🧡 This post is part of my Twin Pregnancy at 46 series.
Start from Week 20 →
https://www.freyanaturaltherapy.co.uk/blogs/my-twin-pregnancy-over-40/20-week-twin-scan

I’ve Finally Hit a Wall

Hmm… where do I begin? I still have horrendous heartburn, my feet no longer resemble feet because they’re so swollen, and by the end of the day they’re incredibly painful. Night-time bathroom trips (which are frequent) have become an event in themselves – it takes me a while to walk properly because the skin on my feet is so stretched that my ankles don’t bend properly!

Two late entrants to the race: lower back pain and rampaging hormones.

Lower Back Pain

I suffer from lower back pain anyway and, to be honest, I’m surprised it’s taken until 34 weeks to really flare up. I think that’s largely thanks to having McTimoney chiropractic treatment every three weeks. It’s a tiny adjustment – just a flicking movement – and because ligaments and muscles are looser in pregnancy, that’s all that’s needed. Importantly, it doesn’t hurt.

However, when you’re carrying over 9.5lb of baby (according to our most recent scan), even this isn’t always enough!

Hormones

This completely took me by surprise. I thought by the third trimester my hormones would have settled into their heightened state… but no. They’ve multiplied!

Cue crying for no apparent reason, finding anything my lovely husband says or does either incredibly irritating or deeply upsetting, and don’t even get me started on watching TV. We watched Ted the other night – a silly comedy about a teddy bear who comes to life. When Ted gets ripped to pieces (don’t worry, happy ending!), I was literally sobbing uncontrollably. Pregnancy hormones are no joke.

Coping (One Day at a Time)

So all I can do is take each day as it comes. I’ve been diffusing uplifting oils in the evenings (bergamot, neroli and lime are my current favourites) and spraying lavender on my pillow at night to help me at least fall asleep – which actually works a treat.

The good news? My belly button is still technically an innie (just about!), and unbelievably I still have no stretch marks. I thank my Simply Pregnant Body Lotion every day for that.

I’ll be amazed if we make it to the C-section date at the end of July. I’m seeing the midwife tomorrow to check my blood pressure, as my swollen feet need monitoring. The pitted oedema (where the skin stays indented when pressed) can be an early sign of pre-eclampsia, so we’re keeping a close eye on things.