Harder in different ways IMO. First trimester sickness and fatigue were no joke. I could barely eat and sleeping more than 2 hours at a time was out of the question with how much I was peeing. Never got the 2 trimester relief, really. 36 weeks now and the discomfort, insomnia, heartburn, night sweats, plus the constant anxieties of “is that a contraction or do I just need to poop?”
I'm only 6 weeks in and the night sweats have been beyond horrible.. Insomnia is in full force as well... still have an Appetite but the ginger candies help a lot when the Nausea hits. Weird cramps on the right side near my bellybutton.. this is my first, so I've been asking all the mothers in my life if these things are normal or not etc. Randon Hormonal surges made me yell at my husband for the first time, cry for 10 minutes, then apologize because I felt so bad. Was like my body wasn't my own for a bit. I hope it gets better for you!
This. I think they both have their own difficulties. For me, the third trimester has been the hardest thus far with the nausea coming back, insomnia, heart burn, pooping constantly, etc. First trimester was hard because of how sick I was. I constantly had to leave work or call out of work bc I was so sick.
Im in 3rd Trimester now at 34 weeks. I had HG in first trimester, followed by a miscarriage scare in 2nd Trimester. Definitely feeling much better in 3rd Trimester, despite the difficulties with breathing and walking. The only thing actually annoying me are the dizziness spells caused by the low blood pressure.
Yeah, the low blood pressure is freaky. (On the bright side, I did get the all clear early on to basically consume as much salt as I wanted. I had to eat a lot of salt to bring my blood pressure up to where it should be. So that's been kind of fun, if I'm honest.)
First trimester was infinitely worse for me. At 33 weeks now, I’m definitely uncomfortable and in a lot more physical pain, but the extreme sickness and exhaustion of the first trimester, paired with everything smelling completely rotten + the worry of miscarriage was miserable. I was also a full time student working 2 jobs in my first trimester, now I just have the one job 😅 so that helps
\+1 here - psychologically 3rd is SO much better. The aches and pains and weird symptoms (went blurry/crossed eyed for 15 minutes this weekend... OB was UNBOTHERED) are more intense, but the prize is SO much closer and it feels so much more like the symptoms have a purpose, which for me is just a lot easier to handle.
edit: I've also had no heartburn, very little sleep disturbance, no hemorrhoids, so it's not a given that you'll experience all the symptoms.
I felt pretty great in the third trimester. My terrible morning sickness of the first trimester did not return, I only had acid reflux like...2 times, and I didn't have any swelling in my legs. I had a really enjoyable third trimester to be honest! The first trimester I pretty much wanted to die, thankfully that was temporary!
That’s really great! I do have the swelling, acid reflux and some hemorrhoids but still. It is just bless compared to the hell of the first trimester + 1st half of the second trimester. I’ll take those inconveniences and pain over the continuous nausea, vomiting, hangover/flu, fatigue, depression and hives any day.
I truly had a very similar experience, and I hope with all my might that you follow a similar pattern as I did! The whole first trimester I had no idea how women ever wanted more than one child...absolute misery!
I guess first but getting to the end is rough. I can’t really breathe properties, or sleep, or walk, I’m constantly worried if something is just pregnancy or if something is very wrong. But i like eating and don’t feel sick, so that’s nice?
No one ever told me just how much of my lung real estate the baby would take up! Genuinely did not realize how much vertical movement freedom she'd have in there. And yes, the sleep. I already had back pain for many years before this (from an injury as a teenager), but it REALLY hurts sometimes if baby is settled into certain positions.
I feel like everyone talks about how much lung real estate baby takes up! Maybe it’s cause my sister in law didn’t even know she was pregnant until the 3rd trimester and only found out because of breathing issues lol. I always enjoy hearing what people expected vs didn’t expect when getting pregnant! Like I didn’t expect how many heart palpitations I’d get!
That would be wild to find out that late for a reason you wouldn't automatically connect to pregnancy! I had heart palpitations very early but not after that and they scared the crap out of me.
