How to Stay Healthy During the 3rd trimester & the Holiday Season

Most women prefer to take their maternity photos when their bellies are as round as possible. That means I get to spend lots of time with women during their third - and often the most uncomfortable – trimester.

The holidays can compound the comfort issue because it’s difficult to resist all those rich and delicious holiday foods and treats. Plus, that beautiful, growing belly and holiday travel can stymie your efforts to exercise.

Tips For Staying Healthy (& Comfortable!) in the 3rd-Trimester

The following tips are 100% based on the things I’ve learned from mamas balancing their overflowing excitement with their ever-increasing discomfort over my many years of taking maternity and newborn photos.

Make an effort to find comfy maternity clothing

At this stage in the game, you’re going to want to live in loose-fitting everything – but that doesn’t always work with the dress code set by popular holiday-themed events.

Make an effort to find attractive maternity clothing spacious enough to accommodate a tummy that’s growing (literally) by the day, focusing on pieces that are comfortable, too. Soft, stretchy fabrics are a must.

Read, Tips for Buying Professional Maternity Clothes, which includes clickable links to well-known and respected maternity clothing sources that focus on comfort and style.

Schedule extra downtime

Downtime and self-care should be priorities throughout your pregnancy, but they’re especially important as you head into the regimented itinerary of holiday activities and events. Clear anything you can from the calendar, expect to return home earlier than you normally would, and try to make time for naps and/or for getting your feet up during weekend days when an evening event is scheduled.

Women change in mood, feelings, and energy levels from day-to-day at this point, so what you commit to today may not be at all appealing when the date arrives. Warn family and friends that “Yes” RSVPs are all, “Maybes,” based on how you’re feeling that day.

Switch over to a 3rd-trimester diet

As your baby continues to grow and use up every available space in your abdominal/pelvic cavity, your stomach is going to rebel. This occurs in multiple ways, and heartburn is one of the most poignant of them.

The best way to give your stomach – and yourself – a break is to honor a third-trimester diet as much as you can.

· Eat smaller meals and snacks more frequently, rather than larger meals that can make you nauseous or contribute to heartburn

· Try to finish meals at least one hour before bedtime so gastric juices aren’t pressed up into your esophagus when you lay down on a full(er) stomach

· Focus more on unsaturated fats from whole foods, and eat lesser quantities of saturated fatty foods

· Consider adding more fruit-/veggie-rich smoothies to the mix when you’re attending events with richer, favorite foods. Your smoothie provides the nutrients you need, and then you can sample smaller portions of the richer foods that may upset your stomach

· Focus on your target weight, trying to maintain the “no more than 300 extra calories per day” recommendation set by ACOG

I recently posted an article, Why It’s So Important to Eat Well After Baby is Born, where I shared a referral to a dear friend, and pre/postpartum nutritionist. This may be a good time to reach out to her or another, experienced maternity/postpartum nutritionist who can work with you to balance a healthy, third-trimester diet with delicious, premade foods and snacks.

Excuse yourself for a nap at family gatherings

This one is great to practice now because, once the baby arrives, you’ll be excusing yourself to find a quiet space to nurse a restless baby or put him/her down for naps. Until then, make sure the event host knows you may need to excuse yourself for an afternoon or evening catnap. Don’t forget to bring a favorite pillow and blanket to keep yourself comfortable.

Take more frequent, short walks

It gets harder to exercise regularly when you’re out of town, you’ve overeaten, or you’re just plain tuckered out from a busy social calendar. That said, exercise is considered a tenet of prenatal health, so take short walks more frequently to get the exercise you need and maintain healthy circulation. This helps to keep swollen feet, ankles, and extremities at bay. When you return, make sure to hydrate and then get those feet elevated!

Be prepared (and don’t panic) for early contractions

Odds are, those contractions that are coming on too early (prior to the 36- to 38-week point) are Braxton Hicks contractions. Believed to be the body’s way of preparing for the upcoming labor and delivery, Braxton Hicks contractions are more likely to occur when you’re tired, on your feet too much, or experiencing more stress than usual – all of which are likely over the holidays.

Typically, Braxton Hicks Contractions settle right down when you lay down or sit to rest, are less rhythmic and predictable that labor contractions and they don’t escalate in intensity or come on at more rapid intervals the way “real” contractions do.

Read the AMA’s page on Braxton Hicks Contractions and have your partner bookmark it so you can read through it again if unexpected contractions fire up at a holiday event or while you’re away from home.

Don’t stray too far from home

You may have heard that many women in their third-trimester start to have a strong urge to nest. That’s true for some, and not for others, but I have noticed that most of my clients don’t like to be too far from home at this stage of their pregnancy.

Try to remain as close to home as possible, so you’re only a short drive away if the crowd is too intense, the noise level is too loud, or you are feeling tired and foggy-headed. Your own “nest” is best as you near or pass your due date.

The very best thing you can do to stay healthy during the third-trimester and the crazy holiday season is to listen to – and honor – your body. You always know what’s best for you and baby.

Are you wishing you would have schedule maternity photos after all? Are you ready to get on the New Year’s books to ensure you capture a post-holiday newborn in all his/her glory? Contact me, Marcela Limon, 510-747-9019. I’m the owner of Lemonshoots, and I love spending this season and the fresh, New Year with third-trimester mamas - as well as newborn babies and their families. Let’s work holiday magic together.