Third Trimester Pregnancy Update – 30 Weeks Pregnant

So here we are, now already 30 weeks pregnant, or in other words, three quarters of the way to meeting our little one. I thought I’d share a bit of an update as things do seem to get a bit more interesting at this stage of pregnancy compared the the earlier months.

My pregnancy so far

So far, my pregnancy has been pretty uneventful and I’m very grateful for that! I found out I was pregnant when we got back from our holiday to Gibraltar in August 2022 and we booked a private 8 week scan to check everything was all looking OK before we let our family know we were expecting. This will be the first grandchild on both sides so I felt it was important to check everything was on track before all of the ensuing excitement!

The first trimester was OK although I was completely exhausted all the time. I didn’t get morning sickness although I did often feel nauseous when I woke up and before I went to bed. I think I spent a lot of the first few months on the sofa watching Netflix and trying to keep plates spinning at work while also getting used to the fact I was actually growing a human! To be honest, I’m still not quite over that fact…

The second trimester really was more of a dream like people often say. More energy, the bloat turned to bump around Christmas 2022 and I did seem to get a bit of a pregnancy glow. This was also the time we had our 20 week scan, which all went really well and I started to feel some little baby movements.

Find out more about Surviving The Second Trimester Of Pregnancy.

Third Trimester Symptoms

So now, as I’m well into my third trimester, I’m experiencing more symptoms that are making normal life things a bit more challenging. The first (and obvious) one is the growing bump. I was actually starting to get quite worried around the 20 week mark that I wasn’t showing much at all (ha!). They do say be careful what you wish for…

I wouldn’t say my bump is ginormous comparatively but it really has started growing substantially. And it’s starting to make things like getting socks and shoes on quite difficult. The second I can get away with it this Spring, I’ll be wearing sandals. In the meantime, my wonderful husband has started helping me with putting socks and shoes on as well as getting them off. Good practice for children, I suppose.

Another symptom I started getting quite early on was round ligament pain and pelvic girdle pain. This eased somewhat in the second trimester but is now back with a vengeance. It’s quite a sharp pain I get around my pelvic area when I move in a certain way. For example, getting in and out of a car, getting in and out of bed etc. It’s harmless for the baby but can feel a bit debilitating and is really forcing me to slow down a lot. Sometimes walking a long way can exacerbate it too (although generally walking is recommended as great exercise in pregnancy).

I am experiencing some backache now, which is to be expected as I’m now over 2 stone/28 lbs/13kg heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. And as far as I can tell, a lot of that is at the front, which is putting strain on my back. I think this will probably disappear pretty immediately after the birth and it’s definitely manageable.

Heartburn is a symptom I’ve struggled with from very early on. The old wives’ tales say it’s a sign of a hairy baby, so I’ll have the shock of my life if our little one comes out bald! I’ve tried modifying my diet slightly to help relieve the heartburn but I’m not sure how well it’s worked. What has worked is liquid Gaviscon, which I have every night before bed and that really eases the heartburn.

When they did my bloods at my 28 week appointment, the results came back showing I had lower levels of iron than I should at this stage. Anaemia is very common in pregnancy, particularly at this later stage. I had been getting really tired and thought it was just third trimester fatigue, but since I’ve been taking iron tablets to boost my iron levels I’ve experienced an incredible increase in energy levels and motivation, which is fantastic.

High points

I’ve generally really enjoyed being pregnant. I have to admit, before I got pregnant I thought I was going to hate it. The idea of having to grow this tiny human for the best part of a year, feeling something moving around inside me like an alien and then having to give birth really didn’t fill me with joy. But feeling the baby wriggle is definitely one of my favourite things ever! There’s really nothing quite like it. It’s been a bit more challenging for me to feel movements as I have an anterior high placenta (it’s like a big cushion at the front of my belly), but they’re definitely there and it’s so cute.

Another thing I really enjoyed was our hypnobirthing course run by my pregnancy yoga teacher. I’ll put up a separate post about this soon but I’d highly recommend hypnobirthing for pretty much everyone. I’m very scientifically-focused when it comes to pregnancy and birth but I also love yoga, breathing and relaxation, so it’s a great way to prepare for birth (not at all hippie like the name sounds).

Pregnancy yoga has been my go-to exercise during pregnancy. I practised yoga regularly before pregnancy but there are a few modifications you need to make when you’re pregnant. I find it super relaxing and it’s also been a great way to meet other pregnant people in my area.

Low points

I think the lowest point for me was around 29 weeks when I was a bit stressed because of some other things going on and I wasn’t sure if the baby’s movements were as strong as they had been previously. They’re very keen on making sure you’re aware of your baby’s movements and patterns and to call at any time of the day or night if you notice a reduction or change.

On Valentine’s Day I called the midwives to check if it was normal to feel fainter movements and they asked me to go in for monitoring immediately. Everything was fine with the baby, although it became clear I couldn’t feel a lot of movements because of my placenta being in the way, but they noticed I had a high pulse rate. So then I had to travel to another hospital for an ECG which was unexpected! That all seemed fine and they put it down to stress of worrying about the baby and I have a consultant appointment to follow up on this soon.

The final 10 weeks

So we’re now on the home stretch! I can’t quite believe that we’re going to be meeting our tiny human in only a couple of months’ time. I feel quite prepared and calm, although there are still quite a few things to do over the next few weeks. We have our car seat and our Moses basket ready for baby, as well as a few essentials clothing bits and pieces.

Next on our list is to choose and buy the pram, choose some nursery furniture, pack our birth bags for me, my husband and baby, finalise my birth preferences, install the car seat and start stocking up on baby essentials like nappies and feeding equipment.

I also have my surprise baby shower coming up at 35 weeks which I’m very excited for! It was supposed to be a surprise but there were some questions about the guest list so the cat’s out of the bag. I’m not big on surprises anyway and this way I have a heads up to plan my outfit!

I’m confident and excited about the birth and while I’m enjoying these last weeks as a couple with my husband, I’m ready to welcome our little one into our family and start our lives together as the three of us.