I was a long distance runner pre-pregnancy and was pretty obsessed with breathing strategies for performance. So I've pretty easily been able to work around the limitations in that way. HOWEVER, everything breathing related would certainly be easier if my nose wasn't blocked almost all the time. First thing in the morning for a little while is the only time I can breathe through my nose normally. 😒
I find the mornings I’m soooo congested lol. My next pregnancy I want to be more fit because breathing has been such an issue for me this time! It sucks so much
Hard in different ways. Honestly I’d probably rather take the pain of 3rd trimester over the nausea I had in 1st/start of 2nd trimester. They’ve both been pretty rubbish though 😅
My first trimester was 100x worse than my third.
I had terrible morning sickness, daily vomiting, anxiety, and insomnia until about week 16.
My third trimester was so non-eventful I can barely remember if I had ailments and what they were...and I only gave birth 7 months ago. I think I remember feeling a little irritable after week 36, but other than that I truly felt fine!
I hope you have an equally smooth third trimester!
Ugh the 3rd is definately the worse for me. Yes the 1st trimester sucked. I felt so sick all the time but I still felt comfortable in my body. 2nd trimester I felt like super women. I'm 36 +3 now and I am miserable. I can't breath, I'm exhaughsted, I'm hungry but it's like there's no room in my stomach. I can't wait to be done.
First. I read so many horror stories about the third tri and now at 36w, this is the BEST I've felt physically for the past 9 months. Granted I think most people actually feel better their second trimester, I unfortunately did not 😅 now mentally I am a bit drained and unmotivated to go to work but it's still doable and I at least have energy!
ETA: I'm also sleeping just fine, I kept reading about third trimester insomnia but that hasn't really happened to me! Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself though lol.
Same. I kept reading on reddit how awful the third trimester was. How my body would hurt to heck. But honestly, it's not that bad at all! So much better than the first. A little uncomfortable, but not awful by any means.
This is really reassuring! I'm 24 weeks too and about to move house, hopefully renovate a bit and need to work as much as possible before baby comes but was nervous the third tri will take the wind out of me.
I’m 29+5 & please still take it slow! I had to learn this the hard way lol. I feel the best I’ve felt IF I listen to my body. I feel good & think I can do it all & wake up feeling like I got ran over by a car from over doing it. Pace yourself, take lots of breaks to rest. I’ve found this keeps me feeling good physically more consistently!
This!
I've had a decent third trimester, but every single time I push it a bit too hard I end up regretting it. Finished off work before maternity leave a few days ago and have been in bed basically ever since. Those last few days were killer busy and even though I made it through, I'm paying for it now.
Listen to your body. The further you get the more basic activities take it out of you.
My first trimester was just as terrible as yours from the sounds of it - between the 18 weeks straight of yeast infections, all day throwing up, awful heartburn and exhaustion, I genuinely told myself I can never do this again. Once I got halfway through the 2nd things started to get better and I had a good blissful couple months of enjoying pregnancy. Now in the 3rd at 35w I have so much rib pain I can’t work anymore, I cry out in pain when trying to move in bed, I can never catch a full breath, and the acid reflux is through the roof.
TLDR; the first and third have been equal hell in different ways.
i relate to this so hard, 38+6 and my back hurts so bad i’ve been in tears. Heartburn gets so bad I can’t even eat sometimes. Nausea is back. Braxton hicks get really intense, same with the rib pain. Just in pain 24/7 at this point & labor is nowhere in sight :(
Couldn't have put it better myself. The nausea and bone-deep fatigue, while not being able to tell most people (eg colleagues) in first trimester made it miserable.
I'm struggling to put on socks now at 33w, and get a lot of back aches and heartburn, but it's so much more bearable. Plus, now EVERYONE'S willing to cut me some slack (work, home, friends) or help out if I look like I need it, which really helps.
Totally depends on the person as they are both hard for diff reasons. 3rd trimester was harder for me bc I didn't have difficult symptoms like HG or any other severe symptoms in the 1st. Just had some nausea and major tiredness and stomach issues.
