3rd Trimester Realities

How is the third trimester going, you ask?  Let me tell ya...

1.)  Aches and Pains
To be fair, I feel pretty darn great.  Many mamas have reported to me that they didn't feel so hot in the third trimester (some even sharing their "I was SO miserable"  stories).  I've still got about 6ish more weeks to go, so you know, things could change.  I know that I will be anxious, big, and ready to get things over with in those last few weeks.  
Around 31 weeks, I began experiencing inner thigh/pelvic pain.  I upped my stretching and Spinning Babies exercises (see below) and have been seeing a massage therapist once a month.  Around 33 weeks, I felt so much better.  It's still a little hard to get out of bed sometimes but it feels much more manageable than before.  
Side note:  Prepare yourself if you're planning to go to the movie theater in the 3rd trimester.  It's nearly impossible to get comfortable in those chairs.  Kind of ruined Hunger Games for me.  Actually, what ruined that movie was the twist and abrupt ending.  Really, Peeta?   
2.)  Baby's positioning
This is probably on my mind more often than other mamas' because I'm involved in birth work.  Positioning plays a much bigger role than the estimated size of your baby, and head down is not enough!  Take a look at the Spinning Babies website to get an idea of where your baby is at, as this will influence labor and birth progress.  I'm always talking out loud to my baby, asking things like "Is that your butt?"  and commenting on how his/her hiccups feel on the outside.  My husband doesn't even take a second glance when I do the inversion, unannounced, on our living room couch.   
3.)  Where is my crotch?
I'm seriously asking because I can't see it anymore.  Not unless I'm looking at myself in a mirror anyways.  I guess I should've expected this but it's just one of those things you don't really think about. 
4.)  The "I'm growing a human" realization
Holy shit, there really is a person in there.  This is amazing.  It feels more real each day when I wake up.  I think to myself, "I'm one day closer to meeting this little soul."  We've been working on the nursery more and even though we really don't plan to use it that much, at least in the beginning, it is helping me transition into this new phase of life.  Decorating and organizing is definitely satisfying my urge to nest.  
5.)  Sleeping positions
I added a nest of pillows to my sleep environment in the 2nd trimester so that's nothin' new.  I always favored sleeping on my stomach so it was quite an adjustment when I could no longer do that.  But lately, I've been finding myself asleep on my back.  I wake up and think, "How long have I been here?!"  I'm almost positive this is a result of me pancaking from side-to-side in my sleep, only to get lazy mid-pancake.  Sleeping on my back was not even comfortable before I was pregnant and yet, here I am every night, finding myself asleep on my back.  
6.)  Reconnecting with partner
My husband and I signed up for childbirth education classes at BABS and it's been so much fun.  Most nights, we have just enough time to eat dinner and watch a little bit of television together; however, our past five Wednesdays have been spent hanging out, learning new things about birth/parenting, and discussing our future.  I know I'll fall in love with him all over again when I see him hold our baby for the first time.  
7.)  Head colds
Oh, I endured a terrible head cold last week!  When people say, "Being sick in pregnancy is the worst!"  they really mean it.  The good news:  you're already up every couple of hours peeing anyways.  It's not like you're losing that much more sleep, but your sleep positions are that much more limited.  I was practically sitting up while sleeping so that I could breathe! 
8.)  Sex
It's still fun, but a little uncomfortable.  Not in a "this doesn't feel good" type of way, but more like "what the hell do I do with this belly?"  Like sleeping with a cold, your positions are a bit limited.  You're also either really excited for sex (these pregnancy hormones are no joke) or you're so tired you just wanna crawl into bed and sleep forever.  I can't speak for everyone, but I think it's pretty normal for your sex life to change in pregnancy.  Not for better or worse necessarily...it's just different. 
9.)  The battle between narcolepsy and insomnia
Usually, I have no problem going to sleep at night.  Aside from my husband's snoring, I find that I fall asleep more easily than I did pre-pregnancy.  But every once in a while, I just can't sleep.  Netflix, a hot cup of tea, reading...nothing does the trick.  The funny thing is that every day, midday, I think to myself, "I could really take a nap right now."  Napping always feels great and yet there are evenings when sleeping is just not on the agenda.  Okay, I'll stop complaining about sleep because there are sleep deprived parents reading this that probably want to kill me right now.  
10.)  I'm still crying
I'm still as emotional as I was in the 1st and 2nd trimesters.  I guess I'm not surprised as I'm a pretty emotional person anyways.  But it feels heavier than when I was crying pre-pregnancy.  I can go from 0 to 10 in seconds.  Like I said, pregnancy hormones are crazy.  I'm so thankful my husband is understanding of this.  Keep in mind the season finale of Parenthood is right before my due date.  That is gonna be a night full of crocodile tears.

And just for giggles... :)

Happy December, everyone!