This felt like the longest stage to get through. The heartburn, the weight you’re carrying, the leg cramps and pain, the lower pressure, constantly having to pee, on top of caring for a toddler and working full time. This was a lot, mentally and physically. The amount of milk I drank for the heartburn was insane (1-2 gallons every week and a half), and the growth of the baby happened so quickly. I carried low and somewhat considered “tiny.” I felt big though, and as though I was running out of space in there, and uncomfortable. I gained 40 pounds with her and I think I ate a lot more than normal or even during my own pregnancy. Nothing seemed to fit the way I wanted it to, and I chose to never sit down or rest as there was (in my mind) so much to do before the baby arrived. The best part of the third trimester was the movements. It was reassuring she was present and continuing to make progress. She was always head down as low as possible but always had her feet in my rib. She kept the same patterns throughout the pregnancy. I had weekly appointments starting at 35 weeks which included monitoring for fetal movement and ultrasounds to measure fluid and growth. Approaching the end, her last ultrasound was measuring 8 pounds at 38 weeks. I was nervous towards the end, and we scheduled an induction to have her come out before 40 weeks, which I felt relieved to do. I’m a huge planner and this was the best option for my scenario. A few nights before the induction I did start to worry as I’m sure everyone does, but we finally arrived to the evening of starting the induction process. We had dinner with the intended parents before heading to the hospital (they cut off eating when you arrive prior to starting an induction) which was a nice opportunity to be together. Then my husband and I went to the hospital right after and settled in for the night while we started the process of baby girl’s arrival.
