The third trimester is when pregnancy starts to feel real. Up until now, you likely weren’t noticeably pregnant all the time so strangers start to feel comfortable asking when are you due and is it a boy or girl. I’ve never minded these questions and still don’t. 

I wrote this at 31 weeks when I was pregnant with Tommy and I still find it so true:

In the first trimester you feel like shit and want to tell people why you’re perpetually hungover on a weekday but you can’t really. The second trimester you feel better but still don’t look pregnant. It just looks like you are packing on some extra pounds or in a gym setting, being lazy. You want to always wear a shirt that says, “I’m pregnant, lay off me!”

Then the third trimester comes, and people are like, “You’re so cute!” or shout “Congratulations” on the street. I had a female Uber driver stop me from her window and go, “How gorgeous are you?” At first I’m like, why are people being so nice to me, I look exhausted? And then I realize, ohhh, you can tell I’m pregnant finally! “Thank you! Thank you very much.” You spend the first 7 months hoping people can tell and then once they can, it’s hard to get used to the world knowing this secret you’ve kept without actually telling them.

Other than heart burn, I’m still feeling great. The biggest difference between my pregnancies is my lack of cardiovascular capacity. That was my fancy way of saying I can’t climb a couple flights of stairs without needing to sit down and catch my breath.

Weight Gain

To date, I’ve gained about 27 people which is 5 lbs more than I had with Tommy at this point. I firmly believe you should NOT compare your pregnancy weight gain with other women and I’m learning not to compare my own. Every pregnancy is different.

Exercise

I’m still in disbelief at what I did exercise wise when I was pregnant with Tommy. Not only did I have all the time in the world to exercise, but I was also still doing serious ab workouts at 31 weeks! There is/was such a lack of information out there on how to avoid a diastasis recti. I thought front planks were safe and they might be but after doing my own research, I stopped doing them early in my second trimester when I noticed coning. I noticed it while pregnant with Tommy but didn’t realize it was a sign of a DR happening!

After reading my 31 week pregnancy update from last time, I am in awe that I took two 45-minute long spin classes at Recycle Studio, two 45-minute long class at BTone (Megaformer Pilates), and a 1 hour long Yoga class. I probably did something on Saturday or Sunday as well. 

This time around, I am lucky to get two 20-30 minute spin classes in a week as well as 2 of my own strength training circuits that are around 30 minutes long. I guess when I write it down it doesn’t feel like a huge difference but personally it feels very different.

Typically, my week looks like this:

• Monday: Teach my Mommy + Me Workout class (I just demo and walk around room, holding babies and checking form)
• Tuesday: 30 minute Spin
• Wednesday: Rest or Prenatal Workout
• Thursday: 30 minute Spin
• Friday: Rest or Prenatal Workout
• Saturday: Nothing or a Walk with Tommy during Nap Time
• Sunday: Nothing or a Walk with Tommy during Nap Time

I gave up on prenatal yoga classes. A teacher at a South End studio made a really weird political comment during class and while I was already luke warm about the class itself, it totally turned me off and I haven’t been back. Unfortunately I don’t even remember the instructors name so I can’t just avoid her. I went to a regular yoga class and enjoyed that but a 90 minute class is a long time for me on the weekends when you factor in getting to and from the studio. Now with Tommy, Nick and I each have about 2-3 hours each weekend day to do our own thing if we choose and usually, I have other things I want to accomplish.

Getting Ready for Baby

I shared on Instagram that we haven’t don’t anything to prepare for this baby! However, it sounds like we are in good company when it comes to a second child. Most of you did not do anything either. This made me feel a little better. From my 2018 Ultimate Baby Registry, I need to buy the rumble seat for our UppaBaby Vista as well as one of the boards that goes on the back since Tommy usually hates sitting in his stroller without a bribe.

I also want to get either a Boppy Lounger or Dock-A-Tot, lightweight onesies, size 1 diapers, and boob remedies for when I start nursing like lanolin and nursing pads for my bra. I also need new nursing bras.

In addition, we need to get a bed for Tommy! We were hoping to start transitioning him to a big boy bed this month and it’s slowly becoming less of a priority because he is sleeping so well in his crib still. We lowered it so he couldn’t climb out but now it’s just sitting on our bassinet box which we will need for baby.

Tommy thinks the baby is growing in his belly as well. LOL. If you ask him where his baby brother is, he lifts up his shirt.

I’m starting to get nervous about the arrival and delivery process.

How I’m Feeling…

With your first, you might be up at night nursing but at least you can sleep in. With Tommy, I won’t be able to do that. Hopefully, Nick will get up with him since I’ll be doing the work in the middle of the night but Nick is a terrible sleeper and I fear we will have to play the game, who slept the most when it comes to getting up with the toddler. It’s frustrating but he also has to go to work all day where I can at least rely on the TV for toddler entertainment, right? I think this is where help is beneficial.

I also keep seeing news reports of horrific delivery experiences. Thanks NPR. I had a normal delivery with Tommy but still, I’m slightly on edge.

I’m feeling totally burned out with work. My blog needs to be updated for compliance with the GDPR (a privacy thing) as well as http to https… and I simply feel like I don’t have the time or desire to go through these things in addition to creating unique, content that people want to read or watch! People who don’t blog don’t realize the little things that go into that are time consuming on top of just writing or posting pictures. I don’t know how people do it. I’m looking forward to a little maternity leave to hopefully get inspired again but who am I kidding… I’ll likely take a week or two off.

Lastly, I’ve had to unfollow a bunch of people on Instagram lately who were not adding anything to my enjoyment of the platform. Pregnancy hormones are no joke. I learned early on that not everyone is going to like you! Just check out the comments on any one of my YouTube videos lol. But that’s not your problem, that’s theirs. Similarly, you don’t have to like everyone! It’s like that peach quote:

You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.

But no one is forcing you to like peaches on the flip side. If someone doesn’t like you, that’s not your problem and if you don’t particularly like someone, you have the right to feel that way. Of course, everyone is fighting their own battle and you have no idea what is going on behind the scenes so it’s always important to be nice but a simple unfollow hurts no-one.

I strongly believe in the power of supporting other women but some women on social media are kind of assholes. There, I said it. Some of you may think I’m one of them and I expect that.

I never set out to be an influencer. I wanted to make fitness videos to help people learn how to workout on their own because the magazines just made it complicated. It’s a very different business now with staged photos and lots of advertising (I am guilty of this!). I at least try to make my ads realistic and relatable. I’m not going out partying with my girlfriends every weekend. I’m not posting pictures with my hair and make up all done up in sweat pants with a bassinet stroller and flat stomach, because we all know if you’re using the bassinet, you’re a new mom who doesn’t have time for curls or fake eyelashes let alone a flat stomach already.

So this is just a PSA that if you’re pregnant and hormonal, ignore the noise. Surround yourself with people that inspire you, comfort you, support you and make you happy. If someone is bringing you down, it’s totally OK to avoid/ignore whatever you have to do diminish the negative feelings they instill upon you. It’s your problem, not theirs. They don’t need or have to change but you have control over who you allow into your life, even if it’s just your Instagram feed.

Questions, comments, leave them below as usual 🙂 

*note: I’m not referring to anyone in the post above that I’ve ever mentioned on this blog before*