Pregnancy Update: 31 Weeks

Hi all! I can't believe I am now counting down the weeks in single digits. I can't wait to meet our little angel. Here is my latest pregnancy update...

Pregnancy Symptoms at 31 Weeks

Restless legs: at night before bed. Not enough to keep me up at night, but present on and off.
Sciatica: was most prominent a few weeks ago - around 28 to 30 weeks, but has since lightened up. I have a little bit of lower back pain just because I have two boys to look after and carry, and also because I'm working out. So I'm demanding more of my body when it feels a bit more vulnerable.
Lower Uterus Cramping: I can't tell if this is round ligament pain or cramping. I haven't had many Braxton Hicks (tightening sensation); just a lot of cramping and/or round ligament pain.
Trouble Sleeping: A bit of this, simply because I am waking up to use the restroom. Also, I am usually a tired person at night and lately, I feel like I have lots of energy before bed. Almost like I am a bit wired. I am still able to fall asleep, but feel like I have more adrenaline pumping than usual.
Hungrier: This also brings me to the fact that I am hungry before bed. I eat my usual diet but feel some hunger urges right before bed. If I have a little snack it helps me nod off a little better, but quite honestly, I feel nasty in the morning. And it
Swelling: not too much swelling, but a little bit. If I am standing for long periods, I feel the fluid retention in my legs. My wedding ring is getting a bit tight, but fluctuates during the day.
Shortness of breath:  I noticed this when I was reading to the boys the other day. I could barely get through a sentence without needing to catch my breath! Weirdly, it doesn't effect me during my workouts.
Vivid Dreams: I had a dream the other night that my mom birthed my baby! How weird and twisted is that? And my mom is the sweetest, non-dominating person ever. I was so upset that I had carried the baby and then she got the glory of childbirth, ha! I also dreamt that it was a boy and we called him the name that we have in mind :)
General Discomfort: yes. I hate to complain because I do love being pregnant, but I am starting to feel uncomfortable. I am starting to feel bloated and fat, ha! A bit more fatigued; just like I want to sit down all of the time. And also soreness from my workouts and from recurring injuries that I've had from the past. They seem to be flaring up from the relaxed ligaments.
Heartburn: Not a ton of heartburn, but I need to be careful not to eat too much food or too quickly. Generally, I can eat a lot more in one sitting than I can at this point in pregnancy.
Frequent Urination: yes! I usually have to leave my workout class once to pee. I also get up in the middle of the night once or twice to pee.

Diet + Exercise

My diet has been okay. I feel like I've been saying this my entire pregnancy. Sometimes I feel like I am doing great, and other times I feel like I am doing not so great. Today, I feel like I am doing not so great. It is getting harder and harder to eat healthy for whatever reason. I think it is because I feel so large that I am more inclined to eat more. Isn't that an oxymoron? I have always been like that. You'd think I'd eat less because I am bigger. But no. I am eating a tad bit more. I also feel hungrier at night; like I am not satisfied before I go to bed. Usually, I would try and just fall asleep, but I tried the other night and I had a very restless sleep. So then the next night, I tried having a little banana, almond butter and milk before bed, which helped me fall asleep and stay asleep, but then I got that disgusting feeling in the morning from eating before bed. Can't win!

On the flip side, I do great in the mornings for breakfast and also for lunch. First thing in the AM, I have a large glass of lemon water, and don't need a whole lot else before getting a workout in. I will take bites off of the kids' meals before I drink my Nespresso pod with creamer, just to ensure I have a little bit of something in my stomach. I feel kind of big and gross in the morning, so it makes me not want to eat. After my workout, I will usually pack something - either leftover gluten-free oatmeal with banana/almond butter or I'll make myself a green smoothie. My lunches are very healthy. Today, I had quinoa, garbanzo beans, chicken, broccoli, sweet potato in a Buddha Bowl topped with some hummus and spicy mayo. Again, I feel that big and bloated feeling after my meals, and didn't even eat that much. Then shortly after I feel hungry again but also have a little bit of heartburn and acid reflux, which makes me not want to eat. Dinners are pretty standard. I try not to overeat to avoid heartburn. And then again, I've been having some dessert after dinner. I wish I didn't but then again, I am pregnant and figure I can treat myself. But then after I do I feel kind of nasty. Such a weird sensation to have all of this nasty, bloated feeling during pregnancy! That is one of the major things I am looking forward to after childbirth - just being able to consume a normal diet. Or wait, is that possible with breastfeeding? :)

As for exercise, I am still working out daily. This is saving me both mentally and physically! Mentally, I need the workout to rid myself of that big, bloated, nasty feeling. I also feel so energized and positive after my workouts. I love it. Physically, I feel good and bad. Again, I feel energized, but also feel that the workouts are making me a bit more achey at this point in pregnancy. I am still maintaining the tabata workouts and modifying when needed. I also love step class and a Kayla workout on the weekend with the hub :).