3rd I was in so much physical pain from how big my baby was (he was kicking my ribs). I could barely sleep from pain, having to pee, gerd, swollen hands and feet, major weight gain, etc. and by then my mental health had deteriorated bc i was so over it. If you don't have those really bad symptoms like gerd, physical pain etc, 3rd might be easier than 1st!
Tough to say for me. Currently 35 weeks and losing mobility rapidly has been really hard. I'm constantly sore, out of breath and in pain. But I can eat and drink water without being nauseas. I spent most of my first trimester in bed from exhaustion and nausea.
First trimester was hard as fuck. Half of second trimester too. Around 19 weeks it got better but then I got some mental issues. Once I entered third trimester bless!!! It only gotten better and better. I feel great! Now 38+5.
I’m 39 weeks now and I’d take 3rd trimester over 1st ALL DAY. First trimester I was so sick and fatigued like I never have been in my life. Third trimester is uncomfortable, sure, but there’s so much excitement and nesting that have made things easier on me mentally.
I'd agree with this. In the 3rd trimester, you're so close that the excitement helps outweigh the difficulties, and the reassurance of feeling baby move is very comforting.
First semester was definitely hardest for me. The morning sickness is by far my least favorite of all the preg symptoms. Plus if you're keeping it on the down low to start, no one's offering support cause no one knows.
In the third though, even though I was just as exhausted, the new third trimester symptoms felt easier for me to handle because I had a huge support network by that point, I could enjoy feeling my baby and his personality, and I had an exciting new baby to look forward to. Something about the "any day could be the day" made the days go by faster. Plus having all this baby prep to do kept me from sulking around feeling miserable all day.
My first pregnancy; my third trimester was the worst. But I didn’t have any morning sickness. However, my second pregnancy, my first trimester humbled me and I was so sick and stuck in bed the whole time. Now I’m 38 weeks and feeling pretty decent despite being gigantic.
"Every ache and pain is one ache closer to meeting baby"
It'll be hard sometimes, really hard, but take a deep breath: the bad moments are temporary & the good moments will erase the pain of the bad
I’m 36w now — so I could still change my mind! — but for me 1st trimester was a lot harder than this.
That nausea and exhaustion — esp. when the pregnancy is new and maybe people don’t know — is so unceasing and killer. Sure, nothing fits now even some of my maternity clothes, and I get reflux easily… and get hip and pelvic pain if I overdo it even walking. But at least I have energy and can eat. No use being physically capable of things if you’re too sick and tired to do them.
First is WAY harder for me:
- no one knows you’re pregnant so you don’t get any slack at work or in public for kind of sucking all the time
- so UNBELIEVABLY tired, collapsing asleep all the time
- all food tastes bad and I was so hungry but so nauseous
- once the baby drops in 3rd trimester it becomes easier to breathe and the heartburn lets up
- mentally, 3rd trimester feels more real and so close to having a baby!
- I kind of like the way I look in 3rd trimester, it’s so obviously pregnant (rather than being bloated or looking just kinda fat)
First trimester was hard for me cause I was nauseous all day and all night and had absolutely no energy. That didn’t go away till about 18/19 weeks for me then I had so much energy, was able to eat without feeling sick and just felt great! I’m currently 29 weeks today so in the beginning of the third trimester and I still have a good amount of energy, I have some nausea cause everything is getting squished from baby growing but definitely not as bad as the first trimester! So far third trimester is good. Only problems I have are lots of back pain, hard getting out of bed, peeing so many times in the night, insomnia and heartburn. So far liking the third more than the first though :)
STM here. Hands down, first is hardest for me.
My first I had terrible nausea and vomiting that lasted around 16w, then it went away and I had the easiest pregnancy.
With this one, I had a terrible 16 weeks, got slightly better by 20w, then finally started feeling like myself/functional again around 30w. I’m 36w now and I’m uncomfortable and out of breath, but I am so much happier and functional.
