But before the day gets rollin’, I wanted to share a peek into week 33 of my pregnancy.
All previous weekly updates and pregnancy/baby-related blog posts may be found on the Pregnancy/Baby page located at the top of this blog!
Baby Updates
Baby is more than 17 inches long and weighs a little over 4 pounds… about the size of a pineapple!
Weight Gained
22 pounds.
Workouts
Workouts this week calmed waaay down due to the intense pain my physical therapist is now thinking may be radiating from my sacroiliac joint up through my lower back on the left hand side of my body. (We met briefly for about 20 minutes this week but I will start regular physical therapy next week.) Since I cannot walk without feeling a sharp, shooting pain, I felt very limited on physical activity this week which started to drive me a little crazy.
I listened to my body and took plenty of rest days this week, but I started to get a little stir crazy after several days of so little movement. I ended up turning to Ballet Beautiful workouts at home which gave me the ability to move my body a bit in a way that wasn’t uncomfortable… And if certain exercises didn’t feel right, I just skipped them. Most of the upper body portion of the workouts felt totally fine which was a relief! It was definitely the most inactive week I’ve had in my life in a long time and I’m crossing my fingers that working with a physical therapist will help alleviate some of the pain I am feeling to the point where I can at least walk without pain and a serious limp. I miss my walks with Sadie just as much as my workouts right now!
Symptoms
Symptoms? Let’s see… The main symptom that’s overtaking my body right now is the intense pain in my sacroiliac joint that is severely limiting my movement. It’s even painful when I’m just laying in bed and in order to turn from one side of my body to the other, I have to clench my glutes, push my hip bones up and roll over to avoid a shooting pain. It’s pretty miserable but I am so, so happy I’ll be working regularly with an awesome physical therapist. (I’m going to the same PT Ryan has been seeing following his ACL surgery and she’s the best!)
Aside from hip/glute/lower back pain, I feel pretty good! My belly is getting bigger but I am not experiencing any discomfort or cramping at all. Everywhere I go, strangers comment on my belly now which is kind of fun. They’ll usually ask when I am due or say a simple congratulations – no awkward touches yet! I also had one woman follow me into CVS to give me her card because she saw my horrible limp and specializes in prenatal massage and said she could tell I was in a lot of pain.
Shortness of breath is continuing to increase, mainly when I walk upstairs. I’m also experiencing some nausea again, though it seems to come in waves and is usually gone by noon.
Food Aversions
None.
Food Cravings
FRUIT. Primarily watermelon, grapes and cherries.
Sleep
Sleep is perpetually worsening, largely in part to the fact that I am waking up constantly to pee and cannot comfortably roll from one side of my body to the next due to the pain in my hip/glute/lower back. It can be really frustrating to crawl into bed at night feeling completely exhausted but not have the ability to get comfortable and fall asleep for hours.
Looking Forward To…
A hopefully relaxing July! Our June was filled with baby showers, travel to Raleigh and Gettysburg, non-stop visitors and lots of plans, so a relatively clear calendar during the month of July sounds heavenly to me right now.
Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases?
I feel like I am cycling through the same handful of baby bump-friendly outfits right now (breezy Love Stitch dresses paired with comfy bralettes are my current favorites!) and I’m trying my best not to purchase a ton of additional maternity clothes since “go time” is almost here.
I do still need some nursing bras and tops (recommendations welcome!) and am also hoping to nab a pair of Gap lounge pants that my friend Leah said were her go-to pants after she gave birth thanks to their forgiving waistband and comfortable fit.
Belly Button In Or Out?
Popping out a little bit, but not enough to be noticeable through tight clothing just yet.
Feeling…
I felt more emotional this week than I have during my pregnancy so far, but I think a lot of that likely had to do with the loss of my grandmother. I just felt all over the place and I would go from one end of the emotional spectrum to the next in a flash.
A little bit of my pregnancy-related anxiety also bubbled up this week at the hospital during our hospital tour, but I’m trying not to focus as much on the whole giving birth thing and keep my attention on growing a healthy little human right now.
Any Movement?
