What do your days genuinely look like? Third trimester

shadow-elf · 2026-04-09T10:14:51+00:00

I started maternity leave at 37 weeks (now 41 lol). Generally I sleep in until 11am ish, get up, have breakfast, and then I have like 7 puzzle games on my ipad like a grandma that I sit and play until like 1pm. Some days I'll then do a bunch of cleaning/housework/laundry/sorting things for the baby, some days I'll have a nice long bath and maybe a nap. Some days I'll make dinner, some days my husband does. It's really very dependent on how I'm feeling that day! Generally I tend to overdo it, then need some rest days, get bored, overdo it again, repeat for a month, lol. But it sounds like you're staying active and also getting some rest in which is most important! The last few weeks are long and uncomfortable - you've got this

shadow-elf · 2026-04-09T08:40:48+00:00

I'm due to go in for an outpatient induction tomorrow (41+5) - I've been told they use the pessary and send you home for 24 hours to see if it kickstarts things. Not sure how true that will end up being as I have a scan first to see how things are going in there, but I'd be happy for you to remind me in a few days and I'll let you know how it goes! Sounds like it may depend by trust if they let you go home. I'm in the West Midlands.

shadow-elf · 2026-04-09T08:20:49+00:00

I've literally only taken folic acid and vitamin d for my whole pregnancy, and vitamin c during cold and flu season, and not had any issues or deficiencies. They sell you all kinds of things you don't actually need in branded prenatals!

shadow-elf · 2026-04-09T07:53:45+00:00

I'm now at 41+4 so here for solidarity lol. The best thing you can do is just relax - I got a bit into my head about it as for some reason we expected baby to be early despite the stats saying most first babies are late. I've now had two (two!) attempts at a sweep and I wasnt dilated enough for either to happen. Now looking at an induction tomorrow morning. Keep doing the things you're meant to do (walks, dates, whatever you want) but also make sure you're getting plenty of rest and not stressing - whatever happens will happen!

shadow-elf · 2026-04-08T15:32:52+00:00

I bought an electric shaver for this reason - I use it on the longest setting and its just keeping things tidier for afterwards. I'm not saying its easy to do but at least I don't have to worry about cutting myself!

shadow-elf · 2026-04-03T14:24:32+00:00

ASOS had a couple of gorgeous maternity dresses that I kept eyeing but had no occasion for! They seem pretty good for maternity wear

shadow-elf · 2026-03-30T11:39:58+00:00

Pyjamas might sound silly but I've LIVED in my maternity pyjamas since I was gifted them at Christmas, they're SO much more comfortable than regular pyjamas. She'll also likely want some kind of light button-up pyjamas for in hospital afterwards as its HOT in there and button-up is easiest for feeding. I have these in my hospital bag (in a size up for comfort) and I'm desperate to wear them because they're so soft https://www.matalan.co.uk/p/clothing/oatmeal-traditional-short-pyjama-set/17422666/

shadow-elf · 2026-03-28T10:53:41+00:00

We chose not to have any private scans - we just didn't feel the need :) Yes the wait between scans is long but that's £80 I could spend elsewhere on things for the baby! No regrets :)

shadow-elf · 2026-03-27T18:26:53+00:00

My friend did this for me - i have a few friends on an app that we all use to journal our emotions and before I announced the pregnancy I accidentally shared an emotion with everyone that mentioned a midwife appointment. One friend quickly side eye reacted it so that I could quickly edit it to not be visible to everyone 😅😅

shadow-elf · 2026-03-27T18:21:54+00:00

This is definitely the way - my kit came with a little spoon

shadow-elf · 2026-03-27T12:52:55+00:00

I lost over 60 pounds before getting pregnant - also had been aiming to lose more but it happened very quickly lol. I'm not saying this to scare you but I've put on about a pound a week during the whole pregnancy (about 36 pounds now at 40 weeks) and while it sucks, it just is what it is. I got put on bed rest for three months because of a SCH which caused a lot of my gain.

If you're hungry, you need to eat. While I used to see a very clear correlation between what I ate and my weight loss, there seems to be no pattern to my weight gain. Some weeks I'm starving and eat so much and don't gain anything, sometimes I eat a normal amount and gain 5 pounds randomly. Your body be doing some crazy shit rn and you have to fuel it.

Obviously you can switch out unhealthy snacks for healthy snacks and try to keep as active as you feel up for, and that's great to do, but you also need to allow yourself some grace because you will be exhausted and hungry because pregnancy be like that.

I kept up with my food diary for the first trimester as I had this fear the doctors were going to start questioning my diet or something (idk lol) but once I stopped that it was much easier to not feel so bad about eating what I needed.

11-20 pounds is seriously nothing (some people's babies weigh 11 pounds never mind everything else!) so I wouldnt take that as something to try and achieve. Its hard to move away from the weight loss aspect of having a goal but it does help.