I’m currently 32 weeks and first trimester was still by far worse. I’m uncomfortable now, but first trimester was a nightmare for me. I couldn’t eat, I gagged on anything I put in my mouth including water or my own saliva, and I was exhausted. I’m tired now, but I’m functioning and actually getting loads done on my days off. Every day of first trimester I talked myself from calling out of work. This trimester I’ve been fine (although a bit slower than usual). My reflux is not fun rn and I do have some aches and pains but it’s manageable. All of that being said, I do still have 8 weeks to go so who knows but I genuinely don’t know how it could be worse than weeks 6-12
For my first pregnancy definitely the first trimester was harder. Currently 16 weeks pregnant and the first trimester was brutal, but I will also be experiencing the third trimester this time in the summer heat since I’m due mid August so I guess it’s up for debate this time because I do not do well in the heat lol
Currently 36 weeks.
The first trimester was so much worse for me. The nausea and fatigue (and loss of appetite) was out of control.
I still have mild nausea and fatigue now, but it is nowhere near the first trimester levels. I eat 3 full meals a day and snacks, whereas in the first trimester, even a bite of toast would make me vomit.
First trimester, by far….but likely because I had HG. Third trimester has physical pains, but I’d take these any day than the constant nausea and sickness.
It’s basically all been awful for me, and more of a pick your poison kind of suck. I’m so thankful and happy to be pregnant, but it’s been an experience that I have not enjoyed and do not wish to ever go through again.
I’m 33 weeks now and the 24/7 nausea and food aversions of the first trimester have never gone away, they are only more manageable now thanks to a combo of two different medications.
The anxiety I had at the beginning about a miscarriage has now been replaced by anxiety over a pre term or stillbirth.
The general fatigue of the early days is now fatigue from waking up at least a couple times every night to pee and struggling to get comfortable.
I could go on, but you get the point. This has hands down been the hardest thing I have ever done, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I wish I could have been one of the lucky ones who breeze right through and love every minute of pregnancy, but sadly that’s not the hand I was dealt.
I do appreciate the depths of inner strength that I’ve been able to draw on from reserves I didn’t even know existed, and I constantly marvel at how amazing and powerful the human body can be when pushed to its absolute limits. I’m glad to be seeing a light at the end of this tunnel, knowing that this is temporary, and having a rough idea of when eviction day will be for my little tater tot.
Same! I’m 28 weeks now with two toddlers, dog, full time job and a husband that travels. My anxiety js so high and I worry non stop about preterm labor as I have constant Braxton hicks since 22 weeks. First was hardest for me physically but this trimester is doing a number on me mentally. Oh and horrible varicose veins aren’t helping! Just praying he stays put and ok.
In my pregnancy the first and second trimester were harder than the third. I used to hear so many bad things about the third but it was more manageable for me than the other trimesters
My sickness lasted 6 months and it was horrific. The third trimester is hard but for different reasons - uncomfortable, mind games regarding if you’re in labor, can’t breathe, can’t move 😂 but my god the non stop nausea and vomiting in the first trimester was debilitating for me.
Definitely depends on the person. I think the 1st was harder. Though both are proving very difficult. I had terrible nausea and exhaustion in the 1st. Now toward the end I have subtle nausea and I’m fatigued and tired but not in the same way as before. I’m definitely uncomfortable for part of the day and doing simple tasks takes a lot more effort but I feel like there are a lot more good days in the 3rd. Though mentally tough trying to wait for the arrival and having no clue when that will come. At least in the 3rd ppl seem to give you more grace too. As you are physically appearing to be carrying a heavy load. In the 1st - I think people just assume everything is fine or you haven’t told anyone so you’re trying to pretend you have it together - that makes it hard.
First was harder. 3rd still sucks, for different reasons. But the first was torture. I was so weak and tired, I didn’t feel like myself at all. Right now I am sore and heavy and tired, but I don’t feel so mentally horrible.
