Jul 24

Jul 24 Third Trimester Pregnancy Guide

Third Trimester Pregnancy Guide

You’re now in the third trimester and home stretch of your pregnancy, and the arrival of your baby is getting closer every day. While you can see the light at the end of the tunnel with only a few months left to go, this trimester can be the most difficult. Try to stay positive and focus on the little bundle of joy that will soon be snoozing peacefully in your arms.

TIPS FOR YOUR THIRD TRIMESTER

Your baby weighs about two pounds at the beginning of the third trimester and around seven pounds at full term. That is a lot of growing in a very short period of time, and means lots of hard work for your body!

You are probably carrying around an extra 20 pounds or more of baby weight by the end of the third trimester. This will cause you to feel the need to slow down a bit, and it’s important to listen to what your body is telling you. If you are still working, take frequent breaks to put your feet up and relax, close your eyes for a moment, and envision the reward at the end of this journey. Exercise can also be beneficial, such as light aerobics or pre-natal yoga.

BABY BUMP PHOTO IDEAS SHOOT

About mid-way through the third trimester is an ideal time to do a professional pregnancy photo shoot. Your bump is beautifully round, but you are not too big that it is uncomfortable or hard to pose. You will want to find a great photographer for this session, someone you feel comfortable with and trust to capture this special moment. If you have friends or family with good photography skills, it only takes a little imagination to create some beautiful images.

There are some really cool ways to capture the true beauty of the bump and the loving bond that exists between you and your baby-to-be. A nice close-up of you gently touching and gazing down at your belly speaks to the true love you already feel for your unborn child. A photo of daddy kissing mommy while you cuddle your bump is a great way to display the love of your family. You could also go with the simple beauty of your baby bump in all its glory in a silhouette pose.

If you have other children, it’s always fun to include them in the photoshoot. A photo of your little one planting a sweet kiss on your belly or lovingly touching your bump is a memory that you may want to look back on when the kids are older and fighting over every toy, book and game in the playroom.

If there is a special furbaby in your life, you can always include them in your photoshoot as well. You could even have professional photos of the baby and baby’s best friend done a few months after the baby arrives.

It’s also fun to take photos of your bump from different angles so you can get a different perspective. It’s been awhile since you were able to look down and see anything but bump. Think of how fun it would be to see that bump from above or below!

Canvas prints are a great way to capture those special memories of your bump by turning some of your photos into beautiful canvas wall art. You can create personalized canvas prints to hang on your bedroom wall, in the nursery, or display on your fireplace mantel. These prints make awesome gifts for the grandparents-to-be as well.

The photos can also be used in your Pregnancy Journal. Create a page using some of the pics from the shoot and write a special note to your unborn baby, your pregnancy milestones, and your plans for the future with the baby. When the baby is older, these memories will be so special for you to be able to share with him or her.

BABY SHOWER IDEAS

Now is the time to celebrate bringing your little bundle of joy into the world with a special party in honor of you and your baby. This party is typically hosted by a friend, mother or mother-in-law of the new mom. Below is a week by week checklist of what needs to be done to ensure the party goes off without a hitch:

4 Weeks Out

Pick a date & time that works for both you and the party planners and start to prepare the guest list. There are many options other than the traditional way of hosting in someone’s home. Many showers are now being held in restaurants or local community centers.

Pick a theme and choose your baby shower invitations. There two ways you can decide on your theme. Do you want a casual gathering or something a little more upscale and elegant? If you decide to throw a casual baby shower, we suggest fun themes like a children’s book theme.

A book-themed party is where all the guests bring books for the baby. You can run the book theme through all your party decorations and invitations. Casual baby showers are full of colors and patterns, easy finger foods, and a laid-back atmosphere where guests can get silly with the future mom.

Some more light-hearted, fun-focused themes, could be an animal-theme “Born to Be Wild” party. Maybe a “Lil’ Slugger Baseball” theme to really knock it out of the park!

For a modern-meets-chic baby shower, our favorite themes include a “Once Upon a Time…” storybook theme with ribbons, white linen, and accents of lace. Or a try a minimalist motif that features both pink and baby blue.

Feature hand-crafted foods that are refined and high quality. Tea, sandwiches and canapés, charcuterie, arugula salads, and French macaroons are great examples of chic party bites.

Three Weeks Out

Send out invitations with an RSVP deadline of at least two weeks.

Plan the menu and order your cake.

Depending on the style of your shower, the food should fit the theme. If your looking to do more of a formal sit down luncheon, you will want to have fewer appetizers and keep them simple, like a fruit and veggie platter or charcuterie plate. With a sit down lunch, the focus will be on the courses of the meal, like the soup or salad, lunch entree, and dessert. If you're going for relaxed, finger foods and passed appetizers, mini tacos, sliders, and fresh spring rolls are great for party atmospheres. Also, miniature sweets like baby doughnuts or cookies are a nice addition.

