Pregnancy Number Three

Here we go again. I wasn't sure I'd ever really be ready for a third baby. I knew that we needed to have another, I just had no idea when. Dan and I stopped preventing that from happening last summer, but we weren't actively trying either. And after the winter I had I am grateful that we didn't succeed until February. Those double lines showed up on that stick on February 19th.

I am writing this at 35 weeks pregnant. I have had the intention to write it as my pregnancy progresses (like I did with my previous two), but between two toddlers and moving life has been a little busy. My original due date was on my birthday, October 26, but was changed to the 24th. Like two days really matter ha, but whatever.
I told my parents on the way to Las Vegas. My Mom and I got tickets to see Celine Dion in concert and at 7 weeks I was already experiencing some morning sickness and didn't think I'd be able to hide it from them for 4 days. (My Dad was with us because we also went to Arizona to attend my cousin's wedding.) I asked them what their plans were on my birthday and my Mom said she was planning on calling me, we knew we'd be moving to Texas at this point, and I told her it would be worth it to come visit me instead because there would be an extra person to celebrate. Dan and I told Paul and Becky in a similar way, but about a visit in November, over dinner at Olive Garden. And this is how we announced it to everyone else...

Looking at future baby bro/sis.

I started getting the all-day sickness and nausea at around 7-8 weeks. I also had food poisoning or some sort of 24- hour GI bug (my Doctor thought) at 8 weeks and it was extra miserable. Each time I'd throw up I swear there was going to be nothing left but then I was in the bathroom all over again a couple hours later. I cannot imagine feeling like that all the time, so those women who have hyperemesis gravidarum my heart goes out to you. You are the real MVPs. It was pretty consistent until about 16 weeks and then was on and off for a few more weeks. It completely went away until a few weeks ago (~30 weeks pregnant), and then I started puking again every few days.
Because I knew we'd be moving and all the huge adjustments that come with it, I have decided to stay on my medication for this pregnancy. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle all the changes without it since pregnancy is already a huge mental game for me anyway. A few weeks ago I did start taking it every other day so that I can wean off of it once the baby is here. The kind I am on can have potential short-term side effects on the baby and I just don't want to chance it.
I have been able to exercise for the most part. It was hard during the morning sickness stage and has gotten more difficult during the third trimester but I still do it when I can. I could fit into my jeans up until 20 weeks. It helps a lot with my mental health and before it started making me cramp it would feel good ha. Plus I am hoping it makes labor and delivery easier/smoother, I have read that is another positive of staying active during pregnancy.
I've had all the same symptoms I've had in previous pregnancies: the ligament pain, pubic pain, shooting nerve pain, bloody noses, insomnia, etc. but this time they have happened a lot sooner, including this bump growing sooner. I feel so much bigger this time around than with the previous two. One new symptom I experienced was that up until a little past 20 weeks I could not eat chocolate. I would throw up every time I would eat it, any amount. It was good because I ate healthier ha but annoying because it was during Easter and I couldn't eat any of the candy. During the last half of the first trimester and into the second I didn't have much of an appetite. That was not something I had experienced with the other two. I also would get stomach aches occasionally. And this time around I have been completely exhausted. I was with the other two, but not like this. I went to school and had jobs (with Evelyn it was even at night) and I don't recall being this worn out.
As far as I know, everything looked good when I had my targeted ultrasound at 30 weeks. I had it so late because with moving I had to get to new insurance, which took almost a month, and then I had to find a provider that accepted it and since I was in Utah all of July I obviously wasn't able to go see anyone then so I finally started seeing someone in August. I don't see one specific doctor, it is a group, which I don't really like but because I'm already so far along in this pregnancy I don't really want to go through all the trouble of finding someone new. So a different doctor looked at my ultrasound results than the one(s) I see. It's all kind of weird and I have to talk about the same things at every appointment because it is someone different. Baby was breech when I had that ultrasound and has since turned transverse (sideways), which means I'm looking at an automatic C section. Yes, I have been panicking about that a little bit. I've looked into spinning babies and am even considering seeing a chiropractor. I'm just praying this baby decides to go head down ASAP. My stomach has been stretching in new ways because of this position (the other two were head down by 30 weeks), and it makes my belly itch. And since babies are not meant to be in this position I have been SO much more uncomfortable. Sitting, standing, walking, laying down, all of it. There is no comfort right now and therefore I'm a little more discouraged and depressed too.
This bun in the oven wasn't too hot until I got back from Utah in August. Texas in August was extremely hot for me and even though it is cooling down I am still pretty hot most of the time. It's pretty unusual for me to be hotter than Dan ha. I have only been sleeping with a sheet and he's added a blanket to his side.
Every couple of days since my visit to Utah (I was 23-27 weeks while there) I felt like I was leaking amniotic fluid. Finally, at my 34-week visit, I was tested and it was positive. But since it was so minuscule the Doctor wasn't worried, and I wasn't really either but it was nice to know that that was really what it was. I stopped leaking a week or so later too.
Hospital bags are almost all packed. We got a new car in July while I was in Utah to actually fit the 3 car seats we will soon have. It's nice that we have all the major things we really need already (car seat, crib, baby swing, etc.). I got some newborn diapers the other day and now we wait to see if this baby already has a wardrobe or we will be buying a new one. I think we have mostly decided on boy and girl names, that is always fun for Dan and me ha.

March 14th - 8 weeks.

April 11th - 12 weeks.

Cutest little toes.

May 9th - 16 weeks.

13 weeks.

22 weeks.

30 weeks.

Here I am almost one-week postpartum, so grateful that I am not pregnant anymore. The last month has been an extreme emotional rollercoaster. As I was getting closer to my due date I started getting more and more nervous about this baby being sideways. I received advice to see a chiropractor and check out Spinning Babies. I was referred to an amazing chiropractor who not only helped turn this baby, but she was exactly what I needed mentally to get in a better place too. I cannot thank her enough! After the first time I saw her I had a prenatal appointment the same day and baby turned, it was verified by an ultrasound, but throughout the night I could feel baby going back to being sideways. I was 37 weeks and the relief and gratitude and high spirits that I felt from baby being head down didn't last long and I was right back to being terrified and concerned and anxious. I saw my chiropractor two more times and did my spinning babies exercises daily (which were forward-leaning inversions, side-lying release, and rebozo manteada).  At 38 weeks baby turned and stayed! It was such a blessing to know that I could finally go into labor and know that I would be able to deliver this baby the way I wanted to. I had stopped taking my medication a couple weeks before I delivered so all that was going on was even more so emotionally draining, but I made it! And looking at this photo below amazes me, realizing that was a 9-pound baby inside of me. No wonder I was so uncomfortable with all the nerve pain, my legs randomly falling asleep, backaches, reflux, having to use the bathroom every other hour, etc. I did experience all this with my other two but this time it was magnified.

Right before we went to the hospital. 39 weeks, 5 days.