What to expect with third pregnancy

7 Unexpected Ways the 3rd Pregnancy is Completely Different

When you do something multiple times, you likely know how things are going to go by the 3rd time. Am I right?

Unfortunately, pregnancy is not one of those predictable activities that you know exactly what to expect. Each one is unique and unpredictable in its own way.

We know this thanks to countless articles telling us that every pregnancy is different. I’m here to add to that and say it’s true! My third pregnancy has been different in ways that I never expected and I knew I had to share the unexpected differences in my 3rd pregnancy with my fellow mommas out there!

Here are 7 unexpected differences in my 3rd pregnancy!

1. Sharing the news feels different.

When you set out to share the news of your third pregnancy, something seems far less sensational.

The first pregnancy announcement is generally a huge shock, and you’re busting at the seams waiting for the 2nd trimester to tell the world. People are thrilled to hear your news and start asking when is the gender reveal and the baby shower.

By the second pregnancy, people are still excited for you and they kind of expect it. Married with two kids is the American dream right? If you don’t have another right away, people will start asking you when you will!

Then the third pregnancy happens and while your family and friends are thrilled for you, it’s less sensational. And that’s okay!

There will always be the people that ask why you wanted more. Are you trying for a boy, if you have two girls? Was it an accident? So on and so forth. Luckily, no one has said anything like that…to my face.

2. You start showing sooner.

Hello, baby bump! By your 3rd baby, your uterus is like, “Don’t worry! I’ve got this momma!” With each pregnancy, you definitely start to show sooner.

By the third time around, your abdominal muscles have been stretched out a couple of times, so your body knows what to do. It starts making room for the baby pretty early on making it more difficult to conceal.

Here’s my 12-week bump comparison with each pregnancy.

3. You may gain weight faster.

Just like with showing sooner, there’s a good chance you’ll gain weight faster with your third pregnancy. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up gaining more, but it may come on a bit quicker with each subsequent pregnancy.

For starters, you may be starting your pregnancy at a higher weight than your first or second. (This isn’t always the case!) But if you have a small window of time between pregnancies, it can be hard to get back to your pre-baby weight.

After your first pregnancy, you also have way more to deal with. You already have a little one and likely a husband and a home to take care of making eating healthy hard while growing a human.

Another reason is that every pregnancy is different! No two pregnancies are the same, so you’re likely to gain weight at a different rate. Like I mentioned above, you start showing earlier because your body carries the baby lower which can lead to a different type of weight gain.

Personally and I know this isn’t the case for most women, but with each pregnancy, my nausea has decreased. I had almost constant nausea that started at 6 weeks and lasted until 17-18 weeks with my first. In my second pregnancy, I dealt with nausea for weeks 6 to 11. During this third pregnancy, I didn’t deal with morning sickness at all really! Occasional nausea, but that’s about it.

That lack of nausea meant I didn’t lose any weight at the beginning of my pregnancy, so I started gaining much earlier. No matter what, just know that your body is doing the work it needs to in order to grow your baby!

4. Time flies by

This unexpected “symptom” in your 3rd pregnancy may be a bit of a no-brainer. I mean, you’re busy chasing after two other children! Each pregnancy has gone by faster than the one before.

The first pregnancy seems to drag on. By the end, you may go on maternity leave a bit before your due date thinking that baby may come early — and likely does not.

During the second pregnancy, you are chasing around your first child busy taking them to activities and play dates. You know to expect to go longer or maybe you have a scheduled c-section or induction based on your first birth.

Once the third comes around, you’re possibly wanting time to slow down. Okay, maybe not quite that fast. But your other kids are involved in activities, school, and whatever else they have going on. You’re taking them to practice and running around getting everything they need making your pregnancy go much faster.

5. Your body starts hurting early on.

For my third pregnancy, I started experiencing mild sciatica pain at 14 weeks. 14 weeks y’all! With my first, it was closer to the end of pregnancy, and even with my second, it wasn’t until later in the second trimester. 14 weeks seemed early!

