It’s time for my FINAL “trimester must-haves” blog post! (Maybe, we’ll do a postpartum one too though!) If you missed my first-trimester blog post, head back to that one here. And, catch the second-trimester post here. I am still using ALL of those same products from the first and second trimesters, and have even updated those posts to reflect things I WISH I had known about early in pregnancy. This post will reflect some unique circumstances that might come up for you later in pregnancy — like sciatica, heartburn, GBS+ diagnosis, birth prep supplements, and needing to wear *actual* maternity clothes.
Resources to Prepare for Taking Care of Your Baby:
Most of my pregnancy, I’ve focused on books, podcasts, and courses about pregnancy birth. Well, here at the end, it’s time for some baby care resources. As someone who has barely changed diapers and honestly not had much experience with newborn babies, all this learning was a MUST for me and my husband.
Taking Cara Babies - “Will I Ever Sleep Again?” Course: This course is amazing. So in depth — we already know we’ll need to watch these videos MULTIPLE times over again. The information feels technical and practical. It’s well delivered, and Cara covers all sorts of topics like sleep training, soothing a baby, sleep schedules, swaddling, and more. To say we are already big Cara fans is an understatement! Plus, you can actually add a gift card to Taking Cara Babies to your baby registry. We did this, and had some sweet friends gift it to us!
Little Z’s Newborn Sleep Course: We also had a sweet friend gift us this course on newborn sleep! Aren’t friends who gift you online courses the absolute best? We haven’t dove into this one yet, but planning to after the Taking Cara Babies course. One thing I love about both of these newborn courses is that there’s fairly short and straight to the point. They know that new parents need the good info, and QUICK! So learning from 2 courses seems totally do-able (and helpful).
The Newborn Handbook: Your Guide to Bringing Home Baby: I’ve only read some of this one. Saving the rest for when baby arrives, but MAN… it’s practical and to the point, which I so appreciate. So many pregnancy/child care books ramble on and on and ON… this one tells you just what you need to know. It’s written by a pediatrician and covers months 0 to 3 of a baby's life!
Fashion Favorites for the Third Trimester:
Oh boy, finding clothes in the third trimester is a completely different ball game than the second. Clothes I thought would “fit me the whole pregnancy” because “it’s a peplum top” or “the dress is so loose and flowy” has not held true. I’ve laughed MANY times when I put on a top and see my belly showing at the bottom. Whoops! Below are some pregnancy outfits that HAVE worked for me at the end here, even as I write this at 38 weeks pregnant.
Pink Blush and Motherhood Maternity have been saving graces for me. Pink Blush for cute dresses for baby showers and maternity shoots, and Motherhood Maternity for practical sleepwear and sports/nursing bras.
Favorite Maternity Loungewear/Pajamas: This babydoll sleep top is perfect for pregnancy (plenty of room for your growing belly) AND for postpartum (the top is made for nursing). Plus, it feels totally pretty and flattering! I wear mine with these sleep shorts that are also perfect for pregnancy.
Best Dresses for Baby Showers: I had 2 baby showers, and wore Pink Blush dresses for both! (and have had a few other Pink Blush dresses during my pregnancy that I’ve loved.) To see them all in full outfit posts click here.
- Cream Floral Flounce Dress
- Chiffon Maternity Cream Maxi Dress
- Coral Ruffled Sleeveless Maternity Dress
Babydoll Knit Blouse from Pink Lily: This top has been with me ALL pregnancy and is one “non-maternity” clothing item that has worked the whole time and that I know will work great in postpartum too.
Mama Vintage Knit Sweatshirt from Pink Lily: My sweet husband got this for me as a Mother’s Day gift (per my request, haha). I love it. It’s a great “all the time” sweatshirt, and I love how lightweight it is!
Great Swimsuit for Water Birth: I’m planning to at least labor in water, and possibly deliver in water. (And, I don’t want to be completely naked, haha!) I got this cute (and afforable) swimsuit from Amazon to wear. I plan to just wear the top. I’ve tried it on already and it’s super comfortable! I’d recommend sizing up a little. I got a medium!
