The third trimester (28th week until giving birth)

Photo: Amanda de Vos

My third trimester starts at our new home. I feel great, so I can work on getting settled - everything needs to be unpacked, lots of cleaning has to get done. How nice it can be to finally have our own place!

I also start with a new block of my studies and work quite a bit - at first, later less, because of lack of time and the pregnancy leave. For a week, I need to travel 1-1,5 hours a day. This is when I notice that I'm more tired than usual.

Most of the third trimester flows by without complaints, but at 35th week I develop shortness of breath, which is especially noticeable when I climb the stairs. When the baby descends deeper into the pelvis, the complaints become less severe.

At the end of February, we go for a weekend away, to enjoy the time with just two of us and use the gift cards we received for our wedding for the hotel and dinner. Just before the 'intelligent lockdown' due to the coronavirus, we get our pregnancy photoshoot taken.

When the situation with corona becomes more acute, I start my leave early - in total, 3 weeks before planned. At first, I work a bit from home, but then my real 'holiday' goes in. I finally get to work on the things in my list which I never had time for (such as creating this blog!).

I do notice that last weeks are heavier than anything before. I can see some of the effects of weight gain. In total, I gained about 9-10 kg, which goes off fairly quickly later. I still go running until the beginning of the 39th week, when my waters break. To know more about this, read the birth story of our child!

30+1 weeks

36+3

39+1, the next day our child was born

One day after giving birth