HOW TO STAY CONFIDENT & COMFORTABLE IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER

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The third trimester hits and you really start to see some major changes, thighs get bigger, belly obviously grows larger, face starts to get rounder, feed feel more swollen, you feel puffier everywhere basically.  So how the freak do you stay confident AND comfortable during the home stretch.  Well the answer is simple.  You have to make the decision to love yourself in every stage of life no matter what.

It’s a simple answer, but yet, most of us have a hard time feeling this way, not just when we’re pregnant. When I say comfortable, I mean literally.  From the pain in your body, the exhaustion you’re carrying all day.   There are times when I just feel down right crappy and don’t have any sort of motivation to go about my day and I let my emotions get the best of me.

I’m going to list a bunch of things that have helped me stay confident and comfortable through this last home stretch trimester.  

  1. DON’T TELL YOURSELF YOU’RE SO LARGE.  Stop saying you’re so huge and you look this way, or apologizing for looking a certain way to someone else.  Get that out of your vocabulary.  The more you tell yourself how large and fat you’re getting, the more you will look and feel that way.  The mind is a powerful tool.  Instead say to yourself, wow, my body is incredible.  It can carry and grow a human, I’m so healthy and I’m so proud my baby is healthy and well.  I’m awesome and look great! 
  2. WHEN SOMEONE ASKS HOW YOU’RE DOING, BE POSITIVE.  I’m not saying things are rainbows and sunshine all the damn time.    Obviously, if you are sick then it’s okay to tell someone you need some help, I’m not saying that.  I just mean don’t talk yourself down when someone asks you.  For example, “oh ya know, just large and can’t sleep and so uncomfortable” yada yada.  You already know those things, but repeating them out loud again and again you’re just reminding yourself that you’re tired, uncomfortable and want the baby out now.  Which therefore makes you feel even more crappy.  Again, it’s a mind game.  The mind is powerful.  I’m not saying lie about it, but you can reply in that way more positive!  “Oh ya know how this goes!  I’m just so ready to meet this sweet angel!, we’re so close and so anxious to meet her!”  Something along those lines!  It works, I’m telling you.
  3. MOVE.  If you have doctors orders not to move at this point then don’t read on.   Whenever I’m feeling sluggish and tired, I get up and move around.  Go for a walk outside if it’s nice weather, or I’ll go walk on the stair master at the gym for 20 minutes, just anything to move my body and get out of my head of negative self talk about how tired I feel.  It totally works and I feel like a new person when I do this.  The worst thing you can do is sit around and dwell and complain about how you’re so large and can’t move.  Also, it’s one thing if you’ve been busy and on your feet all day and need to rest, but it’s another if you haven’t and you’ve been laying around all day.   Get up and move.  It’ll make you feel better, plus it does help the pain in your back.
  4.  PULL IT TOGETHER.   There are days where  I don’t do a damn thing to my hair and sit in my pajamas all day and those days are great, but not everyday.  You get to a point of feeling the way you look.  Do you know what I mean?  When I get up, shower and put on a little make up with something cute on, I feel so much better and feel more productive.   You don’t need to get dolled up to the T.  Just put a little effort into it.  It takes me 15 minutes to do that in my mornings.  
  5. MAKE REALISTIC GOALS.  K guys, when you’re in the third tri you just can’t do it all.  I’ve learned this the hard way because I’m such a doer.  I can’t stop and I won’t stop going.  But I’ve totally chilled out this pregnancy and let myself rest and just be in the season I’m in.  This is what I’ve learned so far.  Working out, organizing my house, being a fun energetic mother, creating content, making dinner for the 3 of us and making bed time a pleasant and happy time…. all of those things I just listed I did before pregnancy no problem… (well there are days with problems haha) but I just mean I set my goals to high for the day and couldn’t get it all done, so therefore I felt like shit about myself. There is something about me that when I check something off my list I get some sort of high.  But instead of doing that I set realistic goals for the day.  For example, if I go work out, I know I’m going to have to choose my battles and probably won’t be able to get much more activity done that day and play with oaks and all the things.  So instead I’ll do days like create content, clean and play with Oaks.  Or work out and play with oaks.  The lists are shorter, but you’ve got to choose your battles.  You can’t be everything for everyone, especially when you’re growing a baby full time.
  6.  SELF CARE.  Everyone has their own self care and what makes them feel good. Find what you love to do to help yourself be a better person and to those around you.  For me, I love giving myself 30 minutes in the morning before Oaks wakes up.  I meditate with headspace, write in my Moms one line a day book, and Five Minute Journal, then If I’ve got enough time I’ve been listening to “The Universe Has Your Back” and I’ll take notes.   Thats a non negotiable thing I’ve expected from myself everyday.  Every week I make sure I go get something done for myself, whether thats get my nails done, spray tan, facial, or even a mini facial at home with a little Jade Rolling action.  I need time alone and time with myself in order for me to function everyday and be there for my son and husband.  Plus new baby girl on the way!  I have to set the foundation for a happy home, because a happy wife is a happy life, right? ha.  