Needless to say, it’s continued to get worse from there! Each subsequent pregnancy takes a slightly harder toll on your body.

Not only has your body been stretched out before, but you’re also older. I hate to say it, but it’s the truth. Your older stretched-out body doesn’t handle pregnancy the way it did the first go around.

The best thing you can do to get your belly and back support brace, rest when you can, get massages and listen to any advice your doctor has for you!

In fact, check out these 3rd trimester must-haves. They’ve been life savers for me, and I started using several in my first and second trimesters this third go around.

6. The hormones are no joke.

Let’s be real, hormones are intense every pregnancy. I just feel like mine get even more intense with each pregnancy.

Not only do the hormones themselves seem heightened with each pregnancy, but the emotions and worries also grow each time you add a baby.

During your first pregnancy, your emotions revolve around the changes coming into your life and relationship. Fast forward to the next pregnancy, you still have those same worries as well as how the new baby will affect your first baby. Then you get to the third and you have two children, a partner, likely a home, and possibly pets to worry about while you’re at it!

If you happen to be pregnant in 2020 (like me), you have the added stresses of COVID-19, quarantine, social distancing and so much more added to your plate.

A combination of raging pregnancy hormones, familial worries, and stresses of life just adds up each time you get pregnant.

7. You don’t really need any more baby things. Or at least, that’s what you think.

If you’re like me and have one of each gender, your initial thought is that you don’t need anything at all! You have baby boy and girl clothes along with all the gadgets that came with those babies. Who needs a shower or more baby things?

At the same time, you find yourself wanting new things. As you start to go through your old baby items, you’re realizing how many outfits are stained or that the seasons are completely off. Maybe you need new covers for your breastfeeding pillow or Doc a Tot.

You don’t need anything big like a crib, swing, pack n play or toys. But if your friends and family want to throw you a shower or sprinkle, just say yes. I realize that you “don’t need anything”, but the second you start going through things you’ll wish that you had a few new things.

Remember, every pregnancy and every baby deserves to be celebrated, so accept it if it’s offered to you!

It’s harder in different ways than the first two.

The moral of the story is that by your third pregnancy, even if you think you’ve got it all down, it’s going to be unexpectedly different. It will be harder in some ways and easier in others.

You kind of know what to expect, but your body, emotions, and baby will likely throw you some curveballs along the way. You just have to take everything that it throws at you with grace. At least as much grace as a pregnant woman can muster!

These unexpected differences in your 3rd pregnancy are likely to be different for every woman. Most of all, it’s just important to know that in the end, it’s going to be different.

Just for fun, here are a few of my pregnancy posts from my first two!

1st Pregnancy Gender Reveal

Trimester by Trimester Guide to Traveling While Pregnant

2nd Pregnancy Announcement

My Dinosaur-Themed Baby Shower

28 Week Compare & Contrast – Pregnancy 1 & 2

Time to weigh in mommas, how have your third (or even second) pregnancies been unexpectedly different?

Let me know in the comments!

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3rd Pregnancy Showing Early - What To Expect?

What To Expect With Third Pregnancy?

If you have already become a mom multiple times before, then you’re more likely to know what is going to happen the next time. Although you may know all those symptoms, we have decided to list every possible sign you may expect, such as showing early in 3rd pregnancy.

In general, every pregnancy is unique and unpredictable. Therefore, here are the most important 3rd pregnancy symptoms you’re going to feel through the journey.

In fact, one of the most common signs is an early baby bump. With the third pregnancy, your body knows what to do, since the abdominal muscles have already been stretched out a couple of times before. It begins to make room for the baby early on, making concealment more difficult.

It Will Become Different Than Previous Ones

Although you may think that you know what to expect next, it all can become unexpectedly different. In fact, some things will become easier, while others harder. You have a general idea of what’s happening, but your body, feelings, and baby will almost definitely give you some curveballs. What you have to do is accept everything it brings at you with confidence.

