8 Things that Become More Difficult During the Third Trimester

When I woke up this morning, the first thing I saw was this wonderfully large pregnancy belly I am sporting lately. It is hard for me to understand where all the time went, because wasn't it like yesterday that I was trying hard to convince my husband that another child was a good idea while patiently waiting for him to get on board? Didn't we just get diagnosed with infertility, needing to increase medication each month? Apparently not, because I am close to meeting my little man in just over a month.

The third trimester, which many women report as being challenging, has not been all that kind to me. With physical complications that have me on closer monitoring and being at the stage when our umbilical cord issue may present problems, this trimester has been more stressful than my previous pregnancies at this stage. I love being pregnant -- despite all the issues we experience, it's an amazing time, and I am beyond thankful to be one who gets to experience both the joys and not-so-fun times. I'll take them both, happily, for this experience!

I would be lying to you all if I said that the third trimester is all roses and happy gestating, because it's not. I've noticed that since getting larger, heavier, and more tired, some things in life have become a bit more challenging. Check out these 8 things I am finding more challenging to do while I'm in the third trimester of pregnancy:

1. Sleeping

I have been having a terrible time trying to get to sleep lately! Issues like not being able to find a comfortable position, baby deciding to kick the side of the bed, having to get up to use the washroom, or heartburn - sleep is few and far between here.

Related: 29 things you should NEVER say to a pregnant woman

2. Staying Awake

Well, since I am not getting much sleep at night and the regular tiredness of being pregnant, and, you know, growing a human is still in effect, I feel like I need to nap all day long. I don't understand why it seems so much easier for me to sleep during the day than it is at night.

3. Eating

I have had a hard relationship with food during this entire pregnancy, thanks to ongoing and forever-lasting nausea and vomiting, but the third trimester has brought more with it. I have heartburn even thinking about food, so I don't have much of an appetite. On the days when I do want to eat, I can't seem to eat more than a few bites without feeling uncomfortably full.

4. Putting on Socks

I am not much of a sock wearer, but a quirk of mine is to always wear one sock because I hate feet and can't stand when my own feet touch (an issue for another article, I suppose). Now that I am in the third trimester, I can't seem to put my socks (or shoes) on, no matter how hard I try to bend and do it.

5. Painting My Toenails

I love having my toes painted, and it's kind of my thing to have them wonderfully home-painted all the time. Just like I can't put my socks on, though, I can't paint my toes very well - really on my left foot; I can reach my right one. So then I end up struggling forever to put a sock on the left foot. Or beg my kids to help me out.

6. Walking

I walk every day for about 30 minutes, and that's kind of a new thing in this pregnancy that I didn't do during my previous ones. I don't do it for exercise, though, because - well, keep reading and you'll find out - but I walk each day to go and pick my kids up from school, and it's become increasingly more challenging the bigger I get.

7. Sitting Down

If you've ever seen me try to sit down on the couch this week, you'd die of laughter. I don't place my behind in the cushion in any delicate matter. I kind of just do a look behind to make sure nothing's there and then just fall. Yep, I just fall backward. Because the baby's so high up, I can't bend at the hips or the ribs. It's not cute.

8. Standing Up

Then, if that's not bad enough to see me sit down, getting up is just as challenging, again because I can't bend at the hips or the ribs, so I do this weird swim-with-my-hands-in-the-air thing and hope someone offers me his or her hand to end my embarrassment.

-By Devan McGuinness

For 6 more things that get more difficult during the third trimester, visit Babble!

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