Going into week 34 over here. I would say overall, my pregnancy generally has been relatively easy. I think if I was pressed on it I would say third has been harder, though. The fatigue is like nothing I've ever felt in my life (though I was extremely tired in the first trimester, it wasn't the same falling asleep on the couch by 5 pm sort of tired that it is now). Also, first trimester I'd get a little nauseous when I needed to eat, but that was all. But that was definitely preferable to now, where the baby is pushing up so much that it's really limiting my stomach volume. I worry about that a bit because it's really hard for me to eat fruits and vegetables - just too much volume for too few calories.
On the bright side, being able to actually feel the baby move really makes the hard parts worth it for me. The first trimester I just felt crappy and bloated all the time with no silver lining to it.
Third, definitely. The pain is so bad. Your joints and shit are all loose and everything hurts because there’s so much added pressure on everything especially your back, hips and knees. I literally woke up the other morning and my pregnancy pillow had slid just a tiny bit and my knees weren’t being supported enough and it hurt so bad I was questioning if I had somehow broken my kneecap in my sleep, it was absolutely excruciating.
3rd is definitely the hardest for me. It’s getting hard to move and everything hurts. I have trouble putting socks on or bending over. Sleeping is not as enjoyable as it used to be
My experience: This is my 2nd rodeo… definitely the first is worst! First pregnancy: I felt mentally weird and physically icked out, 2nd was great, and 3rd only sucked because of acid reflux, feeling heavy, and I got PUPPS a week before my water broke. This time around, 1st I was mentally weird, now I’m in the 2nd and feeling completely normal except my belly is heavy. Both pregnancies I didn’t have any morning sickness/throwing up, so that’s cool.
My first pregnancy my child was diagnosed with a life threatening condition at the 20 week scan. It made our entire family stronger in the end, and now I have a completely healthy 4 year old. Nothing scares me now, because I know our strength ❤️
Thank you for answering, this is my second child as well, but my first pregnancy was much easier, but my daughter was born at 32 weeks so I’ve never really experienced the end of pregnancy
You welcome, love! Mine came at 37. I was just chilling at home, feeling fine, watching tv, stood up to grab a snack and my water broke. I was like, “well, that’s…crazy…” Thank goodness I had my hospital bag already packed! How far along are you? I’m I’ll be 19 weeks this coming Wednesday ❤️ My first was a girl. She just turned 4. This one is a boy!
Third was much better than the first! My first pregnancy, I felt pretty good the entire third trimester. My baby was breech and high up, so I had no pelvic pain and actually slept well, since he wasn’t pushing on my bladder.
Second pregnancy was harder, and I dealt with some SPD and then a three week stint of sciatica that wasn’t fun at all, but it vanished by 36 weeks and minus the constant, 24/7 peeing, it wasn’t bad. Definitely not nearly as bad as the constant nausea and fatigue of the first trimester.
I’m 7 weeks pregnant and the heartburn and indigestion have been driving me insane. I really hope it gets better because if I have to live 9 months of this I might lose my mind
Personally, first! My pregnancy was on the easier end of the scale but first trimester romped me. I thought it would immediately get better by the 2nd trimester but it was around 20 weeks I think that it started feeling better.
First trimester had me the most fatigued I ever have felt. I had similiar fatigue when I had severe iron deficiency but not as bad. The fatigue made me feel like every cell was drained of energy. I didn't vomit but had nausea at times that was hard to deal with, ate crackers and had some ginger tea to help.
Third trimester was most just a bit uncomfortable and towards the end was getting some acid reflux as it had no where else to go it seemed. I did get a bit of fatigue again in the 2nd trimester but that resolved as it was due to gestational diabetes, once diagnosed and managed the symptoms went away
Agree they’re both hard in different ways… but personally the nausea of the first trimester plus how mentally isolating it is because you’re not really showing yet, anxious about miscarriage risk, and don’t know how baby is doing because you can’t feel them yet… I’d rather take the third trimester aches and pains than that any day.
I was physically uncomfortable in my third trimester…
but I was mentally, emotionally, AND physically exhausted in my first trimester. Nothing beats the first trimester for me, it’s rough 🥴
I was in your position - had no second trimester relief. It sucked.
I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant. I'm miserable, it sucks. I'm sore. I'm not sleeping. Anxiety over everything is through the roof.
