Oh boy, the third trimester is often a doozy. I’m sure there are some lucky people who have no issues, but for many women (yours truly included) the third trimester is filled with aches, pains, anxieties, and so. much. swelling.

During the third trimester you are carrying around an almost fully grown baby, plus all the blood and fluids that goes along with it. Your organs are compressed, your hip ligaments are loosening, and your bladder is working on over time.

So what’s a girl to do when you can’t bend over to tie your shoes, can’t sleep, are peeing all the time, and no longer have a “cute” baby bump, but instead a basketball X3 stuck under your shirt?

Here are a few tried and true ways to survive that third trimester.

1. Make sure to get as much sleep as possible

This may sound like a joke when all you want to do is sleep, but can’t get comfortable and are waking up all the time to go to the bathroom. But, hear me out. There are ways to try to get some more sleep in. My favorite was scheduling sleep. I put myself to bed at 9:30 p.m. every night. I also made sure to get a nap in once a weekend. I’d even put it on my shared Google calendar with my husband so he would respect the nap time. If I couldn’t fall asleep, then at least the rest time helped get me through the rest of the day.

2. Get off your feet as much as possible

If you have a desk job, get a stool for under your desk to put your feet up on. This saved me on my worst swelling days. When you’re home, feel no guilt for spending time on the couch with your feet up. Of course, you can’t just lay around all day for three months, but making it a priority to put your feet up whenever possible will make a difference in how you feel and will significantly help swelling. Also, don’t underestimate the power of some compression socks. Those babies can help keep swelling down when nothing else can.

3. Pack your hospital bag and get the nursery ready

I had a friend who finished her nursery and went into labor that very night. There’s a lot to be said for lightening the mental load by checking things off your to-do list. You will be ready for that baby to come when you feel ready.

At Insurance Covered Breast Pumps, we know that the pumping life is mom life. And we want you to be successful!

See if your insurance will cover one of our brand name breast pumps by clicking here and follow our Facebook and Instagram for more pumping tips.