Yep! The movements have changed a bit from sharp kicks to longer rolling movements. I can usually follow them with my hand and watch them move across my belly which is just the coolest thing ever. I told Ryan I think I am really going to miss feeling our baby move after I give birth. I’ve grown so used to feeling constant thumps from our little one!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
yay! i always thought it was so weird (in the coolest way!) when i saw my belly move from the outside!! william was SO active – it was like he was always moving – much like he still is now!!
Yes!! It really is the coolest. Last night he was dancing around like crazy for a while and Ryan and I could not get over it. Love it so much!
Praying that your appointment goes well and you can be pain free!
Thank you!! <3
My advice is to buy two tanks and one nursing bra from Motherhood Maternity. Then, once you know nursing is right for you and baby, order more online. The tanks were the best for the few days that I tried to BF.
I bought nursing supplies and BF didn’t go so well. Honestly, it was just terrible. Baby wouldn’t latch. So … be conservative with your post-pregnancy purchases. I know have items that I can’t use and hate wasting the money.
Hi. Pick up a SI joint support belt. They sell them specifically for pregant women. I have joint dysfunction in my SI and I do physical therapy for it. It does help but the band has been amazing. It reduces that pain and I went from only being able to walk slow on a treadmill to jogging once I put he belt on. Good luck.
Googling this right when I get home! Thank you for sharing!!
I hope you get some answers and relief to your pain!
I’m so glad you’re going to see someone about the hip pain. I had sciatic nerve damage due to over exercising in my early twenties and my doctor just gave me pain killers. I spent months on crutches. I should have gone to see someone really. It was miserable. Any sudden movements and I’d be in tears it hurt so much 🙁 I can’t imagine how that must feel mixed with being in the third trimester. I really hope it gets resolved.
with you on the rolling baby movements! I said to my partner it was like he had become more coordinated and was able to control his movements better (but it’s probably that he’s just really cramped in there and can’t thrash about like he once could!) Also you’re not alone in the anxiety – I want to have this baby but I know there’s a whole host of pain to go through to get there. I don’t know about you but i’m a bit of a control freak and I like to know how things will pan out so that doesn’t sit well either but I’m just trying to resign myself to the fact the medical professionals know what they are doing and will only ever do something in the best interest of me and the baby. It will be just the same for you. You’re in the best place in the best hands. I’m just getting everything else prepped so I’m not worrying about that (hospital bag, nappy bag, numbers to call etc)
I hope it’s good news by the time you next post and that pain is getting itself righted.x
Have you considered seeing a chiropractor? It could seriously help you so much! Good luck <3
My favorite nursing bra was Fiona Moving Comfort sports bras. Find something comfortable because your chest swells when your milk comes in. Best wishes!
I agree that watching your belly roll around if one of the coolest things about being pregnant. I also used to love when the baby would be heavily on one side to gently push and have the baby roll to the other side! I miss being pregnant still and my kids are both in their 30’s!
I just bought a La Leche League nursing tank and Gilligan & O’Malley nursing bra from Target. Both are super comfy! I can see myself wearing these post pregnancy….hehe! 10 days left for me – holy crap that went by fast!!!
Yayyy! You’re so close! Best wishes for a happy and healthy delivery!
hoping your pain gets better! I understand your anxiety (I had my little man May 23rd), but honestly you have so much adrenaline and excitement when labor starts that, for me, the weeks of anxiety and worry (I am a control freak for sure) leading up were way worse. You look beautiful and enjoying seeing your journey through pregnancy! My LO is 5 weeks old now, and I honestly could never have imagined loving someone this much! Good luck to you and Ryan!
Hi Julie,
I’m late to the game on this one, but I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful grandmother. The tributes you wrote of her were just lovely and I’m glad you were able to be surrounded by loved ones this past weekend to celebrate her life.
I hope your PT appointment goes well; that is so cool that you are using Ryan’s therapist. A great physical therapist makes such a huge difference! You will do great, and it’s so good that you are listening to your body through this pregnancy.
I also wanted to recommend to you some nursing bras – Target has a line of “sports bras” by Gilligan & O’Malley and I LOVED them. They come 2 per pack and I ended up buying 2 packs, I wore them all the time! They are the “design” of a sports bra, but the material is actually like a comfy t-shirt….and I was all about comfort, post-partum! Those bras, yoga pants, and solid-colored tees from Old Navy and Target were pretty much my uniform. 🙂
Thank you for your sweet words and for your nursing bra recommendations! I appreciate it!