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TOP (ALSO HERE, HERE) PANTIES  

I’ve loved these panties during pregnancy!  They’re extremely comfortable!

 

PREGNANCY BLUES

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Just at the stage of looking a little chub while sitting down, but I’m not ashamed to share these!  I wouldn’t have shared these if I was pregnant with Oaks.  I feel much more comfortable in my skin then I did back then, but you learn as you grow and you learn with each pregnancy.

I wanted to share something that has been on my mind.  It was the beginning of my pregnancy that I didn’t experience with Oaks.  I’ve loved this pregnancy more, not because of the circumstances, but because I’m more comfortable and loving to my body, all while embracing everything that happens.  

It was about 6-8:9 weeks that I started feeling this way and that is whats called the pregnancy blues, I hadn’t even heard of this before and it was so foreign to me what I was feeling because I didn’t feel that way with Oaks.  I get the baby blues, after the baby is born which I talked about in that post.   I wanted to share this because I wanted to bring awareness to it and remind those who are feeling this way knowing that it ends and completely normal.

So about 2-3 weeks I felt very depressed.  I was so excited I was pregnant, but for some reason I was just down all the time.  I wanted to cry for no reason.  I couldn’t pin point why, or how I was feeling this way when it’s such a happy time in your life.  I would have moments of feeling so physically exhausted that I would need to go lay down for a while, to the point where even talking was exhausting to me, or even thinking about anything overwhelmed me to the core.   

I was getting so frustrated that I was feeling this way. I thought that maybe it’d last the whole first trimester, and what was even worse, not a lot of people knew I was pregnant, so I just kinda felt alone.  I had to have TJ take over the moment he got home, and would go lock myself in my bedroom.  You never saw this on my Instagram, and I’m sure you thought everything was just fine, because I was only showing my good moments, but I had a lot of bad moments.  I didn’t want to go anywhere, or talk to anyone.  I’m not the type of person to complain, or want to talk about how I’m feeling.  I just think to myself, you will get over it, it’ll pass, so just tough it out.  But don’t do that… talk to your mom, your close friend, your sister about how you’re feeling, or even reach out to me!  I’m always here to chat.   I finally did after a week of feeling like that, and my close friend Megan told me there was someone she followed that was feeling this way too.  She showed me her post and I felt so much better.  So thats another huge reason why I’m sharing how I was feeling because it really does help when you know you aren’t alone.

We’re never alone.  We all go through hard patches and rough moments. Life isn’t picture perfect even though instagram will show you that it is.   So just know you aren’t ever alone and no one has a perfect life.   So when you’re ready, talk to someone who you trust and let it out.  It truly does take a burden off and makes you feel better.

 But I woke up one day and just didn’t feel that anymore.  It never came back and still hasn’t so it went away!  Now I’m here at 20 weeks, no more morning sickness, got my energy back and just feel so much better.  I’m working out again everyday and physically feel good.  I love this pregnancy and am embracing it all because who knows, this could be my last.  My husband has 2 kids and then we have 1 together, so he’s kinda done ha.   

So with all that said, love yourself, give yourself self love, make your self care a first priority!  Rest when you need, pamper yourself when you need.  Don’t feel bad about taking a time out, or being a little selfish from time to time, because listen, putting yourself, well being and health at the top of your list, will make you a better person, therefore you’re a more patient mom, wife, friend sister etc… LOVE YOURSELF.

LOVE YOU GUYS! xoxox

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ROBE / BLANKET HERE & HERE / OAKS OUTFIT / SOCKS HERE & HERE

Have a great day!

xoxo,

SARA LYNN