Third Trimester Recap
Looking back now, it’s hard to believe how quickly this third trimester flew by! As we prepared to welcome our second little boy, I tried to soak in the final weeks of pregnancy and savor these last moments as a family of three. This trimester felt different from my first—challenging at times, yes, but also full of surprising ease and comfort, and I’m so grateful for that.
How I Felt
Overall, I felt pretty good. Things definitely slowed down toward the end (as they do!), but my body held up well. I still had the occasional wave of nausea, but it improved as the weeks went on. I had a couple of days with some nerve-like back pain, but thankfully that passed quickly.
Baby boy was sitting very low in my pelvis—great positioning for delivery, but not always the most comfortable for mama!
Cravings and Aversions
Eating was a bit of a challenge this trimester. Breakfast and dinner were fine, but lunch tended to be hit or miss. Getting in enough protein was tricky, especially since meats were sometimes an aversion. Greek yogurt became my go-to instead!
Cravings:
Pizza
Pumpkin bread
Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips
Apple cider donuts (no surprise there!)
Aversions:
Most meats
Lunch in general
Exercise and Activity
One thing that made a huge difference this pregnancy was swimming laps. It was amazing for me physically, mentally, and emotionally. It kept me active without putting too much pressure or strain on my body, and I truly think it helped with swelling too.
When I was pregnant with Luke, I had a lot of swelling toward the end and was even diagnosed with preeclampsia during labor. This time, swimming felt like magic—I could literally feel the inflammation leave my body when I got in the water. It also helped me build strength in my upper body and back, which was so helpful for carrying this growing belly (and, of course, chasing around our very fun, very busy 1.5-year-old boy).
Labor Prep
Over the last few weeks of pregnancy, I did some low-key labor prep. There’s so much advice out there about how to “prepare” your body for labor, and honestly, I’m not sure how much of it truly makes a difference—but I did a few small things that made me feel good and connected to the process:
Continued exercise: Swimming a few times a week.
Stretching: I tried to squeeze in 10–15 minutes before bed whenever I could.
Eating dates: Supposedly, dates can help shorten labor. I ate them toward the end of my pregnancy with Luke and had a great experience, so I did it again—but casually.
Collecting colostrum: Mainly to have some on hand in case baby needed it, but also said to help your body prepare for labor.
Preparing for Baby
Over the past couple of months, we worked on getting both boys’ rooms ready. We decided to keep Luke’s nursery as the nursery and create a big boy room for him instead. It took a little longer than expected, but it turned out so sweet—I’m so happy with it.
My amazing mom came up for a few days to help us prep. She helped us pull out and clean all the baby gear, wash clothes, and organize drawers and closets. Truly, she’s the best.
One of my biggest takeaways from my first postpartum experience was wishing I’d spent more time preparing for life after birth rather than focusing so much on labor itself. I was so fixated on having a smooth delivery that I didn’t spend much time learning about things like breastfeeding, newborn sleep, or postpartum recovery.
This time around, I refreshed my memory on all things newborn—especially sleep. We found Taking Cara Babies so helpful with Luke, so I rewatched her videos and revisited tips and tricks to help set our little guy (and us!) up for success once he arrived.
I’m so thankful for another healthy pregnancy and for those last quiet days as a family of three.
Now that our second little boy is here, I can truly appreciate all the small ways we prepared for his arrival. From setting up rooms to refreshing newborn routines, it all made those first days with two boys feel a little more manageable—and a lot more magical. Life is about to get busier, louder, and even sweeter, and I’m so excited to embrace this next chapter with our growing family.
