32 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #3 {pregnancy update}

How far along are you? 32 weeks pregnant! Wow! It’s exciting to be in the last ten weeks—only two more months until baby makes his or her appearance.

Best moment this week? On New Year’s Day, we were at friends’ for a party. I was sitting on the couch with two other moms, visiting, when baby jammed his or her foot (or hand) up into my belly. Without even thinking about it, I put my hand on my tummy to rub that little foot (or hand) and push it back down a bit.

My friend noticed and with a smile asked, “Is the baby kicking?” I laughed, because I hadn’t even really thought about what I was doing, but she’d noticed.

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Baby’s growth? Baby is “now more than 16 inches long in total length …  She is almost 4 pounds now and will continue to grow quickly in the next few weeks. Her fat reserves are being added and filling out her little arms and legs. Instead of being skinny and wrinkled looking, she will be a lovely, plump little girl.” (From Forty Weeks of Pregnancy Development by Angela England.)

Medical stuff? At my last midwife appointment, my iron levels were low, so I’m on an iron supplement. That’s rather annoying to take, as it’s supposed to be taken on an empty stomach. So I have to try not to eat after supper so that I can take my iron before bed. The pharmacist suggested taking it when I wake up, but I like to wake up and eat breakfast immediately, not wait an hour for my iron to digest.

Weight gain? Twenty-five pounds (I think)—eeek! That means I’ve gained more this pregnancy at only 32 weeks pregnant than my first two pregnancies at 40 weeks! I only gained twenty pounds with Sunshine. And with her, I gained at least a pound a week for the last month or two of my pregnancy. Hmmm… might be harder to lose the baby weight this time around.

Cravings or Food Aversions? Nope, not really.

Sleep? Still lots of tossing and turning (to be expected at 32 weeks pregnant and until baby is born!). I can’t wait until I can sleep on my tummy or back again. My shoulders get sore and my arms fall asleep when I sleep on one side for too long. My legs also get tired of being curled up because I’m sleeping on my side. My body pillow does help, if I can get it into the right position. I am trying to be grateful that I get to sleep through the night (except for rolling over and peeing), because both the girls are sleeping very well right now (except when they are sick) and that will change when the baby comes.

Maternity Clothes? My mother-in-law gave me a gift card for maternity clothes Christmas, so I went shopping on Boxing Day. I didn’t want to buy something that I’d just wear for the next two months and then pack away for several years, so I looked at the nursing tops and other shirts that I might wear after baby comes. I ended up getting two tops that I think will fit better when I’m not pregnant than they do now at 32 weeks pregnant; they stretch over my tummy, but I don’t want to stretch them out of shape!

Plus I got myself a maternity swimsuit. Until now, I’ve just used a two-piece swimsuit that fits but doesn’t totally cover my bump. It was getting a bit uncomfortable, so I wasn’t as enthusiastic about taking the girls swimming. Thyme had several maternity swimsuits, and the one that fit the best was actually the cheapest! Score! It made a huge difference next time we went to the pool.

Gender? The girls are still convinced it’s a boy…

Movement? Lots! Still mostly after I go to bed at night, or when we’re driving, or watching a movie. When I was pregnant with Sunshine, she was most active at 1 pm—right after I’d had lunch and returned to my desk at the office. I don’t remember when Lily did the most kicking and wiggling around.

What I’m looking forward to… Being able to trim my toenails and tie my shoes without this big bump in the way! I’ve also been thinking about doing a maternity photo shoot this time around, instead of just taking selfies.

Labor Signs? Nope. I didn’t have many Braxton-Hicks with either Sunshine or Lily, though, so I’m not expecting much yet.

Thoughts from the family… My husband’s parents have made plans to come out and help when the baby arrives.  They’ll be here for Sunshine’s birthday (a week before the baby is due), and then Dad will fly back to the farm (to take care of the cows) while Mom stays here to help until the baby comes.  Sunshine is super excited that they are coming for her birthday (again) and I’m super grateful to have some help then. I think the girls will appreciate having some extra time from Grandma while I’m busy taking care of the newborn baby.

Something I’m Excited About… Wearing my regular clothes again! I have limited options (mostly big, baggy T-shirts) for what will cover my bump at 32 weeks pregnant or go with my low-rise jeans. It will be nice to get back to some of my other favourite tops.

Pregnancy related books you are reading…  I started reading Birthing From Within by Pamela England and Rob Horowitz. It’s a book that I have from the birthing course we did when I was pregnant with Sunshine. I’m really enjoying it. Pam has some great things to say about birth and about preparing—mentally, more than physically—for labour. Here’s one of my favourite quotes:

“To the degree cultural assumptions go unnoticed or unquestioned, you are limited by them. Not so long ago, pregnant women were afraid to hang their laundry, believing that raising their arms above their head would cause the cord to wrap around the baby’s neck. In every phase of history, including our own, practices based on erroneous assumptions are the norm.”

I’ve also been reading lots of pregnancy blogs. Marissa from Just Simply Mom has some great posts about pregnancy, including tips on how to prepare for childbirth. I’m a to-do list type person so I love posts like that which let me mentally “tick the boxes” and assure myself that I’m ready for this baby!

How did you feel at 32 weeks pregnant?

Follow along with my pregnancy…

• Pregnancy third time around!
• 21 weeks and craving sushi!
• 26 weeks and loving my maternity clothes!
• 38 weeks and ready to pop!
• My homebirth story!

Is this your first pregnancy or your third? After having my fifth baby, I compiled all my pregnancy notes and research into a book for new moms!

Beginner’s Guide to Growing Baby: Tips to Help You Through All Four Trimesters includes everything I’ve learned through five pregnancies, as well as the wisdom and advice of my good friend, Anna Eastland. She’s a mom of 8 babies, including one in heaven. If we could have you over for coffee and sit down to chat about bellies and babies, this is what we’d tell you! Between us, we’ve got you covered for everything you need to know about a natural, healthy pregnancy!

Beginner’s Guide to Growing Baby is available on Amazon.