Third Trimester Woes

I started the third trimester on the way back from Key West on August 3rd. Being a little over one week into it and I have come to one conclusion....it sucks. I am not a happy camper and I have no idea how I am going to manage the next few months, considering I am only going to get bigger, thus amplifying my symptoms. What's going on you ask? Let me list for you.....

Back Pain - This ranges from my lower to mid back and makes it virtually impossible for me to get comfortable. Work is terrible...these "ergonomic" chairs were not designed for pregnant woman....I have a footrest, which is nice, but still not enough. This weekend we took Ryan's recliner out of storage as a last ditch effort to try and find me a place where I could sit/lie down comfortably. That recliner is a miracle---it is the only place my back feels better in. But I found a new problem that the recliner doesn't take care of....

Leg Cramping - Oh yeah. This is fun. It's just my right leg so far and it cramps in back either by the calf or the thigh. They say to do stretching exercises, which I do, but that doesn't provide more than a few seconds of relief. The result is that I am constantly changing position to try and find one where I feel the leg cramp least. At home, it can take me a while, but I usually find a position. At work, however, I am never comfortable.

Acid Reflux - This started appearing in Key West and has become a lot more frequent, especially at night. It starts as this acid in my stomach that then goes to the back of my throat. I have a doctor appointment on Thursday and hopefully there is some medication I can take for this. I have really upped my calcium intake to try and coat my stomach, but it's not really working.

Lack of Sleep - All three of the previous things add up to me not sleeping well. Last night I was up wandering for hours....taking breaks by laying in the recliner for a while.

Hot Flashes - It's really not so much flashes as it is just being hot most of the time.

Difficulty Breathing - It's getting difficult to take deep breaths, which is a little clausterphobic at times. And as a trained singer, who is used to taking full, deep breaths, it's a little scary when that ability is diminished.

This of course is in addition to the other symptoms like being in the bathroom constantly, that I am just used to by now. But I think that's the bulk of the complaints. Just feeling a little down about it all. I'm hoping the doctor will have some coping strategies and medication options for me on Thursday.

In happier news, Ryan and I went to Babies R Us on Saturday to start a registry there. We had originally registered at Target, but so much of their stuff was online only with large shipping charges, we felt we should do the bulk of the registry at Babies R Us and supplement with the Target one. It was quite overwhelming in there....sooo much baby stuff....how do you choose? What do you really need? We decided that the registering experience would have been a lot more enjoyable with two changes: 1) Eat first....we went around lunchtime, not thinking we would be there for HOURS and we got real hungry and cranky toward the end and 2) Bring a mom with you that's been through it before for opinions and advice. But even under-fed and alone, we managed to get through it in one piece. And I'm very excited about what we registered for...can't wait to start buying for baby!