Sassy Southern Blonde

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THIRD TRIMESTER BUMPDATE

June 10, 2021

Y’all. The end is near, and I can’t believe (even after 9 months) that this baby will probably be here next Thursday! It’s so surreal, and I don’t think I’ll fully process it until I’m holding him in my arms. I really can’t wait to see who he looks like! We waited too late for the 4D sonogram photos, so we have zero clue. Lol! Baby B has been receiving great reports at my weekly doctor appointments, and he’s moving around like crazy! I’m sure he’s running low on room and ready to make his grand entrance! 🙂

What has been the hardest part of the third trimester?

The end of this pregnancy has definitely been the hardest and most exhausting! If I overextend myself, my lower back hurts SO bad. It feels like it could give out at any moment! Luckily, that has only happened 2 or 3 times. I know my limits at this point, and I’m enjoying doing the bare minimum! Haha.

Have you dilated at all or had any contractions yet?

The doctor checked me on Tuesday, and I was 1cm dilated! I don’t think I’ve had any contractions yet. I told my doctor I wasn’t sure, and she said then I probably hadn’t since they tend to be very uncomfortable! Lol. The bottom of my stomach has felt tight, though. Especially after I’ve been sitting down!

What are you doing to prepare for labor?

I have actually been trying a few things to prepare my body, and I will let y’all know if I think it helped post birth! I have been taking Pink Stork Labor Prep Supplements and drinking their Labor Prep Tea. They sent me some products to try at the beginning of my pregnancy, and then I ordered these from Amazon! The reviews convinced me to try, especially the Labor Prep Tea! I usually drink a cup each night before bed.

Without going into too much detail, I’ve also been doing perineal massages with coconut oil. I’m kind of cringing that I’m admitting this but anything to help prevent tearing! If you don’t know what that is, Google at your own risk! Hahah.

What are you doing to prevent swelling and stretch marks?

When I first noticed my feet and legs swelling, I did get a little worried, but my doctor said all my vitals looked great! It’s very normal and common at this point in pregnancy. I’m just glad I wasn’t swollen the entire 9 months! There’s really nothing I’m doing to prevent it besides propping my feet up because it’s inevitable until I give birth.

As far as stretch marks go, I have been religiously applying Bio-Oil to my stomach since I was like 18 weeks pregnant! However, I’ve always heard that stretch marks are hereditary, so I think that plays a factor too. My mom never had them with me or my brother!

Are you nervous to give birth?

Oh. I am TERRIFIED to give birth. And that’s still an understatement! Sometimes, I even make myself feel slightly ill thinking about it. As much as I would like to be fully sedated and just wake up to the baby, I’m going to try my hardest to deliver normally! (Unless my doctor advises me differently) Even though I’m so scared, I know at the end of the day that God made women to have children and that he’ll be by my side the entire time! I have been praying real hard for peace! 🙂

Favorite pregnancy self tanner?

My favorite self tanner that I’ve continuously been using is THIS brand! Obviously I’m no medical expert, so check with your doctor!

Why are you being induced?

Since I had thyroid issues at the beginning of my pregnancy, my doctor wants to induce me at 39 weeks! I think it has to do with the baby’s size as well. He has been measuring a week early, and I’m pretty small. The longer I wait, the harder he’ll be to birth because he’ll only continue to grow!

What’s in your hospital bag?

I already have you covered! 🙂 My hospital bag packing list is linked HERE for y’all!

Have you done anything to prepare for baby like birthing classes?

The hospital I’m delivering at offers free child birth classes, so I virtually tuned in to the April sessions! I think they were pretty helpful and made me feel slightly more prepared. I’ve also been reading Moms On Call and plan to follow that once we adjust to having a newborn! People have told me that you can read all the books and do all the things, but it will never prepare you 100%! Motherly instincts will kick in, though. At least I hope so! Lol.

What are you most excited about after you have baby?

This is a great question! I’m probably most excited to have a glass of wine or fruity cocktail, wear jeans and shorts again, and have normal sized ankles at the end of the day with minimal back pain! Hahaha. Oh and I can’t wait to start taking my CBD drops again!

How are you planning to do your maternity leave?

Since I’m a one woman show at the moment, I’m not exactly sure how “maternity leave” will look or if it will even be classified as that! Haha. Don’t get me wrong, I plan on taking it easy the first few days/weeks because I’m aware life as I know it will be drastically changing, but I want to continue posting and sharing. Even though this is my full-time job, I also just freaking love my platform, and I find joy in working every day!

Any symptoms in the third trimester that have been different from the others?

For me, the third trimester has been the hardest! I was even more tired these last few weeks than the first trimester. My lower back has also been aching at night if I don’t sit down and rest during the day! The baby is usually super active around bedtime, and my stomach will feel really tight. I’m pretty sure those are Braxton Hicks contractions because they don’t hurt just uncomfortable!

PS: I’ll link my First Trimester Recap and Second Trimester Bumpdate in case you missed those blog posts! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Baby

#SASSYSOUTHERNBUMP OUTFIT ROUNDUP

March 25, 2021

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Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Baby, Fashion | Outfit Post

SECOND TRIMESTER BUMPDATE

March 18, 2021

Second Trimester BumpdateBecause I covered everything about my first trimester HERE and HERE, I decided to start my pregnancy update at the end of my second trimester! Even though it’s been 6 months, I still can’t believe I’m having a baby. It’s SO surreal, and I probably won’t fully process until Baby B is born. Only a few months to go! 🙂

Since my last post, I figured out my thyroid was actually causing my swollen face and lack of energy! I normally recognize the symptoms very quickly when my thyroid levels are off, but I blamed it on being pregnant. Luckily, my new doctor in Jackson caught it immediately in my blood work! No joke, I noticed a difference within 24 hours of being back on my medicine. (Side note- I only stopped taking it in September *per my doctor’s orders* because my levels were normal, but pregnancy hormones threw them WAY off)

I turned 26 weeks today, so I will be entering my third trimester soon! My next doctor’s appointment is the end of March, and I’ll be taking the dreaded glucose test. After that, I’ll start going every two weeks until baby B arrives! My due date is June 24th, but he was measuring a week bigger at my last ultrasound. Early or late, I have a feeling he’ll join the party on his own time, though! Lol.