“Medical Items” You Might Need At Home at the End of Your Pregnancy:
Easy At-Home Blood Pressure Monitor: I’ve had low blood pressure all pregnancy, but then recently had a scare with potentially high blood pressure. Everything turned out ok, but my midwife suggested I get an at-home monitor so I could check my blood pressure everyday on my own at the end of pregnancy. This one is awesome. So easy to use and literally tells you out loud if your blood pressure is “good” or not!
TENS Machine for Pain Relief: TENS Machines are often used for contraction-relief during natural childbirth, so I knew I’d likely be buying one for that purpose! However, when I got hit early in the 3rd trimester with debilitating sciatica, I used the TENS Machine daily, and it brought SO much relief. (Be sure to check with your provider that it’s OK for you to use this, and NEVER put it directly on your stomach.)
Pregnancy Support Belt: Another product that helped tremendously with my sciatica was this pregnancy support belt. It basically takes the pressure of your growing belly off of your back. So much relief! Definitely size UP. I started with a small and had to return it. Ultimately got a large, and it’s big, but works great!
Supplements and Vitamins I’ve Added in the Third Trimester:
Be sure to review my 1st and 2nd-trimester blog posts for MORE supplements. Maybe I’ll add an entire post with exactly what I took during pregnancy later, but these are some things I’ve added here at the end. I found out recently that I’ve GBS+, and so focusing on more probiotics and vitamin C can be helpful with treating it. And, having these supplements is especially helpful in postpartum after receiving antibiotics in labor if you’re GBS+ and choose to receive antibiotics.
- Vitamin C Tablets: I’ve started taking 2-3 of these daily!
- Jarrow Formulas Fem Dophilus Probiotic: I’ve changed probiotics yet again in pregnancy! Started taking this one at the end per my doula’s recommendation.
- Tums: These have been a staple of mine, as I’ve had tons of heartburn. Not linking to anything here, because I just bought Kroger brand ones at Kroger!
Things I’m Doing to Prepare for Labor:
Supernatural Childbirth - Book by Jackie Mize: This book, Supernatural Childbirth, has been instrumental to me here at the end of pregnancy in strengthening my faith in the Lord and helping me feel ready and confident about giving birth unmedicated. I’d highly recommend this book. The cover art is VERY dated and a little creepy (lol), but the content is awesome. I totally get that this book isn’t for everyone, but I’ve loved it.
Gentle Birth Tincture: This is an herbal tincture for supporting a fast labor. I have the one without Blue Cohosh. Be sure to do your own research before taking! I feel great about what I’ve learned about birth tinctures, and have approval from my midwife to take this. Will it help labor go faster? Who knows! But, it can’t hurt, right?
Red Raspberry Leaf Iced Tea: There’s tons of research out there about the benefits of Red Rapsberry Leaf Tea for all women, especially pregnant women. Unlike you might expect from the name, the tea does not taste like raspberries. (I wish!) It’s a very earthy flavor, and I don’t love it hot. But, I have enjoyed it iced in big batches. Here’s what I’m using:
- GIANT Bag of Loose Leaf Tea: This is by far the best bang for your buck when doing a lot of this tea. It’s organic and great quality. Works great for brewing in big batches.
- Set of 2 Jars with Cheesecloths for Brewing: I love these jars. I do the brewing in one, then pour into the other over the cheesecloth. I store in our fridge in the giant jar and drink it throughout the week.
I’ve been brewing to the strength that tastes good to me. I also add juice from 1-2 lemons, some Vitamin K drops, Rescue Remedy Natural Stress Relief drops, and Stevia or honey! I seriously love how it tastes and will have a few glasses of it a day, over ice!
I have so much more I could share, and I’ll plan to add some additional content after I deliver my sweet baby boy!
Other Pregnancy Blogs to Check Out:
- Our gender reveal party and photoshoot recap
- 1st-trimester favorite products, podcasts, and books
- 2nd trimester favorite products, podcasts, and books
- 1st trimester Q&A - doulas, natural childbirth prep, and finding the gender
- Our pregnancy announcement!
- 2nd Trimester Recap (blog and podcast)
- 3rd Trimester Photoshoot at 34 weeks
See all pregnancy and birth content on my blog here!
*All opinions are my own and I am not a medical professional. This post does contain affiliate links, which means I get a kickback if you purchase through my links. However, I ONLY share products I truly use and love!*
August 12, 2021
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