It has been 15 years and boy do I remember that lower back and hip pain like it was yesterday. I wish I would have known about Deep Blue lotion from Doerr essential oils then. This could definitely help with some relief while your therapist is getting things in order. Thankfully mine went away after delivery. I am wondering about a chiropractor as well.
You may want to consider seeing a chiropractor, I did throughout my pregnancy and it helped me so much! I felt aligned and it made my headaches go away. I’m pretty sure that it’s what even put me into labor when I was over-due.
I highly recommend going to Nordstrom and getting fitted for a really good nursing bra. You may want to wait a few more weeks until you are closer to the end of your pregnancy. They will properly fit you, and it is worth every penny! You will want a few nursing bras without under-wire for the first few weeks, but then you will really appreciate something with good support. Also, Nordstrom will price match with Amazon! Here is my favorite nursing bra: http://amzn.com/B006SF1WQC
Great update! Hope you start feeling better soon! Are you still teaching classes at the gym?
I have some recommendations! First of all the gap lounge pants are awesome. That was all I wore on maternity leave (but my leave was during winter). I highly recommend getting some sleeping nursing bras. I don’t know about others, but the only time I don’t wear a bra these days is to take a shower (I’m currently nursing my 7 month old). Target has some great, inexpensive sleeping nursing bras. You’ll also want comfy nursing shirts for sleeping in. That thought did not occur to me until I got home from the hospital and only had one button down shirt that was only marginally comfortable. Gap has some really comfy cotton nursing shirts that I think are great for sleeping (but not so great for wearing outside the house – the white is pretty much see-through).
Another recommendation – Pink Blush Maternity has some really cute nursing dresses that also work for bumps.
I’m loving these updates…they make me so excited to keep growing our little one. I’m 19 weeks tomorrow and feeling little flutters, but nothing crazy yet. When did you start to feel serious movement?
I’ve started seeing a chiropractor as I’m already noticing a bit of discomfort in my hips from the added weight I’m carrying. I was also experiencing some headaches, but didn’t want to take anything for them. I never really bought into chiropractic care before, but have a husband and wife chiropractic team that live next door to me and they have been kind enough to adjust me in their home office. I really have noticed a difference! May be something to try! I hope you’re able to get some relief after your appointment today!
I think I started to feel movement around 22 weeks! It took me a little while to REALLY recognize baby movement!
The pain sounds miserable! I am so sorry you are going through this! I hope the PT can help you work through the pain.
I appreciate that you are so consistent with your blog-writing, even when you’re not feeling great!
There may be some eye-rolling when other people read this, but I think it’s great to not focus on the birth. That is the shortest part of all of this! You have to grow an entire human in 9 months – give birth – and then RAISE the baby! I worried so much about the pregnancy and the birth, and honestly didn’t give a lot of thought (no, no, I KNOW it sounds silly) to how I would feel and how we would manage, once we actually had the baby. It’s been awesome, but I feel like I should have planned more for the actual “hey, we have a kid” part of things!
Hoping you get some relief for your pain, and find a way to stay active comfortably. It’s hard to adjust when you’re used to moving freely! Good luck 🙂
I actually had the same SI-joint issue during my first pregnancy, and I agree – it was NOT fun. I know how frustrating it is to have such limited mobility, especially when you’re used to being very active. I had been running about an hour per day up until that injury, and it seemed like it came out of nowhere with zero warning. While I was injured, I did a lot of aqua-jogging and eventually the elliptical as I started to feel better. I also did a lot of hip-strengthening exercises and hamstring stretches, which I’m sure your PT will show you. I did get back to running before the baby was born, but it took a full six weeks for that injury to heal. Be patient and hang in there. Fingers crossed that you’re feeling better quickly!
I’m so sorry you had to deal with it, too! But it does help to hear from someone who has dealt with the frustration first hand, so thank you! I definitely want to get in the pool this week since I love to swim and think that could be a good way to move a bit without pain!
