How big can I get? :)

[swhitney]

I just started my third trimester and wow-- what a huge change. I have days where I feel so huge I feel like I just can't walk another step and other days when I have plenty of energy. But my belly has gotten huge and I keep thinking-- I have nearly three months left-- by the end I won't be able to walk!!
Are belly growth and weight gain as rapid in the third trimester as in the second? I've only put on about 17 pounds at 27 weeks, but my belly just seems huger every single day. I'm only 5'2", and the doctor told me at my 21-week ultrasound that the baby is a little bigger than usual at that stage (my husband was a 10-pounder, so I'm scared!) I'm also finding despite what I thought were very strong back muscles, some days my lower back hurts so bad I can't get comfortable no matter how I sit or lie. Anyone have anything they've found that works? Maybe I need one of those maternity belts-- are they any good? Should I continue lower back exercises (deadlifts, etc.) at this stage of my pregnancy?

How do smaller women do with getting around in the last month? Cathe?

Thanks!
Sara

 

[dale]

HOW BIG CAN I GET?

Sara,
Don't worry about being able to carry the baby in your last months. You'd be surprised how the body adapts. I am barely five feet and 95 pounds. I carried both my daughters (ages 9 and 5) so big everyone thought I was having twins! My daughters were almost 8 and 9 pounds respectively. Just try to enjoy this truly special time in your life and enjoy that baby moving around in your belly.

Good luck to you.

Kim

 

[BLinda]

Ummm- really, really big!

I too am short, and have larger babies, and must say, you will be surprised. Some of how you feel has to do with how your baby is positioned in you- nothing you can do, just a fact. I found that my first son, who was breech had his head up near my ribs, but my second had his feet there. Both different for your balance. Also, whith the feet there, he kept straighteningg and poking me under my ribs- ugh- that felt weird. Anyway, don't worry- your body knows how far it can go, and when you get too big for it to handle- baby time. Oh, the worst is when you can't fit under the steering wheel. I had to tilt mine in month 8, and just barely made it to the end with the second. BLinda

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hang in there Sara!

Hi Sara! Oh, I feel for you. I experienced all of those EXACT feelings. I was however "lucky" enough to escape the last month of pregnancy since Eric was born 3 1/2 weeks early. So I can't exactly offer you any personal experience for that last month. But yes, I did wonder just how much bigger my belly would get. It would itch all the time and the size of it put a lot of stress on my low back too. And yes, some days I would wake up feeling like I was run over by a truck dragging myself around while the next day I would wake up so light on my feet and teach my class like I was wonder woman. So strange isn't it?

My doctors told me that everybody gains differently. While some put on a lot in the beginning and then taper off at the end others put on all their weight in the end. I put on most of my weight in the last part of the second trimester and the first month of the third.

As for the back pain, I remember how sitting at the computer would really hurt after 15 minutes. I could not get comfortable. Feet up, down, sideways, back straight, rounded, did not matter---nothing worked. I tried those maternity belts too. I heard that if you depend on those belts your back muscles can actually get worse because they may even begin to atrophy from lack of use. THIS IS ONLY WHAT I HEARD, don't know for sure. In any case, I tried to use one toward the end while I was teaching to keep my belly from moving up and down so much. I didn't find it to help me in any way. The constriction actually made me have to go to the bathroom even more than I already was---yikes!

What helped me with my back pain toward the end of my pregnancy was doing light weight workouts and light cardio workouts. This was just enough to keep the aches and pains from getting out of control. Another thing that helped me was to put my feet up for 10 minutes about six times a day. This seemed to take the pressure off of the low spine and also was great for my very swollen feet. I think my feet were especially puffy toward the end because I was doing so much standing while I was baking and shopping for Christmas.

I would suggest continuing with back exercises but stick with more comfortable one such as supported bent over rows and spinal erector work where you are on all fours and you very cautiously lift one arm out in front of you while extending the opposite leg out behind you(don't do this one if you can't keep your back from arching). I'm not so sure that I would recommend deadlifts. Reason being that as your body shape changes(bigger belly and bust)your center of gravity shifts, which can affect your balance. Also, the pregnancy hormone Relaxin, which can cause laxness in your joints, can effect your balance and increase your risk of injury. The actions your body performs while doing a deadlift seems a bit extreme and risky for the later stages of pregnancy.

Hope this helps. Hang in there. I'll be thinking of you.

 

[rachel2]

what worked for me

I found during my last pregnancy, the only one I exercised during, (and the one where I felt the best)was a pregnancy leotard. It didn't bind but it gave me some support. I gained all of my weight toward the end and I didn't think there was an end in sight. Take heart, however, most of that weight is pure BABY!! Please enjoy your pregnancy as much as you can now. My baby is now eighteen months old and just the other day in the shower I found myself missing him being in my belly squirming about.
Rachel

 

[momincharge]

Waddle-mester

My VERY funny husband has a name for each trimester. I will spare you the other 2, but he calls the last stage The Waddle-mester. An appropraite name for this time!