Entering your third trimester is incredibly exciting as the anticipation of your baby’s birth starts to build. You might start the search for the perfect baby name, begin to decorate the nursery, or sign up for a childbirth class. The nesting urge can begin in the seventh month, as your baby will be here before you know it.
Becoming forgetful in the seventh month isn’t an official symptom of pregnancy, but many women joke that they have “pregnancy brain” as they enter their third trimester. Atlanta mom Laura recounts the first time she realized that her pregnancy was beginning to affect more than just her waistline, “At about 28 weeks, I was walking/waddling to my doctor’s office from the parking deck. [I] couldn’t figure out why I had a limp all of a sudden. I made it into the office, sat down in the waiting room and for the first time that day got a look at my feet to see that I was wearing one platform sandal and one flat sandal. Completely different sandals! I’m pretty sure I wore only one pair of shoes my entire second pregnancy to avoid that happening again!”
For Los Angeles nutritionist Mindy, it also meant new cravings with unwanted side effects. “I’m a really healthy eater and was super careful my entire pregnancy – all organic, healthy fats, whole grains, tons of fruits and veggies. But when I hit the seventh month, my heartburn was terrible. The only thing that really didn't trigger it was ice cream! I ate a lot of small meals and ending them with a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream. I knew it wasn’t the healthiest thing to do, but I know my daughter loved it because she moved like crazy afterward. And, she LOVES ice cream and I still love sharing it with her!”
The seventh month marks a major milestone in your pregnancy journey. As your baby continues to grow and develop you may find yourself changing mentally and physically in ways you couldn’t possibly have anticipated. Listen to your body and take time to document these last few months. Your baby will be here before you know it, and you will always cherish having these memories to look back on and share.
This article is part of our Pregnancy Month-by-Month series. Parents who have "been there" share their memories with parents just starting their journey toward parenthood. To read the next article in the series, click here.
