Second Pregnancy Update: Third Trimester Recap (Weeks 28-37)

January 11, 2022

Helloooo third trimester! A growing belly, lack of childcare, Braxton Hicks contractions, rib pain and more all made up this very emotional and physically challenging third trimester. Learn how it’s different this second pregnancy compared to my first, what I’m packing in my hospital bag, and catch up before I go into labor!

Like I did with my first pregnancy, I’ll be sharing some pregnancy updates on the blog, and specifically how pregnancy relates to nutrition. I am not a prenatal dietitian, just sharing my personal experiences. I know pregnancy is a sensitive subject and these types of posts can be triggering for some people, so please take care of yourself first and foremost.

For more pregnancy updates you can read about my first trimester, second trimester, and my prenatal supplement routine here.

Wow I cannot believe I’m 37 weeks and writing what is likely my last pregnancy update for my second (and very possibly last) pregnancy. I know this is a nutrition blog, but I love sharing these pregnancy updates as a little journal to myself to look back on. Plus, I know somewhere they’re helping people because this pregnancy update from my first pregnancy about false labor gets tons of views from Google every year!

What’s new in the third trimester?

I actually started to keep a note on my phone because it felt as if the second my third trimester hit, my body knew. I started waddling and had some pretty obvious symptoms and events I don’t recall at all from my first pregnancy…

Rib pain – I would wake up in the middle of the night because it hurt too much to lay on one side. I am NOT a back sleeper, but had to start sleeping upright on my back, which has been less than ideal! This pillow is still helping me tremendously though to help support my belly!
Pelvis pain – This baby has felt heavier in my mid-section from the start, but as my belly has grown in the third trimester it’s especially obvious and I feel every twinge more than I did the first time. I’m sure lifting my 35-pound toddler doesn’t help!
Low platelets and iron – After my 28-week appointment I got a call from my OB that my iron was low. I started taking extra iron supplements and have continued throughout my third trimester, as my iron and hemoglobin keep measuring below normal. My platelets were also low at this time. This is often called “dilution thrombocytopenia” and common in the third trimester of pregnancy because your blood volume expands so much. Luckily after my 36 week appointment things started to improve, so no further testing was required.
Crazy baby movements – I truly believed this baby was going to come out of my belly button some days. This baby either loves to stretch or is just so big. I took one video where it’s stretching through my belly button a solid 2-3 inches – it’s nuts!
Braxton Hicks contractions – Until this week (37 weeks), my BH contractions have been less intense than throughout my first pregnancy. They mostly come when my bladder gets full (totally normal).
More anxiety – especially with an uptick in covid cases here in New York, as labor nears (“BUT WILL I KNOW?!?” keeps running through my head), and just logistics now having a toddler at home and expanding our family.

We also very suddenly lost our childcare in my early third trimester. Luckily, I’ve been winding down my 1:1 private practice for maternity leave, but it’s been a struggle juggling mom and business owner while so pregnant. It’s also made my toddler SO much clingier, which obviously makes me nervous for when this baby arrives in a few short weeks! But on the upside, I did film a successful TV segment from home very pregnant, so that was fun…

On a great note, I passed my glucose test (which was a huge relief because my sugar cravings have been off the charts this pregnancy!). I’m not a prenatal dietitian, but from what I do know, it’s genetics and your placenta that largely determines if you’re at risk for gestational diabetes, so worrying over sugar cravings was really for nothing! Obviously I had to document the disgusting glucose drink you have to chug…

And yes, while there are more “natural” substitutes, my OB did not recommend doing the jelly bean thing or whatnot because it’s not considered standardized as the glucose drink is. Surprisingly, I felt better the remainder of the day than I did after my glucose test in my first pregnancy.

What are you eating?

As a nutrition blog I obviously have to talk about the food! Throughout this pregnancy I’ve had to force myself to eat protein. It hasn’t been fun, but your protein needs drastically increase when you’re pregnant, so protein aversions are no fun!

I try to eat 2 eggs every morning – not only does this provide a protein punch, but also tons of choline (meets my daily needs) and vitamin D.
I’m rarely super hungry by dinner. It’s just not my best meal lately!
Nightly snacks have become a thing. We eat dinner early with Lex (like sometime between 5-6pm), so if I don’t eat something by 8 or 9pm, I wake up STARVING in the middle of the night. Sometimes it’s a bowl of fruit, other times it’s yogurt or cheese or sunbutter on toast… it all depends on my daily hunger levels, which fluctuate a lot!
I started eating 4-6 dates/day. Some studies show it helps soften your cervix. I didn’t do this in my first pregnancy, but figured WHY NOT?! My favorite way to eat them is stuffed with SunButter and drizzled with chocolate. Try it even if you’re not pregnant!
Tons of sweets – whether it was the holidays and all of my cookie recipe testing, plus holiday gatherings, or just pregnancy in general, I’ve been craving sweets big time. I try to balance it out with well-balanced meals when I can too!

Are you still exercising?

Does this answer it??

My 2.5 year old is a freakin’ monkey, so there’s a lot of piggybacks and climbing. A few days a week I’ll do a 20 minute workout (and really that’s it)…

1 spin/week
1 strength/week
1 barre workout/week

But how’s the baby?

In short, the baby is doing great!

At my 36 week check-up, baby G was clocking in at over 6 pounds, about the 52nd percentile! We were able to do a 3D ultrasound and see babe’s little face and it’s already smushy and so cute – I can’t wait to meet him or her!

Any gender predictions??

What’s in your hospital bag?

OK – now for the helpful stuff! What’s in my hospital bag?! I’m still packing my hospital bag, but here’s a quick overview of what I put inside so far…

I’m a first-time “winter baby” mom, so I was a bit lost this time. Last time it was SO hot when I delivered that I didn’t need to think about comfort and warmth!

2 sweat outfits – I ordered this one off Amazon and these joggers from Aerie
Fuzzy socks (I’m afraid of slipping in slippers)
Breast pads (for leakage)
Nursing bras
Toiletries (face wash, body soap, shampoo – just in case, lotions to help me feel human, etc.)
Hair iron (I can’t stand when the front of my hair goes crazy!
Headbands – they help you feel a bit more put together!
Lots of snacks – I love these 88 Acres bars, the individual SunButter packets, bags of popcorn, dry roasted edamame, allergy-friendly chocolate bars (duh!), and bread – yes I packed bread because I’m not sure about the food sitch in the hospital!
Onesies and outfits for the baby
Travel size toiletries for the baby (just in case – although I don’t think I used them last time)

Honestly, I’m not too sure how much of the above I’ll even use. Last time I had an awful rash postpartum and stayed in the hospital gown until I changed to go home. Plus, they give you all the “supplies” you need (like a peri bottle, mesh undies, etc.), so I really didn’t find the need to pack that stuff this time.

And now we wait!

The next time you’ll get an update will probably be my birth story (which I never even shared from Lex’s birth, which was fairly traumatic so I’m a heaping pile of nerves to deliver again!).

Thanks for all of your support throughout this journey and beyond!