week 29: the third trimester, stretch marks and autumn leaves

There doesn’t seem to be a solid consensus as to when the third trimester actually begins. Some places say that it’s 27 weeks, some say 29, some say 26.3. It’s all a little ridiculous, but seeing as I’m in week 29 now, I can safely say I’m in the third trimester now.

Sure enough, this final stretch brings with it plenty of heartburn and a lack of concentration. If I don’t have a nap at some point during the day I tend to crash at about 5 pm and am unable to function until the following morning. I also am having a really great time with some fun pains in my stomach whenever I go for a walk that basically make it absolutely agony past the first five minutes.

It’s this last thing that’s really frustrating for me, because to be let down by my body, to be unable to do something like walking that brings me so much peace of mind and joy is just really difficult for me. Before pregnancy, if I were stressed, anxious, feeling down or angry then I would go for a run. That was my chill out time. When my enormous boobs and growing stomach made that more difficult, I was thankful I could at least walk. But now… nada. I have invested in a support belt, which is a horrific piece of material that somehow makes me (in my pregnancy pants and my oversized clothing) feel even less attractive. It does help though. Somewhat.

In the week 29 update for the NCT that tells me all about the baby’s growth for the week and what’s happening in my body it happened to through in a comment about how I might start to notice stretch marks appearing on my body. Start to notice. START to notice stretch marks.

Honestly I want to punch something. My body has turned into an elaborate map. I am not just starting to notice stretch marks; I am starting to finally feel a little more comfortable with them! Which, let me say, is incredibly difficult when every maternity shop and site offers yet another cream or lotion or oil that “reduces their appearance” and every advert of a underwear clad or bikini clad model is wonderfully photoshopped so as their skin appears flawless and blemish free. It’s pretty hard when bombarded with all of that every day to not loathe the appearance of these little lines that seem to carry the very heavy weight of “you’re fatter you’re fatter you’re fatter”. But – mostly due to how incredible R is – I am learning to love my stretch marked, big stomached, cellulite-y body. It is a growing machine, growing our little bub and keeping them healthy until they’re ready to come out into the big wide world.

So I keep telling myself that.

It’s a wonderful time of year. I often get far too caught up in the busy rush of life and forget to look around me and just breathe, soaking in the gorgeous sun kissed trees in the chilly evenings, the leaves turning golden, red, brown, and the crisp autumn mornings. It’s a pretty wonderful world when you stop and look around. Not a bad one to bring a baby in to.