Every mom’s unusual changes in her third pregnancy are likely to differ. Quite importantly, it’s crucial to understand that things will be different in the end.

Hormones Surging, Again

We know it, hormones are getting intense during pregnancy. With each pregnancy, it feels as if it becomes more serious.

With each birth, not only do the hormones tend to get higher, but the emotions and concerns do as well. Your thoughts emerge around the changes that are coming into your life and family during your birth.

When you’re pregnant again, you’re thinking about the same things, as well as how the new baby will affect your first child. Then you get to the third and remember you have two kids, a spouse, and maybe pets to care about!

You Get Cramps Early On

At 14 weeks into your third pregnancy, you may begin to experience moderate sciatica discomfort.

Needless to say, things can get even worse since the first one. In general, any subsequent pregnancy causes your body to take a slightly greater toll.

This is not only because you’re older, but your body has been stretched before. It may scare you to read this, but it’s real. Your stretched-out, older body can’t tolerate tasks such as childbearing and breastfeeding as it did the first time.

You May Get More Weight, And Faster

In your third pregnancy, just like it happened with showing earlier, there’s a fair risk you’ll gain weight sooner. This doesn’t actually mean you’ll gain more weight, but that might happen faster with each subsequent birth.

To begin with, you might be beginning your pregnancy at a higher weight than your previous pregnancies. This is due to the fact that it may be difficult to recover your pre-baby weight, especially if you only have a short time between births.

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Third trimester of pregnancy (from 28 to 40 weeks)

At 30 weeks pregnant, you are ready to go on maternity leave. In the case of twins, prenatal leave is from 28 weeks. Active work, physical and mental overload during this period can provoke premature birth.

It's time to put on the bandage - it will help your baby stay in the right position and you in good shape after childbirth.

The child still needs a lot of nutrients, vitamins, mineral salts. Use your vacation to relax, but don't lie around all day. We hope that hiking in the fresh air has become a habit for you.

Do not forget to keep track of the ratio of drunk and excreted liquids. Accumulating in the body, the fluid disrupts the functioning of the kidneys, increases the load on the heart, which causes an increase in blood pressure. As a result, the child suffers: he lacks nutrients, oxygen.

A sharp headache, flashing flies before the eyes, convulsions are signs of eclampsia, a severe complication of pregnancy that poses a threat to the life of the mother and child. Urgently call the ambulance.

At this time, the uterus becomes very sensitive to the pushes and movements of the child, its muscles periodically tighten. It's like she's doing gymnastics. If this rarely happens and you do not feel pain, then everything is in order and there is no cause for concern. But if the uterus tenses often, pain appears - call an ambulance. If spotting appears, amniotic fluid is pouring out, do not wait for contractions - immediately to the hospital!

Sex life from 32-33 weeks is not recommended.

At 32 weeks, another scheduled ultrasound examination is scheduled to assess the correct functioning of the placenta, if necessary, the study of fetal heart sounds.

The last month is the most difficult. The load on the body has increased to the maximum. You are already tired of the long wait. Approximately two weeks before delivery, a mucous plug will come off the cervix, which is a lump, sometimes slightly stained with blood.

Do not forget to make up for the lack of calcium in the body - until the last day of intrauterine existence, the child intensively stores minerals. Eat fully and properly - the fetus eagerly takes everything valuable for the formation of the body. He needs protein now. Be sure to take a prenatal multivitamin. Rest during the day. Lie on your side, slightly raise your legs.

Many women suffer from constipation at this time. Only a rational diet will help. Eliminate grapes, fresh cabbage, peas and other legumes, fresh milk, muffins, sweets. Useful: curdled milk, fermented baked milk, kefir. Steamed dried fruits normalize bowel function well. Don't take laxatives. In the last trimester of pregnancy, they can provoke uterine contractions and cause premature birth.

