Pregnancy Third Trimester + Hospital Checklist

Sharing the story of my third trimester journey, this post was written around November 2018.

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I'm into my 9th month of pregnancy as I write this post. The third trimester for me began with a hiccup. My baby's scan revealed a nuchal cord twisted around twice. Although doctors say it is common but it does reduce my chances of a normal delivery. I have another scan to go before the doctor makes the final decision.

Wearing Vera Wang

The most crucial difference in the third trimester is the increased difficulty in sleeping. I have woken up after an hour of sleep and stayed awake for hours until sunrise. Doubts about how things would unfold, increased baby movements, and just the need to use the restroom were enough to keep me awake. And on top of that if there is any emotional stress in your life, say bye bye to sleep.

Turning over in bed became extremely difficult. The pelvic area hurts badly as the body prepares for the birth making things awful at times. Not having an understanding person to help you out in such a situation can be daunting. Make sure your partner is aware of this so that he can help you out. If you are alone and need to turn make sure you turn very slowly with proper support.  Don't get up straight, turn over to one side and then get up. Sit in the bed for a few seconds before getting up so that your blood circulation is normalized and you don't lose your balance. I read so many places that moving both legs joined together while turning helps, it did initially but with time even that became painful.

As I entered my third trimester I was asked to do  a simple excercise. It's called the chakki aasan or churning the mill pose. That is the only excercise I've really done through my pregnancy. There were no antenatal classes near my place so I can't really say if you must attend one. I feel they would help specially if the husband accompanies you so that you both get to understand the nitty gritties together. Talk to your doctor to get proper guidance before you undertake any form of excercise.

Third trimester also brought on lots of swelling. My hands and feet would swell up at night and hurt. It was difficult to hold my toothbrush without feeling some pain. This is the time when shoes became a problem. I couldn't buy new ones for work because the length of my feet hadn't changed and in India the concept of separate wide foot shoes simply isn't there. I actually borrowed my mom's shoes to wear throughout the last trimester.

You will also be asked to take the OGTT which is a Glucose test. You get your blood sugar measured on an empty stomach after which you need to drink 75gm of glucose dissolved in 250ml water. Two hours later another blood sugar reading is done. My test was done at Dr Lal Pathlab and the collection center messed up my data, the test report showed extremely high fasting sugar and just normal 2nd reading. I instantly stopped all sweets and sugar intake. When I visited my doctor she asked me to repeat the test after a week. This time I got it done at a different place and my reading was normal. High sugar in your blood can lead to birth problems with your child and hence this test is important.

Doctors will also monitor your BP to rule out pre-eclampsia. This is a condition where your BP can shoot high and can cause a lot of complications.

Breathing became difficult specially whenever the baby moved higher up towards my rib cage. My heart burn condition worsened as well. And till date I have this really bad heartburn that gets triggered by eating past my mealtime, eating spicy food, and eating very hot food.

Another thing which I faced was a high  emotional state. Normally when people say things you don't like, you can ignore them. But if you are having trouble on the emotional front every little thing just builds up. There have been nights I've cried wanting to hug someone badly and talk to someone who would understand what I was going through. I would talk myself out of these episodes by reminding myself that it was bad for my little one. Do whatever keeps you happy. The baby can and does sense your emotions. You will immediately notice a change in the way the baby moves.

Thankfully girl friends who have sailed in the same boat are saviors during these times. Talk to them, talk to your partner, just find someone to talk to. It's important to share your feelings so that you can feel lighter and happier.

I also took this opportunity to post positive assertions on my other blog channel where I write little quotes as "thought for the day" posts.

Baby Shower Cake

My birthday fell in the third trimester and my friends surprised me with a special baby shower cum birthday party. They got me a new dress, a tiara and a sash. The cake was super cute and we really enjoyed ourselves. I wish my mom and sister could be a part of this but unfortunately the circumstances were such that they could not be a part of it. It was a little break we took from office during lunch hours to celebrate. (Hubby got me a 3D pen which I'm really excited to use as soon as I get some time, I love DIY and it is perfect for that)

Another thing I did through pregnancy was write to my baby. Every week I wrote a diary, a few sentences mostly talking to my unborn child about what was going on outside. Someday I hope to share them with my child.

As I approach THE day I'm getting my hospital stuff ready. There is a good checklist available online. I'm sharing mine here for those of you who'd like to know.

1) 3 dresses if you are going to have a cesarean. Else lounge sets preferably with a button down shirt would be more comfortable. I've kept a feeding gown (team.mumsie), an off shoulder dress which is super easy to nurse in, and one pajama suit. 

2) Maternity pads (I've kept normal pads since maternity ones would be available at the hospital)

3) Underwear (basic ones, I've bought a size bigger as they feel more comfortable)

4) Nursing bras - I've got two nursing bras and two nursing tank tops

5) Toiletries- basic stuff, you can keep whatever you normally do when heading out overnight

6) Toilet roll - I'm sure my hospital won't have this but you don't need one if your hospital provides these

7) Shawl since the weather is getting slightly cold

8) Jacket

9) Towel

And for the baby

1. Clothes (4 sets, unfortunately I cannot use new clothes so I can't carry the cute onesies at this time)

2. Sweater sets (again because this is winter season)

3. Towel

4. Swaddle sheets or any cotton sheet you can hold the baby in

5. Diapers/nappies

6. Baby wipes

7. Booties, mittens, caps

8. Blanket

9. Baby sheets to keep under baby

10. Sheet protector

Apart from this don't forget to keep your medical documents and insurance papers with you.

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Update: I had a baby boy through cesarean at 39 weeks. I got to see him being taken out of my tummy and then gently hug him before he was taken away.

All of you in your third trimester, good luck for the final countdown. Excitement and a little worry go hand in hand at this point in time. Trust that God is looking after you. All the best and congratulations for your bundle of joy!