught lessons the same day I went into labor both times). I don't know if my baseline fitness helped, especially with the horses encouraging a strong core, but I also used a support band, which I think really helped. Kelhan did like to sit on my sciatic, which sucked, especially walking along and having a leg pretty much give out.

Have you tried napping in a reclined position? So you can be on your back, but not compressing important blood vessels and such that laying flat on your back does.

Know what you want from your birthing experience. I did the boys without pain medication because I really don't like the idea of epidurals (being poked by needles is probably my least favorite thing) and believe the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Child #2 wore me out more than Child #1, but he also came at 5am instead of a respectable 10pm. Things did seem to heal up quicker the second time around. I took comfort that billions of women before me have done this and done just fine.

The end is near, good luck!

[spryng.livejournal.com]

Omg! Congrats! Can't wait for your official announcement :)

Even a reclined position can make me dizzy. I have to be either straight upright or lying on my side. She just seems to sit funny.

I try to keep telling myself that millennia of women have done this, that I can get an epidural if I really, really want to, but I think I'll just be weary until I know how I deal with that particular pain. I felt the same way about getting a tattoo.

Thanks!

[lantairvlea.livejournal.com]

Thanks! There's still a little bit of that happy terror going on as I wait the ultrasound tomorrow despite having two happy, healthy kids already.

As another noted above the Pitocen/oxytocin that is used to hurry things along does make labor more intense. This time around I'll take a pass on that and see how it goes. Both times it was only really bad the last 45 minutes. Tristan would have been better had he not insisted his fist be next to his face (thank heavens he had a small head!) and Kelhan did not want to wait and was out in one or two active pushes.

I do have a high pain tolerance (except for when it comes to needles ...) and I believe once you have the epidural you're stuck in one position. You don't want to wait too long, though as there is a point where they can no longer administer it if you change your mind. All things to discuss with your doctor.