Meeting Baby

I walked into the room that will be the baby's room for the first time ( it is a guest room and is generally a room I don't go into often), and it overwhelmed me BIG TIME. I think it stemmed from the fact that I had done nothing to prepare for the baby. So it felt like this big guest room was staring me in the face and it was hard to picture a baby coming home to this room, not to mention to our family! Since, I have slowly gotten the room ready. I washed the baby clothes, folded everything Marie Kondo style, bought diapers and hangers, a changing pad, and really organized the room with all of the pertinent baby gear, books and toys. Now that the room has slowly come together and feels more alive, I am getting more and more excited to welcome a baby into our home! Not going to lie, I was nervous for myself at first, but now that the room is together, I feel a lot more calm and excited about it all. Like really excited!

I am also growing more and more confident about being a mother to three. Some days, I worry about it, but for the most part, I am very excited about how my oldest will handle the transition and I also love the idea that my (now youngest) Vance, will have his older brother for a support system when the baby is here. Last time around, Rhett had no one, but me. So I think it kind of takes the pressure off now that the two older boys have each other, and that they won't be solely relying on me. In addition to that, I am looking forward to my husband taking some time off to be with the boys so that I can be with the baby. I think it will be a really nice welcoming to our transition from a fam of four to a fam of five!

Postpartum Wonders

I do think about the postpartum period with respect to myself because of what I have gone through in the past. In the past, I've had a hard time losing the baby weight (I retained it while breastfeeding my second) and I also had postpartum depression/anxiety with my second. So ya, I do wonder intermittently about my postpartum recovery. That said, I try not to obsess about it, and honestly don't. I feel pretty confident that I won't go through postpartum depression this time around. I don't know why, but I just feel good about it. At the same time, I don't want to be naive about it and not have a support system in place should I encounter it again. So, I probably will start looking into therapy and support should it happen again.

When it comes to the baby weight, I feel a bit more confident in knowing that it is possible that I may not lose the baby weight right away and that I might actually hold onto weight while breastfeeding, like I did last time. I think the hardest part about holding onto the baby weight after my last pregnancy was the fact that I worked so hard to maintain my weight and stay in shape during my pregnancy and did so beyond belief. But then after birth, not being able to lose the weight, I felt as if my efforts were almost all for nothing because I held onto the weight while nursing. In addition to that, I hated the unknown of whether or not the baby weight would even come off at all, and if in fact it was the breastfeeding that was causing me to retain it or if I was stuck 15 pounds heavier forever! Needless to say, the baby weight came off after I stopped breastfeeding and also came off from using the Postpartum Slimdown. So now that I know that I may retain weight while breastfeeding and am prepared for that, and also know that the weight will come off, only in a matter of time, I feel more confident going into the postpartum period. At the same time, I know that secretly I have expectations and hopes that I may be lucky this time around and might lose the baby weight magically while breastfeeding. But I don't want to cling to those false hopes only to be faced with weight gain and weight retention. I guess we will see how I handle the situation. All I can do is try to remain positive, but I will say that it is getting harder the more weight I gain in pregnancy.

Weight Gain

At 31 weeks, I am 24 pounds! I am really trying to keep my weight in check, but also must come to the realization that a lot of the weight gain is outside of my control. I think the hardest part in gaining the pregnancy weight for me personally, is the fact that I feel fat. I hate that feeling! And then sometimes when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and it is a bad angle, I kind of gasp and freak out inside. In saying this, I remember the same thing happening during my last pregnancy; having those same fat feelings. When I look back on my pregnancy photos of times that I felt SO fat, I actually look rather skinny for a pregnant girl. This time around, I am trying not to let my mind go to those negative places, but it can be hard. I really wish I wasn't so obsessed with weight, and I do pray about it and ask for peace about it, and for God to put my mind (and body) where it needs to be. But honestly, amongst women, I do struggle with this big time. The stretch marks don't bother me much, the cellulite doesn't even bother me much, it really comes down to the number on the scale, how my clothes fit and how I FEEL. But anyways, all I can really do is continue making healthy choices, and keep along! Sorry to be all boo-hoo about it, I really want to stay positive, but also want to be real so women can relate who may feel the same way.

Boy or Girl?

I am pretty certain that we are having a boy. I don't know why, but it is almost this comfort thing. The boys think it is a boy and have been calling the baby by our boy name on occasion, and it only feels natural that we would be having a boy. I also think there is a higher likelihood after having the same gender twice that you have the same gender on the third. Not sure if this is true or an old wive's tale. On the flip side, my heart would explode if we had a girl! I wouldn't know what to do with myself, but I would also be over the moon happy. Either boy or girl, we are thrilled to be having a third little one. Please note that I don't have a preference, just a feeling!