So sorry about the pain — it’s brutal when you realize that you’re close to the end but not THAT close. With Audrey, I had intense rib pain for the third trimester and this week, I started to feel it even though I’m only at 21 weeks with baby #2. It’s not nearly as bad as yours but I know it can be really disheartening.
You may also want to look for the undercover mama tank tops — I wore them through two years of nursing Audrey! They are tank tops that actually clip right to your nursing bra so you don’t have to double up on the straps, but can keep your belly covered while nursing. It’s not just for modesty — I just felt uncomfortable having baby right up against my skin and feeling the cold air rush in, so it kind of insulated me.
Hope you get relief from your pain with PT. I love reading all the recommendations in the comments of what to buy. I hope you find one that works for you!
Now this was over 7 years ago, but I loved the nursing bras from Gap. And I also bought a ton of tops from there, too. Some were specific nursing and some weren’t, but were easy and comfortable. I stayed home a ton with my winter baby so I wasn’t as concerned with concealing. Plus, I had a hooter hider for when I was out.
And if you haven’t already heard, nursing may not come naturally. It took us a week to really get it. It was the longest, most tearful (from me) week ever. We just couldn’t get the hang of it, it hurt, we were supplementing with formula that was causing bad baby gas. It was awful. Then a friend came by and gave me some tips and support and things changed completely. So don’t fret if it takes a while. And even once you get the hang of it, it still hurts a lot at first. Have some good nipple cream ready. It really helps! Hopefully things go smoothly for you both from the start!
I hope the PT can help out with the pain–that sounds so awful! I’ve not had that intense type of pain in either pregnancy, but I felt a few sharp shoots of it. I can’t imagine that all day long though-bless you!
I love the rolling feeling too-it’s so neat to see them actually move in a pattern on the outside. <3 How special this time is!
And yes, comfy pants and tops are a must for after birth!
My LO is 5 weeks and I totally recommend getting a good nursing bra/tanks that work for sleeping in. This is my first and I was surprised that I leaked overnight but still had to fumble around at 2am to nurse a screaming and hungry infant. The nursing bras without an underwire (I got some from Target) worked well so I can wear nursing pads, but still nurse my baby quickly and not be uncomfortable. Also love the Target nursing tanks. They don’t have a lot of variety, but the are thick and well made. Good luck, labor and mommy hood was everything and nothing and more than I expected!!
I hope the pain goes away soon! You’re so close!
So sorry you’re in so much pain! I guess the good thing is you’re in the “home stretch!”
As for nursing bras, I love the Lamaze sleep bras (sold in 2-packs on Amazon) for sleeping and wearing at home. For going out, I love the Bravado silk seamless nursing bra (also from Amazon). Totally worth buying at least 1 really nice bra. The ones I got from Target were crap and the one from Motherhood was decent.
Oh, and I totally missed my belly and the thumping. For days (weeks?) after I had my son, I would touch my belly and get all sad/nostalgic. But having him in person is even better! 🙂
So glad to hear you got set up with PT! I really hope it makes a major, positive difference for you.
Other nursing tanks from Target, the brand Gilligan O’Malley, are my favorite. I ordered three from online since my store didn’t carry them. They are longer, and since I have a long torso they are much better than the Motherhood ones. I do like the wireless nursing bras from Motherhood though. Good luck with everything! We have our 4 mo check up appointment with our little girl this week. Seems like yesterday I just found out I was pregnant….. (Sigh!) 🙂
You poor thing! That sounds really miserable. I hope the physical therapy brings you relief!
I’m right behind you (due Aug 13!), and have been having terrible SI joint pain since about week 18. I have pretty significant scoliosis so I do think it’s largely due to that. It took me a while to learn what movements aggravated the pain, but I’ve learned that taking smaller steps hurts much less than trying to walk fast or take bigger steps. I also recently bought a “knee pillow” to use at night, and it has helped a lot to align things better. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/contour-living-reg-memory-foam-leg-pillow/1014643982?Keyword=knee+pillow
Good luck with your PT- I actually have my first appointment tomorrow! Hope the pain eases up soon.
I hope your appointment goes well, too!! <3 And I haaave to have a pillow between my knees for comfort right now. It really does make a huge difference!