Here are some cute menu options that fall in line with the book theme:

Plan the games

One fun game that ties back to the book theme is allowing the guests to create their own storybook together. Each guest can write one line of a plot and let the fun ensue! Fill-in-the-blank games like, guessing what features (i.e nose, hair, humor) the baby might gain from each parent, works well in an luncheon setting. Print guest’s baby photos with Mixbook and have a “Guess Who?” game as each numbered photo hangs from clothes pins and rustic twine. Turning the photos sepia-toned or black and white will give them a classic look.

Two Weeks Out

Make sure your decorations are all set. Casual or elegant baby showers both can feature crafty DIY decor that won’t cost you much money. Decorations can even double as part of the entertainment.

Casual decor ideas:
• Place daisies in different shaped containers as centerpieces
• Hang a fun backdrop on an empty wall to create an easy photo booth. Include props related to your theme, like children’s books for example
• Custom M&M's with baby initials or parents' names
• Hang colorful baby socks as garland

Formal decor ideas:
• Roses in a teapot style vase for centerpieces
• Cover balloons in lace for decorations
• Use lots of flowers and petals around table settings
• Feature a floral headband making station for a girl or a onesie making station for a boy

Don’t forget the party favors!

Make a list of party favors or prizes you need to purchase for your games. Going with the book theme, a neat party favor could include "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" cookie pouches or for an upscale treat, decadent goodies in a mason jar.

One Week Out

Touch base with anyone who has not sent an RSVP and cook/bake anything that can be made ahead and frozen

Last Minute Tips:
• If you are hosting in your home, prepare the space for guests by clearing closet space for coats and shoes
• Make sure mommy-to-be has a place to sit
• Designate areas for gifts, raffles, games, craft stations, and food

Party Time

A good host as always, will introduce the guests to each other. Take the time to open gifts and be sure to have someone record who gifted what for Mommy when preparing the thank you cards. And most importantly, remember to take LOTS of photos to fill your pregnancy journal.

Some photos you should remember to take include; the location, images of the theme and decorations, lots of shots of the guests interacting with the guest of honor, shots of the food and cake and don’t forget the gifts! It is also a fun time to do a photoshoot where you use a frame to take photos of the guests and the mom-to-be. The day will be a very busy one for the guest of honor, so try to take as many pictures as possible to help her remember her special celebration for many years to come.

BABY SHOWER THANK YOU CARDS

Try to send your baby shower thank you photo cards within a month after the shower. They say the sooner the better, but this is not always possible. One way to get ahead of the game is to address all the envelopes before the shower to save you time after the shower. It’s a nice idea to write a short personal note in each card as well. You will be exhausted in the weeks after the baby arrives, so if you don’t get them finished before the big day gets here, a good rule of thumb to follow is that it is never too late to say thank you!

Mixbook offers loads of great customizable baby thank you cards that can be used for the baby shower thank yous and for gifts after the baby arrives. There are lots of options that match the Mixbook fun or modern themes you choose.

BABY’S ARRIVAL

The time has finally arrived and you have met your perfect little angel face to face. Remember you don’t need to be a professional photographer to take some beautiful pictures of your new baby while you are still at the hospital. Designate a family member or friend to be your photographer for the day and provide them with a list of photos you want them to take. The baby’s first day will go by in a flash and you won’t have time to think about pictures. Here is Mixbook’s top 10 photos ideas they can take for you before you take your first family car ride home.

1. Meeting your baby for the very first time
2. Dad/Mom & baby having a moment
3. Siblings meeting the new baby for the first time
4. Photo with Mom & Dad
5. Photo of the name card on the end of the baby’s crib
6. Photos of the doctors & nurses who helped you during your delivery and hospital stay
7. Photos of the hospital bracelets
8. Photo of baby being footprinted
9. Photos of tiny fingers & toes
10. Leaving the hospital

Many of these pictures are ideal to include in your hospital pages in your Mixbook Pregnancy Journal. Along with the photos be sure to include details about where you were when you went into labor, how long you were in labour, date and time of the birth, as well as how you felt. Your memories are so important to capture now so they can be shared and cherished for years to come!

BABY BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Now that you have your new little bundle home safe and sound, it is time to share your good news with the world. The birth announcement should include all the basic info you usually ask other new parents; when was the baby born, what is the baby's gender, what was the baby’s weight and most importantly, what is the baby’s name.

There is no specific time that birth announcements should go out by. Remember you just grew a tiny human inside you, gave birth and now have a newborn at home, people will understand if you are a little busy right now. You could send an email to friends and family announcing the birth and let them know a birth announcement card will be arriving shortly.

Mixbook has tons of fully customizable baby birth announcements that you can edit to include photos of your new little bundle of joy. You just have to take a cute pic or two to include, and add your baby’s birth info.

Here are a few completely adorable photo ideas that you can recreate on your own to include on your birth announcement. Take the first alphabet letter of the baby’s name and place it in the crib with the baby and snap your pic. Can you say LOVE!? One cute, but funny idea, is to put a "Hello my name is" sticker on the baby and take the photo. This is a great way to announce the baby’s name. You could even stick with the book theme from your baby shower and take a photo of your newborn on top of a pile of books that belonged to you and your partner as children.