Áine with her beautiful baby girl Ava.
Hi everyone. For those of you that are new to my column, I’m Áine. I’m 26, Donegal born and bred and a first time mum to my 7 month old daughter Ava.
This weekly column will be an account of my experiences so far. My highs and lows, some tips and tricks, and an honest overview of my pregnancy and life as a first time mum. I am no expert. I hope you can relate, in some way, to what I write.
This week I’m talking about the third trimester. The final hurdle that lasts around 12 weeks but feels like a lifetime.
I was very fortunate to sail through the first two trimesters of pregnancy without much bother.
By week 28, I thought I had the hang of being pregnant. Then the third trimester came along and hit me with a bang. All that boundless energy I had for the past few weeks seemed to disappear overnight. My hormones were all over the place and my bump seemed to be doubling every day.
I’m not one to dwell too much on the struggles, but I wouldn’t be giving an honest account on the journey without touching on some of the less- glamorous aspects.
That said, your third trimester could be a walk in the park. If so, that’s fantastic. Enjoy it! For me, it was definitely the hardest trimester. So, if you too are feeling, or, have felt the strains. Don’t worry. You’re not alone!
The realities of the third trimester:
- Standing up. Sitting down. Rolling over. No movement is complete without a puff or a groan.
- Your partner will become an expert at painting your toenails.
- Shaving your legs? Good Luck!
- Sneezing and laughing. They both come with the fear of ‘having an accident’
- Haemorrhoids… (You might be one of the lucky ones and escape this part.)
- One minute you’ll be laughing hysterically. The next you’ll be crying uncontrollably.
- People will look at your belly before your face.
- Spending 5 painful minutes rolling over in bed. Then realising the other side was more comfortable.
- You’ll suddenly appreciate why some pedestrian crossing countdowns begin with such high numbers. Embrace the pregnancy waddle.
- ‘Any movement?’ and ‘When’s your due date? ’ will become your least favourite questions.
- ‘’I think I’m in labour!’’ Oh no wait, it’s just really bad trapped wind.
- If your little one doesn’t move much during the day. Rest assured, they’ll made up for it at bedtime.
- You’ll alternate between the same four outfits for about three months and nobody will bat an eyelid.
- Finally, the realisation of becoming a mum will set in. You might panic a little. Don’t! You’ll be amazing.
Pregnancy is a weird but wonderful experience.
The third trimester can be tough. But so are you!
Thanks for reading,
Áine x
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