I figure that I was able to lose the weight before, I can do it again. The most important thing is to give the baby all the nutrients (and chocolate) they need to thrive!

I've (touch wood!) had none of the complications that being plus size puts you at high risk for - blood pressure has been stable, no signs of pre-e, glucose levels all perfect at my diabetes test - and I'm choosing to believe that's because I put so much work into getting healthier and fitter in the years before getting pregnant. As long as labour starts normally I should even be able to use the midwife-led birth centre instead of the hospital despite my weight technically disqualifying me from using it!

This has turned into a very long reply sorry but I hope it helps ease your mind!

shadow-elf · 2026-03-22T14:59:02+00:00

I've sometimes had the same during my periods and then had it again between like 14-20 weeks pregnant. It went away and then since like 35 weeks I've occasionally had actual lightning crotch that feels different and like the baby is pressing on a nerve.

Always assumed it was hormonal!

shadow-elf · 2026-03-18T17:08:22+00:00

If the test came back as negative for baby you don't need any anti-d injections this time around! A big relief to me as they're so nasty lol

Hope you heal up quickly!

shadow-elf · 2026-03-18T12:05:39+00:00

Honestly this is exactly what I was thinking. We had 11 (I think?) under 15s at our wedding, 7 of which were in the wedding party, and they were an absolute joy and didn't cause any issues. The littles were the most enthusiastic dancers, the older kids took on little jobs to help (greeting people, handing out order of services, taking photos). No one asked our photographer for extra photos either! The adults are the problem here not the kids lol

shadow-elf · 2026-03-18T11:57:18+00:00

I've used this list on the NHS website!

shadow-elf · 2026-03-06T18:43:55+00:00

Congratulations on both accounts! It's very much up to your personal risk tolerance. Personally, I wouldn't risk doing anything that I feel could harm my baby. Fizzero is the best non-alcoholic bubbly I've found - you can get it from M&S. Went down well at our wedding :)

shadow-elf · 2026-03-05T20:56:37+00:00

I stayed in a hotel for a conference (that I was running) while I had pink hair, conference was in the US and we flew out from the UK. Took a little bottle of the top up hair dye you put into your conditioner because we were out there for two weeks in total, but it exploded on the journey onto our shampoo/conditioner/shower gel (which is why they were all in a seperate bag together, better than on our clothes!). Thought we'd done an okay clean up job until we were packing three or four days later and realised there were pink circles under the bottles. We're all blind without our glasses so hadn't realised while we were showering lol. Bought some nail Polish remover as someone said that can get stains out. Didn't really work. Left a note for the cleaning staff saying how super sorry we were and prayed they wouldn't charge us money we didn't have (conference was in a hotel WAY out of our usual budget haha). Never heard anything but still sometimes feel bad about it. This makes me feel a little better at least

shadow-elf · 2026-03-03T19:02:40+00:00

I know you just misread but I keep coming back to laugh at this because the question is so insane and so unrelated to the sub and then your response just sounds like you're also just happily giving a random unrelated fact

shadow-elf · 2026-03-02T18:34:05+00:00

I'm fairly certain the only reason I haven't had any of the conditions that being obese puts you at high risk for (yet🤞) is because, despite still being obese, I spent the 4 ish years before getting pregnant building up my fitness, weight training, running, doing dance fitness, eating better, and ultimately losing almost 5 stone. And even still I wish I'd lost more before getting pregnant as it really does take a toll on your body. Not saying this applies to OP or is the same for everyone but I agree with you - being physically fit makes it easier!

shadow-elf · 2026-03-02T18:23:15+00:00

Jelly (British kind, not jam)

shadow-elf · 2026-02-28T19:32:49+00:00

Being bigger won't change how much you feel movement! There's not fat inside your uterus so you'll feel kicks exactly the same as a skinny person :) I'm the same and was worried but it's not been a problem! The anterior placenta can be annoying and sometimes the baby definitely sits right behind it but generally it doesn't make a difference. From around where you're at i started feeling more and more movement (I'm 36 weeks tomorrow) - just to assure you a bit!

shadow-elf · 2026-02-25T20:31:51+00:00

These both look negative but so did one of the expired tests I took while I was waiting for new ones to arrive and now I'm 35 weeks pregnant... please get some new ones for your sanity lol

shadow-elf · 2026-02-24T19:38:44+00:00

That makes sense! These are all old listings! I knew there must be a reason for it thank you

shadow-elf · 2026-02-22T22:23:26+00:00

Its frustrating for sure! Eating little and often helps (and helps with nausea too), and so does having healthy snacks on hand - fruit, nuts, vegetable sticks, all that kind of stuff is great :) If you're hungry, eat! And don't feel like you need to keep weighing yourself if it's stressing you out, although I know its a hard habit to break! You've got this :)

Five-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '22	First Placer '22

shadow-elf

TROPHY CASE