First vs. Second Pregnancy: The Third Trimester

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Are there any other moms out there who have gotten to the very end of their pregnancy (I’m one day shy of 40 weeks as I write this) and feel like giving birth is just something you meant to get around to doing, but fell by the wayside? For about two weeks, I’ve been in the “any day now!” phase, but in the past few days, I’ve felt like I might never actually give birth. I’m sure if I don’t, you’ll hear about it on the news, but for now, I’d like to wrap up the difference in my first and second pregnancies. As I’ve given you a glimpse into both my first trimester and second trimester, here’s what I’ve noticed in the third trimester. 

Heartburn and the Belches (note to self: potential band name)

Alright, I know I thought I was having a lot of heartburn in my second trimester, but that was mere child’s play compared to what I’ve been experiencing this trimester. I still get that occasional burn rising in my torso throughout the day, but the nighttime has brought something much worse. I’ll be reclined on the couch or lying in bed and feel like I need to burp. If I try to burp without sitting up completely straight, it feels like I’m going to toss my cookies all over myself. Sometimes, I’m able to suppress it for a little bit, but the next time I stand up lets out ALL of the burps. I’m sure my husband appreciates the very sudden movements and attractive bodily sounds I’m producing these days. I do remember burping more than usual during my first pregnancy, but this is really taking it to a new (and urgent!) level.

The Wardrobe Struggle

During my first pregnancy, I remember thinking a lot of the stereotypes of pregnant women were silly. Especially things like not being able to see your own feet and the acrobatics required to get a pregnant body dressed every morning. I still don’t completely understand when women say they can’t see their feet, but getting dressed is like an Olympic event these days where putting on shoes leaves me downright breathless. I would say the biggest wardrobe challenge I face is taking my pants off at the end of the day. All of my maternity pants are cut slim or skinny, so I can’t simply shimmy myself out of them. My ankles also double in size during the work day, so I really have to peel my pants off like my legs are overly-ripened bananas. Bending straight over is practically impossible at this point, and I can’t reach my ankles/feet while I’m sitting anymore. I usually end up like a turtle turned over on its shell, struggling for dear life. I’m just trying to get my work pants off so I can put on the one pair of fleece pajama pants that don’t cut into my hips anymore. I realize this may not have been as big of an issue last pregnancy because it was August and I lived in Texas, so I was mostly wearing dresses and other loose fitting clothing so as not to actually turn into a baked potato.

Was That a Real Contraction?

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I developed pre-eclampsia around 36 weeks. While it never got to be extremely dangerous, my blood pressure was consistently high enough that my doctor decided to induce me one day shy of 38 weeks pregnant. Before I was induced, I didn’t have intense Braxton-Hicks contractions. I never thought I was going into labor. I never wondered if I had just felt my water break. This pregnancy, I constantly think I’m in early labor. Almost every evening since about 37 weeks, I have had pain in my belly and pelvis. I do think some of those pains have been false labor contractions, some have been Braxton-Hicks contractions pushing on my worn out pelvis, and some of them have just been me hoping that this baby will come out before he weighs 12 pounds. Since I was induced last time I gave birth, I really feel like I’m going through this whole process for the first time. Some people say you’ll know when you’re in labor, but some people also give birth in their cars because they didn’t realize they were in labor soon enough. I just don’t want to be a car-birthing person!

What were some of the differences you noticed between your first and subsequent pregnancies? Did you feel like an expert the second time around? Or did you feel like you were walking into a new experience?

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Sara
Sara was born in Colorado Springs, and lived here her entire life until she attended college at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. There, she earned her degree in Journalism and Political Science. Sara met her husband, Luke, in the summer of 2008 while working at Wag N Wash Healthy Pet Center, although they didn't start dating until 2011 - after Sara had graduated from college and Luke had joined the Air Force. They married in 2012, when Luke was stationed in a small town in West Texas. Shortly after moving to the Lone Star State, Sara started her career in local television. She did everything from running the cameras, to producing the five o'clock news, to creating marketing campaigns for local businesses. Sara's daughter Cora was born in 2013, and Sara got her first taste of being a full-time working mom while living over 600 miles from her own parents. Luke's Air Force enlistment ended in the summer of 2015, so they high-tailed it back to Colorado Springs. Now, Sara lives near Old Colorado City and works in the marketing department of a law firm in Downtown Colorado Springs. She loves spending time with her family, cooking, biking, photography and playing with makeup (that’ll happen after working in television in Texas).