Just one day before my due date… I was still finding moments for ‘fun’ and laughter. Blame it on the contagious energy of my brother and his delightfully crazy ideas that kept my spirits high!

Welcome back to my journey through motherhood! If you’re just joining me, I highly recommend catching up on the earlier parts of my story to get the full picture. You can read about the initial stages and the beautiful second trimester in MY FIRST PREGNANCY 1 and MY FIRST PREGNANCY 2. Now, let’s dive into the exhilarating and challenging final stretch: the third trimester.

Navigating the Third Trimester: The Final Countdown

The third trimester of pregnancy is often described as a waiting game, a period filled with immense anticipation, but also its fair share of discomforts. As my due date approached, every day brought a new set of physical changes and emotional experiences, all pointing towards the imminent arrival of my little one. It’s a time when you feel incredibly close to meeting your baby, yet also surprisingly distant from the comforts of your pre-pregnancy self.

The Persistent Call of Nature: Battling Frequent Urination

My nights in the third trimester were anything but peaceful. I remember waking up for what felt like the twentieth time to pee. Okay, perhaps not literally the twentieth, but the constant interruptions to my sleep certainly made it feel that way. This incessant need to empty my bladder was incredibly nettlesome, turning what should have been restorative sleep into a fragmented, frustrating experience. With a sigh, I’d pull myself from the warmth of my locally made oak bed, shuffle slowly towards the bathroom, and quickly relieve myself, eyes still partially closed, dreaming of returning to my adventures in dreamland.

But dreamland seemed miles away. In what felt like mere moments after settling back into bed, the urge would return. I was infuriated. How could my bladder possibly refill so quickly? If my bladder were a person, we would have been having a serious ‘talk’ about its uncooperative behavior! Attempts to ignore the sensation and drift back to sleep were futile. The discomfort was too great to dismiss. Grudgingly, I’d get out of bed once more and make the familiar trek to the bathroom.

This frequent urination is a common hallmark of late pregnancy. As the baby grows and descends, the uterus places increasing pressure on the bladder. Additionally, a pregnant woman’s body processes a larger volume of blood, leading to more fluid being filtered by the kidneys, which in turn means more urine production. It’s a natural, albeit highly inconvenient, part of preparing for birth, signaling that your body is working hard.

Sleepless Nights: A Third Trimester Reality

The myth that sleepless nights for mothers begin only after childbirth is quickly dispelled in the third trimester. For many of us, the real battle for a good night’s rest commences long before the baby arrives. The numerous discomforts that characterize this final phase of pregnancy make a solid, uninterrupted night’s sleep feel like an impossible fantasy.

Beyond the frequent bathroom breaks, struggling with sleeping positions became a nightly ritual. I’d turn to the right, only to immediately feel an inexplicable urge to turn to the left. Once on my left side, I’d be convinced that my right side was, in fact, the most comfortable option. And just as I’d settle onto my right, a new thought would creep in: perhaps laying on my back would finally do the trick. Of course, lying flat on my back is often discouraged in late pregnancy due to potential blood flow issues to the baby. But oh, how I wished I could just lay on my stomach, a position that offered so much comfort pre-pregnancy, but was now utterly impossible! My nights were characterized by a constant, poky shift of tossing and turning, a seemingly endless quest for an elusive comfortable spot.

To combat this, I tried various strategies. Using a pregnancy pillow became essential, offering support for my growing belly, back, and between my knees. Elevating my head slightly helped with heartburn, another common visitor in the third trimester. Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine – a warm bath, a cup of herbal tea (caffeine-free, of course), and light reading – also became part of my nightly preparation, hoping to coax my body into a deeper slumber. While these methods offered some relief, the reality was that truly restful sleep remained a rare luxury.

Embracing the “Inflated” Version of Me: Physical Changes

After enjoying the relatively smooth and comfortable sailing of the second trimester, I moved into dealing with the increasing physical demands and sometimes comical hassles of the third trimester. I often described myself as an “inflated version” of my former self. Indeed, everything on my body seemed to have increased in size, adapting to the incredible task of nurturing a new life.

My favorite shorts, once a staple of my wardrobe, could no longer go beyond my thighs. The waistbands of most of my regular clothes became a distant memory. This necessitated a complete embrace of maternity wear, which, while practical, sometimes felt like a surrender to the overwhelming physical transformation. My fingers grew noticeably bigger, a common occurrence due to fluid retention, and my beloved wedding ring became stubbornly stuck. I tried several times to get it off using soap and cold water, but it refused to budge. Eventually, I decided it was safer to stop trying and simply accept its temporary entrapment, hoping it would slide off easily post-delivery.

