Three Things I Didn’t Expect In My Third Pregnancy

1. Nipple soreness
​Have you heard this incredible quote by the iconic Betty White?
“Why do people say "grow some balls"? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.” 

While I agree with Betty, I think NIPPLES actually take a hell of a beating. Mine now look like a sad piece of chewed up bubble gum that you’d find at the bottom of a New York subway seat. But hey, they did a damn good job doing what they were made to do!

All jokes aside, I breastfeed my firstborn for 17 months. It was around that time that I was urged to stop by my fertility specialist since we were experiencing secondary infertility. I’m still breastfeeding my second bub, and she is currently 16 months old. Lately, feeding her has been nothing short of painful. Her latching is sharp and stings, just like the first weeks of caring for a newborn. I can barely stand the water from the shower hitting them! It came as such a surprise to me. However, our breasts and nipples do change with pregnancy, and it probably doesn’t help that she now has 10 teeth.

2. Veins, veins go away

I’ve heard that with each subsequent pregnancy you increase your chances of things like varicose veins. I still didn’t think I would get noticeable, purple markings on my body. I’ve developed a nasty little cluster on my left thigh which look like spider veins met a rogue blue paintball splat. In the morning it’s quite light in colour, and by the end of the day it looks angry and pretty PO’ed. I find it annoying and distracting, but by no means is it important in the scheme of things. Will it go away? No idea. Our blood volume doubles in pregnancy, and the added pressure of being pregnant can make out bodies do some weird things. On the annoyance scale, I’d give it a 1.5/5 stars. 

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3. Early onset abdominal separation
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I was diagnosed with diastasis recti at 21 weeks. My midwife said I already had a three finger separation, which was a shock because after giving birth to my second baby I had a four finger separation. This legit freaked me out because I, very rationally, did the math and calculated the I’d for sure develop a three fist separation by the time I was 40 weeks. Funny thing is, I'm on tracking with my growth. I'm not overly big, and my belly is measuring 25 cm at 25 weeks, which is exactly what it’s supposed to be. I believe it to be a combination of factors, such as: a third pregnancy and having to carry my one year old since she still isn’t walking.

I went to the physio and was given some exercises to help support my TA, low back and glutes. Strengthening these intrinsic muscles will help to feign off horrific back pain later in the pregnancy. I will be sure to share some of these exercises on my insta stories. 
For now I’m doing the exercises twice a day, doing my pelvic floor work at red lights and being mindful not to over stretch when practicing yoga. The relaxin hormone is great for helping our bodies give birth, but it is important not to overstretch your ligaments just because the added laxity is there. 

EMK x