It doesn’t seem possible, but somehow before Delaney was a pregnancy. I struggle to remember the details and even in writing this, though it hasn’t even been two months since she joined us, I’ve tried to flip back through the mental photos of what happened in my pregnancy. Admittedly, this pregnancy was physically tougher on me than when I was pregnant with Emerson, but it also flew by in comparison. And of course now seems like Delaney has been here all along!

Symptoms: Unfortunately, the sciatic back pain that I experienced only continued to worsen throughout the third trimester, so much so it began to impact my sleep. Our mattress on our bed was too soft for the harder surface my back seemed to do okay with so I ended up spending the last two months of my pregnancy sleeping downstairs, alternating between the couch and daybed. In addition to the back pain, I also experienced insomnia. Rather than waking me up in the middle of the night, like when I was pregnant with Emerson, it took hours for me to fall asleep. While I was physically uncomfortable and exhausted, I did love all of the baby kicks and movements I felt!

Food: My sweet tooth seemingly was at an all-time high towards the end of my pregnancy, as I enjoyed a bowl of ice cream almost every night. The only other craving I seemed to have was cereal: cheerios with almond milk or plain cinnamon toast crunch. Aside from that, I didn’t really have any interesting cravings!

Highlights: We somehow managed to have nearly two straight weeks of baby celebration in August! We took maternity and family photos on the most beautiful summer evening and had the best time. The following week, Jody and I snuck away for a night at The Wylder, a small resort on nearby Tilghman Island. We soaked in the pool, sipped on mocktails, and sat by the water in an evening of relaxation. Later that week, we celebrated at my Mediterranean-themed baby sprinkle – the sweetest celebration for baby girl!

During the third trimester is also when we really got to work on the nursery. I knew mauve was the color direction I wanted to take was but struggled to find design inspiration that was different from Emerson’s room. I did find a piece of stunning wallpaper that ended up being the inspiration for a french country theme and I love the way that it turned out!

Massager Gun: I am not sure I would have made it through the end of my pregnancy without our massage gun. Because of the sciatic pain in my lower back, laying down was incredibly uncomfortable and often caused me to get “stuck” in certain a position. I used this almost every night to massage the muscles around the pain points that would relax my body enough to let me fall asleep.

Sandals: Such a random favorite item but I think I wore these shoes just about everyday during the third trimester. They have good support but were loose enough to be comfortable around my swelling and aching feet.

Sweater Set: This set from Amazon is the best. I purchased it after seeing another influencer share that she wore it pregnant, despite it not being a maternity outfit. The slits in the side of the top accommodated my bump and the material was light and comfortable – a must for summer! I actually had planned to purchase the long pant version of this set to wear home from the hospital but Delaney arrived before I had a chance to order it!

Oversized T-Shirt: Speaking from the other side, this might be the most worn top of this year for me. I wore it often in late pregnancy – from work from home calls, to running errands, to working out, this top worked for all. I was wearing it when I went into labor, and I’ve worn it more than I care to admit in this season of postpartum. I finally ordered another color this week because I love it so much!

Pregnancy Tape: I wish I discovered this tape sooner! Similar to KT tape, this pregnancy tape is designed to help support your body as it grows and changes throughout pregnancy. In another effort to alleviate my back pain, I wore this tape across my lower back for support for my SI joint. I should have worn it on my bump during my last work event two days before I ended up going into labor.

Liquid IV: Pregnant or not, I love a liquid iv as I tend to not stay as hydrated as I should. They especially were crucial in maintaining a healthy level of hydration in the late summer days and gave me something more flavorful than plain water. My favorite flavor is passionfruit!

Not pictured but I also highly recommend finding a chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy as well as a masseuse. I actually started seeing the chiropractor in late May, going about once a week, and could tell a difference in how my body felt the weeks I didn’t go. I do think that helped my body prepare for birth, especially in how it played out, but that’s a story for another time. 🙂

So there you have it – the final pregnancy recap, 2.0 version. If you missed the previous posts, you can find them here and here. I still can’t believe how quickly this pregnancy came and went!