From week 13 to week 26, I gained back most of the energy I lost in the first trimester, and I still haven’t had any morning sickness! I always feel bad saying (or typing) this out loud, but I’ve been extremely blessed with an easy pregnancy. Hopefully, this pattern continues! Especially during the birthing process because I am TERRIFIED of that! Haha. I did post a poll asking y’all what you wanted to know about my pregnancy, so I’m answering those questions below!

What have been your pregnancy cravings and aversions?

In the beginning, I LOVED salty foods. Especially McDonald’s French fries! I normally have a major sweet tooth, but for the first time in my life, I turned down dessert quite a few times! Lol. I have also been enjoying sour candy lately, specifically blue Sour Punch straws. Other cravings include ice cream sandwiches, blueberry bagels with cream cheese, and chips with dip! I didn’t have any major aversions besides coffee, mainly Starbucks. The thought made me want to gag! Haha. I actually wanted an iced coffee from there a few days ago but drinking it on an empty stomach made me feel super sick. I don’t mind a plain, hot coffee with a couple Splenda packets, though!

When did you start to show and feel baby kick?

I *think* I felt him flutter for the first time around 18 or 19 weeks! Now that I’m 26 weeks, I can see and feel actual kicks. They don’t hurt yet, but sometimes they’ll surprise me because they come out of nowhere! Baby B is definitely most active at night and in the morning. I guess he takes the afternoons off! Lol.

So I started to notice a small bump around 14 weeks, but even now, I can wear loose clothing and not look pregnant! However, throw on a tight dress and Baby B is popping! If y’all watch my Stories, I’m sure you’ve noticed when I share sideview shots. From the front, it’s not nearly as noticeable! 

Have you decided on a name yet and will you share before he’s born?

Funny story! My #1 favorite boy name got axed pretty quickly by Bo because someone famous that he doesn’t like also has it. Then, we decided we’d just use the name we had picked for a girl and spell it differently! (Truthfully, I never loved it for a boy) So after calling this poor child the name for 2 months AND me buying a couple monogram outfits, Bo randomly tell me we can go with my original favorite. Normally, I would have been annoyed since I bought monogrammed onesies, but what’s $32 dollars compared to a person’s name for a lifetime?! Hahah. Needless to say, I love the new name! It still starts with a B and we’re keeping the same middle name. I haven’t decided if we’ll share before he’s born, so that’s TBD!

Any pregnancy symptoms you’re dealing with right now?

My lower back used to ache at night, especially if I had been more active during the day. Now that I’m thinking about it, my back has felt 100x better since buying a pregnancy pillow to sleep with! That thing is a total game changer. I was also having mild neck pain when I woke up, but again, the pregnancy pillow helped it too! Other than being overly emotional sometimes, that’s really the only symptoms I’ve dealt with up until now.

What have been your pregnancy essentials so far?

I’ve already raved about the pregnancy pillow, so it’s my top recommendation no doubt! Besides that, I have been living in THESE leggings (Size: XS short) and applying THIS body oil all over my stomach every night to help prevent stretch marks!

How have you handled weight gain?

The last time I was at the doctor (2 weeks ago), I had gained 10 pounds! Everyone’s body holds weight differently, so don’t think you’re doing something wrong if you’ve gained more or less. I’m just sharing my experience! I have been making a point not to overeat or indulge too much, though. My doctor told me I only needed an extra 200-300 calories a day, and I remind myself that binge eating a bunch of junk isn’t good for me or the baby! Ask me this again in June when I’m waddling around, and I might not be as positive. Haha!

Are you buying maternity clothes or just sizing up? 

The ONLY actual maternity clothing I have purchased are THESE shorts, and they are freaking amazing! Since I’m not due until the end of June, I still wanted to have at least one pair of shorts that fit. I was so impressed with these! I ordered my usual size XS, and they don’t even look like maternity shorts! The biggest selling point for me was the 2.5 inch inseam. I’m not ready for actual mom length shorts! 😉 Other than that, I just plan on sizing up in regular clothes. Right now, I can still fit in most smalls! Especially dresses.

Will you share Baby B’s nursery soon?

I’ll let y’all in on a little secret… we’re actually in the process of buying a house, and we’ll hopefully be closing on it mid-April! I AM SO EXCITED. I can’t wait to share more details because it’s the cutest house and exactly what I wanted! God really worked his magic on this one! 🙂 So to answer the question, I will share his nursery as soon as we move in and set it up. I know what theme/colors I’m going with, and I’ve already ordered a few small things! The larger pieces are in my shopping cart until we have a definite closing date!

Where are you registered at? How did you decide which products you wanted?

Truthfully, I asked my best friend Allie for help with my registry a lot because she just had her baby girl in August! I was also already familiar with several popular baby products from seeing other bloggers and friends share them. I won’t go into much detail on the specific products until I actually get to use them, but I’ll link my Amazon registry HERE and then Buy Buy Baby registry HERE. I promise I will post my favorites and the ones I end up using the most when Baby B arrives! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

1 Comment CATEGORIES // Baby

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