Aww I wish I had advice for your pain :/ Sounds like the prenatal massage might be awesome!
Hope the pain goes away soon!
Bravado makes great nursing bras! I lived in those and the Medela sleeping nursing bras.
Think about getting the motherhood maternary soft cup tank. If you’re anything like me you want tasty belly covered role you nurse and this tank has cups so you can wear it out and about like a bra but it is also comfy enough to sleep in. I second not buying top much nursing stuff before baby comes but not because I don’t think you can breastfeed…just because you don’t want a bunch of stuff you don’t wind up liking. Breastfeeding is really hard but you can do it. I advise getting a lactation consultant lined up before you give birth. That way of everything is great and you don’t need her you can cancel but if you need her you have a name and number and your husband can just make the call workout having to research. Just know that breastfeeding does not come easily. You and baby have to learn how to do it but you can do it! Also one thing that might make you feel better about giving birth that no one might have mentioned is that you kind of go into the zone mentally. You will at some point in labor just forget about everything and everyone and just be laser focused on being the job done. That focus is your brains way of getting out of the way so your body can accomplish the goal. You wI’ll do great! Sorry for typos. Busy baby overy here.
Ohhh I really, really hope that the PT helps! I’ve thankfully had some relief in my back/butt pain the last couple weeks, but it sounds like yours has been even worse than mine was when it was bothering me for awhile there. I can’t imagine dealing with it to the extent that you have, so I hope you get some relief soon. Hang in there!
I, too, LOVE the movements from baby during pregnancy. It’s easily my favorite part about it all. I missed it a lot after I had Hunter!
In terms of nursing bras,Motherhood Maternity makes an AMAZING nursing sports bra. It’s perfect for the first few months since your size will fluctuate so much and a lot of other bras are more traditional bra sizes. I also very much recommend just getting a bunch of nice shelf camis for nursing. They’re great with or without a bra (especially during engorgement!!) and if you put on under a thirty you can just slip the strap down to nurse whole still having full coverage while out/in front of visitors. I love Target’s ones. I tried a bunch of different nursing camis and tank but never found one that didn’t ride up ir was long enough. I also am personally not a fan of the look of some nursing tees ssince they have that line across the torso. V-neck or lower cut shirts also work just as well for nursing, surprisingly.
I hope your pain subsides, and I have four nursing spaghetti strap tanks with a built-in shelf bra, and I love them. I have purple, black, white, and grey, and some are from Target, some Motherhood. They’re great to wear under any shirt that you can pull up because you don’t expose much skin that way.
I have a few wrap-style dresses and dresses with a really stretchy neckline that I can move over or pull down to nurse (I think Max Studio brand from TJ Maxx), but flowy shirts and the tank underneath are the best. I hope the next several weeks go smoothly for you!
Don’t stress the birth part too much — think of it like an Ironman. It really kinda stinks (and hurts!) while you’re going through it, but once you’ve crossed the finish line you’ll forget everything except your adorable baby. My husband was teasing me a little and asked me about 2 minutes after pushing out a baby if I’d ever want to do that again and I was actually able to say yes and really mean it. I’m sure everything will go great for you! 🙂
Your pain sounds very similar to what I experienced during my last stage of pregnancy. I was diagnosed with Piriformis Syndrome at 31 weeks. It was very sudden – I was in the middle of a run and gimped the way home. By the end of the day, I could barely walk. It was excruciating. Heat therapy and deep blue essential oil helped a lot. I did go to PT but didn’t really enjoy it.
I wrote this post about stretches that helped me: http://healthystrides.blogspot.com/2015/03/piriformis-stretches-for-pregnancy.html
thank you for sharing this!
I had the same pain when I was pregnant and it totally sucks – the walking part is the worst. Good news is that it disappears after baby is born…but no fun in the meantime.
As for nursing bras, this is my favorite, and I have 4 different brands. And it’s on sale here: http://www.apeainthepod.com/mobile/Product.asp?Product_Id=69065Z10361&MasterCategory_Id=MC29
I was a cup size larger than before nursing.
thank you!!