Sometimes, if the fetus is very large, the navel turns outward. Don't be scared and don't try to push it back. After giving birth, everything will return to normal.

By the last weeks of pregnancy, the mammary glands are greatly enlarged. The appearance of colostrum is another harbinger of close childbirth. The bra should be tight, with wide straps, always cotton.

Be prepared for contractions to start at any moment. Trim your fingernails and toenails short, and shave your pubic hair. Prepare things for the newborn and for yourself. Show your husband or relatives where they lie. An exchange card, passport, insurance policy, birth certificate should always be with you.

Think that you have to help your child come into the world. Everything will be ok!

3rd trimester of pregnancy: everything you need to know | Mamovedia

All you need to know about the peculiarities of the course of pregnancy during the first and second trimesters, see the website.

You are in the last phase of your pregnancy and are probably already a little tired. Try to hold on for a few more weeks so that your baby is ready to be born soon

He is now rapidly gaining weight and will eventually become the size of a watermelon.
You can already start thinking about packing a bag for the hospital, filling it with everything you need on the day of delivery and the subsequent stay in the hospital.

Development of the child in the third trimester

At the beginning of the third trimester the fetus weighs about 900 grams , but by birth it will grow on average to 3.1 kg .
"Normal" pregnancy lasts from 37 to 41 weeks . However, already at 37/38 weeks of pregnancy, we can talk about a full-term pregnancy.

During the last trimester, your baby's skin will smooth out and a layer of fat will form. His fingers and nails continue to grow. His bone structure is fully developed, but it still needs to be strengthened. All his main organs are formed, and many of them have already begun to function; the lungs are developing, and will continue to develop from day to day until the moment of birth.

As early as 30 weeks your baby can open and close his eyes.
During this period, the baby will develop hearing, smell and taste: in particular, he will "practice" inhaling and swallowing amniotic fluid in order to be ready at the time of birth to smell and swallow food.

Until now, the baby has had plenty of room to move and change position in the uterus. However, in the last weeks of this trimester, due to its size, it will fit quite tightly to the stomach. For this reason, it will be easier for you to feel his small movements.
In addition to the usual kicks and punches, you're likely to hear other "thumps" - that's your baby's little hiccups!

After the thirty-fourth/thirty-fifth week, in preparation for childbirth, most babies gradually turn in the womb.

Symptoms and changes in your body in the third trimester

Now that the second trimester is behind you, you will probably feel tired and sore all over your body: you will be looking forward to the birth of your child.
The most common symptoms in the third trimester include Braxton-Hicks contractions, round ligament pain, pelvic pain, and back pain.

The symptoms you experienced in the early months, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, frequent urination, and depression, may also increase in the last months of pregnancy.
Because the uterus grows and puts pressure on the chest, it is also normal to have shortness of breath during this period, especially during the first weeks of the third trimester.

Your weight gain in the third trimester

Total weight gain should not exceed 9 throughout pregnancy0044 11-15 kg .
Continue to eat a healthy diet as you only need 450 extra calories a day during these three months.

Third trimester antenatal exams

During the third trimester, most women have an antenatal exam every two weeks.
However, some women may require a medical examination at least once a week during the last month by a doctor's order.

Regular urinalysis and complete blood count to control possible anemia, planned third ultrasound with Doppler, according to the results of which the doctor can prescribe the procedure CTG (cardiotocography) to assess the child's heart rate and identify possible pathologies.

In the period from 30 to 36 weeks, the doctor will examine the chair, take a smear on the flora, to rule out infections (which can be transmitted to the child during the passage of the birth canal).

What you need to know

Count the shocks
Since the child is in the final stage of his development, regular counting of his shocks is necessary. He must move up to 10 times per hour during his active period, except when he sleeps. If you do not feel the movement of the child for a long time, you should consult a doctor.

Fetal Nutrition
Your baby has already begun to store some nutrients such as iron, calcium and phosphorus, so eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals.