32 weeks pregnant. I’ve been this way before (twice before) and I am always amazed how nothing has been the same twice. Sure, my baby is growing and so am I. I now have days where I feel great, followed by a day where I just want to feel tolerable! But, due to something (I don’t know what, my midwifery studying? Or maybe just the wackiness of a third pregnancy?) I have learned so much this time about dealing with the aches and pains of the last few weeks and I want to share all these insights with you!

Eating Saves the Day

The thing that is still making me feel best is eating, believe it or not. Not from a hunger perspective, really, but I feel better through the day and have more energy and less practice contractions if I really keep on my protein and calories. This is the first pregnancy I have really done that, and it is amazing how sometimes my body needs food but doesn’t tell me with hunger, but some other sign (like just feeling achey or run-down).

So Does Drinking

And boringly enough, I really need to keep on my fluids too. I find I need between 10-12 glasses of water a day (especially if I am exercising) and probably twice a day I will throw some Emergen-C in there for electrolyte balancing. That’s key, at least for me. Sugar just about kills me, so I can’t do that at all, save for a piece of fruit here or there.

Then Eat Some More (Before Bed)

Last but not least, I have to eat before I go to bed whether or not I feel like it! For some reason, plain yogurt is what I am almost always have because I can eat that without wanting it (I usually put some pumpkin seeds in, too.)

High Quality Supplements

I do believe that eating whole foods is better than eating poorly and taking supplements to fill the gaps.I do try to eat really well, but I have quite the list of supplements I have been on this pregnancy and I think it has made a huge difference for me. Number one on my list is my prenatals. I really recommend Rainbow Light Complete Prenatals. I take 6 a day, which is something to get used to. Check out the ingredients, though. It is a food-based vitamin that has greens and herbs and probiotics all rolled into one. This is the first pregnancy I have been religious about taking them and I really feel good (I have also heard many other women say the same thing about these vitamins!).

Definitely next on my list is calcium magnesium. I started taking it at about 24 weeks or so and I notice the hugest difference in how my muscles feel and how my body is handling the weight of this pregnancy. The calcium buffers nerve endings (besides obviously providing my body with extra calcium) and the magnesium is a deep muscle relaxer. Great for practice contractions that are just a little more annoying that I would like, and for that achey feeling I get from shifting positions all night (and primo for leg cramps, if you happen to get those!). Epsom salt baths kind of do the same thing, but of course a bath feels a lot better than popping a pill! Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate so soaking in a warm bath with this dissolved feels really, really good. I usually add 8-10 drops of lavender oil if I want to really relax. And it’s all about relaxing these last few weeks, at least for me. Taking an epsom salt bath is also a good gauge of if contractions are going to stop or not. If it’s the last bath for you before your baby comes, then there isn’t too much epsom salts will do to stop that from happening!

Happy third trimester, mama!

If you want more support from Indie Birth, we have an enormous list of podcasts here, an epic childbirth education course here, and also offer virtual prenatal visits.