I’ve been living in nursing tanks the past five months (five months exclusively breastfeeding going strong, yea!) and I LOVE the ones from Target (Gilligan & O’Malley). I have some from Motherhood Maternity too, but feel like those stretched out after a few washes. I also have a nursing bra from Target (Bravado…a little pricey, but so comfy and worth it)! I agree with a previous person too, I wouldn’t buy too much until he’s here (I ended up with tons of nursing supplies I didn’t need because I found it easier to just breastfeed and not pump).
Hi Julie! I have been meaning to comment and tell you about the Target nursing tanks….they are amazing!! They have held up through nursing two babies. One for 12 months and one that is still nursing at 14 months! The clip on the strap is whats so great. I have some of the more expensive, name brand tanks and they are nothing compared to Target’s ( I think the brand is like Gillian O….something). They are in the bra section at Target. Do it! 🙂
The thing about nursing tanks that I found is that none of them are really that flattering…they all have extra room up top which makes sense since your boobs grow so much while breastfeeding, but I found that even though my boobs grew a TON the nursing tanks I got still had an awkward amount of room in the top. I only wear them when I’m hanging around the house, but that is most of the time so I actually have still gotten a lot of use out of them. I got the Motherhood Maternity ones. Honestly, though, wearing a deep v-neck stretchy t-shirt and a nursing bra works too.
For nursing bras, I love the Motherhood Maternity nursing sports bras for overnight, they are super comfy. For daytime, I got two Pea in the Pod nursing bras that look pretty much like a regular bra but do not have underwire (also got them at Motherhood Maternity). Since it’s Pea in the Pod, they were more expensive, but they are super comfy and have removable thin pads in the cups which is nice.
I am so sorry that you are experiencing so much pain!! Hopefully your physical therapist will be able to help!
When I was pregnant with my daughter, she would get super active when I got hungry- like. You could see my belly “jumping”! It was so funny! I was a teacher at that point and my students were amazed! Ha!
I just had my daughter in December, and I LOVE the Gilligan & O’Malley nursing tanks from Target. I have them in multiple colors and they are still my go to for breastfeeding and to sleep in for those middle of the night feedings. I brought them to the hospital with me also and they were perfect for after delivery.
Hope PT can help with the pain! Love following your pregnancy and can’t wait for you to experience motherhood 🙂
I really hope your physical therapy appointment today helps!!
You’re getting so close! I’m 35 weeks today and it’s really starting to hit me just how soon we’ll get to meet our baby 🙂
I’ve been having some lower back pain and prenatal massage has been the only thing that has helped! I get mine with my PT, so hopefully she can help loosen you up! Good luck
Yikes, I’m sorry you’re having so much pain. I hope physical therapy helps. Your belly is still so small, and cute 🙂 good luck in these last weeks.
One recommendation when it comes to nursing bras- I bought four (they were on sale) from Destination Maternity before my son was born. I waited until I was 9 months pregnant like suggested, but when my milk came in, my boobs got significantly larger! I ended up having to exchange them all! If I were you, I would buy one stretchy one to last you until your milk comes in, then online shop for the rest. Good luck!
Hi Julie,
The best nursing bra for me was the Bravado body silk seamless nursing bra. They are about $50 but so worth it. I wore them every single day while I was nursing which was a year. Here is the link:
http://bravadodesigns.com/products/body-silk-seamless-nursing-bra?variant=1090484933
Like you I was VERY anxious about labor & delivery and I vividly remember leaving our hospital tour in a panic about my impending due date. Don’t let people tell you horror stories, it is possible to have a positive labor & delivery. I went in with an open mind and told myself if I felt as though an epidural was necessary I wan’t going to beat myself up over it. I ended up laboring at home for about 6 hours and then my water broke at home. When we arrived at the hospital I was 7cm and was told I would probably deliver in the next 45 minutes. I was scared for sure…and requested the epidural which provided instant relief. My son was born about 2 hours labor after actively pushing for 45 minutes. Like you I was very physically active throughout my pregnancy which I believe is the reason my labor & delivery was so quick. I also was able to recover quickly as well. I am sure you will have a similar experience. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the birth experience it was not as terrifying as I had imagined.
Best of luck with physical therapy I hope it brings you some much needed relief!