Perhaps the most striking change was in my feet, which became as big as those of an elephant – okay, maybe a slight hyperbole, but they certainly felt enormous! The hospital staff confirmed it was due to fluid retention, a medical condition known as oedema. Thankfully, despite their impressive size, they didn’t hurt too much, though they certainly looked like they should. Oedema in pregnancy is often caused by the increased blood volume and the pressure of the growing uterus on the veins, which can impair the return of blood from the legs to the heart. Simple remedies like elevating my feet, staying hydrated, and avoiding prolonged standing offered some comfort, but the swelling remained a persistent companion.

Beyond the visible changes, there were other less obvious shifts. My center of gravity had shifted dramatically, making me feel clumsy and prone to minor stumbles. The growing belly made simple tasks like bending over to tie shoelaces a monumental challenge. Stretch marks began to appear, a beautiful testament to the incredible expansion my skin was undergoing. Embracing these changes, rather than fighting them, became a significant part of my emotional journey through the third trimester, learning to appreciate my body’s amazing capacity to adapt and create life.

The Unsolicited Advice and the Power of Lemongrass Tea

As I moved about during my late pregnancy, I continued to attract comments from onlookers, but this time, the tone shifted noticeably. The earlier sarcastic remarks about my size transformed into expressions of sympathy and well-meaning advice. Almost everyone, it seemed, had a remedy or a suggestion for a comfortable pregnancy, and the most recurrent piece of advice was to drink lemongrass tea, colloquially known as ‘fever grass’ in our region.

Driven by the sheer volume of this advice and a desperate hope for some relief from my various discomforts, I almost single-handedly depleted a neighbor’s fever grass garden! I’d harvest the fresh stalks, boil them meticulously, and gulp down the tea, most times without sugar, enduring its distinct taste. When the fresh supply ran out, I’d move on to harvesting the dried ones, grateful for my incredibly generous neighbor’s patience and ample garden. Thank God for her! Lol. My flask became a permanent fixture, always filled with hot lemongrass tea. I drank it religiously, hoping for some magical intervention against the swelling, the sleeplessness, or perhaps even a smoother delivery. However, to my dismay, drinking it did not seem to change a single thing regarding my symptoms.

Despite the lack of tangible results, my ‘drinkittude’ became so contagious that almost everyone around me, including my family members, began consuming the homemade tea. It became a shared ritual, a symbol of community support and hopeful anticipation, even if its medicinal efficacy for my specific ailments remained questionable. This experience highlighted how deeply cultural practices and home remedies are intertwined with pregnancy experiences, creating a tapestry of shared wisdom and well-intentioned care.

The Reassurance of the Ultrasound Scan

Amidst the swirling advice and personal discomforts, my midwife provided a crucial, medically sound recommendation: to have an ultrasound scan. I distinctly remember her explanation, delivered with warmth and practical wisdom:

Belle dem, as time for born di cam reach e fine for go make dem look pikin for computer. E go helep we for know if pikin di grow fine. Them go check dat water wey e shiddon inside if e correct. Den dey go check if pikin shiddon fine. Abeg, for here we no di talk wether pikin na boy or girl because some Mami dem di vex when they say na boy when they want girl or they say girl, when they want boy. Pikin na pikin!

For those unfamiliar with the local dialect, she was essentially explaining the importance of a late-pregnancy ultrasound: “Ladies, as the time for birth approaches, it’s good to go and have the baby checked on the computer. It will help us know if the baby is growing well. They will check the fluid the baby is in to see if it’s correct. Then they will check if the baby is positioned well. Please, here we don’t discuss whether the baby is a boy or a girl because some mothers get upset when they’re told it’s a boy but they wanted a girl, or vice versa. A baby is a baby!” Her words perfectly captured the local sentiment and the practical aspects of the scan.

So, I scheduled and had the ultrasound, which cost 10,000 CFA francs, a significant but necessary expense. The experience itself was profoundly reassuring. The ultrasound technician confirmed that I was healthy and, more importantly, that the baby was doing just fine. They meticulously checked the baby’s growth, estimated weight, heart rate, the amount of amniotic fluid, and the baby’s position, ensuring everything was on track for delivery. They even gave me a picture, ‘claiming’ it was one of my baby. All I could really decipher were black and white shapes overlapping each other – a tiny, blurry mystery! Yet, the knowledge that my baby was healthy and thriving was worth every franc and every blurry image. It provided immense peace of mind, transforming anxiety into excited anticipation.

Preparing for What’s Next: The Grand Finale

The third trimester, with all its challenges and profound moments, truly prepares you for the biggest event of all: delivery. It’s a time of physical transformation, emotional growth, and deep connection with the life growing within. Every ache, every sleepless night, every piece of advice, and every scan brings you closer to the moment you finally hold your baby in your arms. Having navigated the final countdown, I felt a mix of nerves and exhilaration as I approached my due date, ready for the next chapter.

Next, I’ll share the unforgettable story of my first delivery – an experience that was as unique as it was life-changing!