Here it is, my Pregnancy Guide: Tips Tricks Oils and Must Haves for the Third Trimester.
This post has all the pregnancy things. TIPS, TRICKS, ESSENTIAL OILS, and all the must-haves. Plus I talk high-risk pregnancy info and incompetent cervix stuff too. So this Pregnancy Guide has everything and I hope it blesses you in any way you need!
You can also find the links to all the blog posts connected to this Series. Guides 1-5, some newborn essentials, hospital bag packing.
General Feelings, Cravings and Symptoms
UNCOMFORTABLE. That’s everything I felt. Pinched nerves in my back – led to leg weakness. So that was fun. Hip pain. Cramping all the time. Craving pretzels most of the time and ice. Just like with J. And peanut butter and jam sandwiches at 230am most days! But the best part was how active he is!
Tips and Tricks
- Discuss Your Partner’s Role. Huge. Not having to talk about it at the time is so good.
- Consider a Doula. Do it.
- Increase Your Iron
- Move your body
- Prep your birth plan and know your birth positions – my doula taught me that!
- Baby Registry
- Baby Shower
- Finish up the washing of baby stuff and the nursery
- Pack your bag!
High Risk + Incompetent Cervix (IC)
Pregnancy isn’t always cute bump pics and glowing faces. High-risk pregnancies make it hard to even enjoy that growing babe sometimes and it leaves you with this guilt that maybe you don’t deserve to be pregnant. I struggled with this thought every time I come by a mama struggling to get pregnant or a mama who lost her babies and isn’t trying anymore because the heartbreak is just too much. I learned throughout that it’s okay to feel not so glowy during your pregnancy. It doesn’t make you less deserving, it just makes you human. Afraid and worried. Afraid of heartbreak, of grief, of loss. So whatever you feel during your pregnancy, it’s valid. All of it.
So, if you missed guides #1 and #2, I had a cerclage at 12 weeks. A cerclage is a stitch that closes your cervix.
With a high-risk incompetent cervix pregnancy at about 36-37 weeks, they remove the cerclage. It hurt like a witch last time. There was a lot of pressure on it so my doctor had trouble getting the stitch out. But man the cramps after were serious. I was 3 cm dilated after this point. I think it will go similarily this time around!
My anxiety was pretty bad afterwards with J, hoping I’m a little more calm the week before baby comes!
Pregnancy loss takes away that sense of peace in pregnancy. That innocence. You don’t want to live through that pain again so you worry and fear every possible outcome. I shared more of those feelings HERE.
Oils
As you may know – if you’ve been here a while. I love essential oils, and during my pregnancies especially! I first started using oils with my first pregnancy so I can’t say what the difference would be without it. A week or so after my surgery I started using them again. Honestly don’t know how I’d manage without!
These little plant juice bottles are not only amazing for pregnancy but for postpartum and for motherhood in general! Both my babes are oily babes! You can read more HERE too! Stuff like why we use oils!
*Obviously there are a lot of questions around it and whether it’s safe. I found the best resource has been this Betsy Bosom Book. And google – always do your research, google makes it super easy! But i’ll share my routine/some of the favorite ones I used. I DON’T sell them, but you can reach out with questions and brand recommendations!
Favorite Single Oils
Gentle Baby: Again – every day I used this oil!! A complete must! A couple of drops in your palm with some coconut oil on your belly does wonders for the itchy feelings! In the diffuser for those rough nights!
Digize: For heartburn still, got worse in the 3rd trimester!
Lemon: This also helps with heartburn – just a drop rubbed across your breastbone.
Valor: sore hips and neck/back
En-Er-Gee: cause we need all the energy at this point. Just in the diffuser most mornings
Joy: to help me get over those scary thoughts as well as working through some grief.
Favorite Oil Recipes
Belly Bump Lotion – full recipe and process
Pregnancy Discomfort Massage Oil – you can watch me make that HERE.
Gentle Baby+Avocado Oil
Valor Roll On from YoungLiving – so much easier, already diluted and ready to go!
Oils to Avoid or be Cautious of
*oils in blends are at different concentrations and therefore don’t pose as big of risk
*diffusing also doesn’t pose as big of risk as applying the oil topically
- Clary Sage is the biggest oil to avoid
- It can bring on contractions, so people just avoid it all together until about 37 weeks. After 37 weeks you can add it to a roller with some coconut oil to help get your body ready for labor. And then using it during labor can help with contractions.
- Wintergreen
- Oils with high in methyl salicylate, can act as blood thinner and therefore aren’t safest to use during pregnancy
- Panaway
- I just avoid this one all together. Some people use Deep Relief (which is similar) throughout their pregnancy. I just didn’t feel comfortable with that so I didn’t.
Some others are:
- Basil
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Do some research and be cautious of the oils you do apply. Again the Betsy Bosom book was a great resource. These oils can be found in some blends too – which also means their concentrations are different. And then once diluted, even more so. Use caution. I don’t apply any of these oils neat (no carrier) or by themselves. But I do have rollers that have these oils in small concentrations. And I diffuse Cinnamon once in a while. Do what you are comfortable with and research is your best friend!
Favorite Diffuser Blends
Nesting: Lemon, Coapiba, lavender
Energy: En-er-gee and grapefruit
Good Vibes: White Angelica + Release
Favorite Maternity Clothes
My pregnancy clothing try on video can be found HERE. Shein was the best place for me to get all my third trimester clothes from!
1/2/3/4/5/6
There you go, my Pregnancy Guide: Tips Tricks Oils and Must Haves for the Third Trimester.
This is part 3, you can read the first two below!
Part 1 – HERE
Part 2 – HERE
There is still newborn stuff, L+D, postpartum coming. Oils for labor, packing hospital bags for me and my husband. They are still works in progress. You can come back to this page and they’ll be linked as they are finished. But also, subscribe to our emails and you’ll get an email when they are done! *Plus subscribing right now you’ll get a FREE printable hospital bag checklist!
Prepping for L+D, Postpartum and that sweet newborn
Nursery, care products, bottles, plans and everything to “get ready” for baby. I say “get ready” because are we ever really fully ready for a newborn.
Essentials and Favorites for a Newborn – you can read that HERE, eventually.
- Favorite products that aren’t essential but nice
- The essentials – in my mind.
- And some overall different stuff I had for J vs what I had for M.
Oils For Labor and Delivery – you can find that HERE, eventually.
- Stuff like oils I made before hand and brought with me to use during labor and how I used them!
Oils for Postpartum is HERE eventually. As for prep, the few things are listed below.
Prepped Before:
- Padsicles – made them before, you can watch the video HERE.
- Claraderm Spray – comes from YoungLiving. You can sign up with my link HERE to start with oils today. You can also shoot me an email, contact form HERE, or head over to my Instagram and message me there!
The post itself will have items and things I did postpartum. It was such a different experience this time around.
Hospital Bag for Mom, Dad and babe – you can read that HERE.
My goal with all these guides, written and to come, is to hopefully help any mama in her journey through pregnancy. I hope this helps and share it with all your mama friends!
Love Crystal