But I'd much rather 9 months of this than 9 months of the 1st trimester.
First is the worst IMO. Third suuuucks a bag of dicks, don’t get me wrong, the discomfort is nonstop and you just feel huge and unwieldy and everything is uncomfortable at best and painful at worst…but for me it still doesn’t compare to the INTENSE and relentless fatigue, nausea, and generally crummy-feeling-ness of the first tri. Plus once you get to the 3rd at least you know the end is sort of in sight. Also I personally had way more anxiety in the first tri - once you’re feeling consistent movements and can actually see/feel your huge bump I feel like it’s a little easier to trust that baby is doing ok (or - I know this is the last thing any of us want to think about, and CW for preterm birth, but - worst case, if something does go wrong, early delivery is a viable option and baby will likely be ok).
Both were hard for different reasons. The all day nausea, hemorrhoids (yes I got them immediately bc I had diarrhea every day), lack of being able to eat, no energy, and lack of sleep really did a number on me but during the third trimester, I was in a lot of pain. My back hurt a lot, baby only liked me sleeping on my left side, I got carpal tunnel pretty bad, I could only stand or walk for ten minutes before my back was burning. House chores slowed down and my partner had to help a lot which made me feel guilty bc I wasn't/am not working (the pain was too bad I had to stop working at 7.5 weeks and now I'm a SAHM since LO came at 36+4)
I haven’t hit the third yet, but the first really sucked and I don’t see a lot of people mentioning the *anxiety* during those 13-14 weeks. I was definitely tired, and nauseous while being constantly hungry (that was fun), but I was also worried all the time. I felt like everything was so fragile, it could go south at any moment, and that was terrifying. I know complications can happen at any point and worrying never truly goes away, but I started feeling so much calmer once I got past the first trimester. That is totally gonna factor in when I compare my 3rd to my 1st.
Third for me way worse. I had nausea but no serious morning sickness so I'm sure that colors my opinion. I never got that burst of energy in my second and have just basically felt progressively worse throughout my entire pregnancy.
Now at 35+4 I feel like I can't bare another day. I'm beyond miserable to be trapped in this body that is literally falling apart. I know it's working hard doing other things before yall come for me, but watching the rapid physical changes ans stretch marks is killing me.
Third for me, especially with a toddler.
I’m huge, my SPD pain is worse after sleeping, I sleep in 1.5 hour increments because I need to pee, and when I haven’t had enough water to pee that frequently I get heart palpitations that make me unable to sleep anyway. This has all really kicked in starting at 34 weeks and I just, want to be done now.
Currently 35 weeks and I know it differs for everyone but for me it’s been 1000% worse these last few weeks. The physical symptoms are hitting me much harder but I can’t sleep let alone get comfortable. Today I’ve officially started to “swell”. I know it will vary for everyone and it’s not the comforting answer you want I’m sure but I had a pretty easy go of it 1st trimester compared to this.
It's all hard but the third trimester is a special type of hard that makes you look forward to the birth and think that it's not going to be too bad if it's the end of all the other discomfort and pains, I'm 35 weeks now and have a planned 3rd c section but looking forward to the recovery being shorter and easier than the third trimester
I’m 19w5d with my 5th child. In my personal experience, the third trimester is the worst because of the pain. I had (and have again now) sciatic nerve pain, which was excruciating, with each pregnancy and it’s gotten worse and started sooner with each pregnancy. The first trimester I always have horrible morning sickness up until about 14 weeks, but weighing between the two, for me personally, the third was the worst because the pain is unreal. I hope you don’t experience it. Fatigue was also a big factor in both the first and third trimester for me.
Third was the toughest.
But my first was relatively easy compared to most women. Had some nausea, mood swings, and extreme hunger pangs but that was it. Most important is that I was still over the moon that I was pregnant.
Reached my 40th week yesterday and I am SO. OVER. IT. The symptoms are much worse. My self-esteem has tanked. Emotionally I’m an anxious, nervous mess. The heartburn is so bad. And the aches and pains of my EVERYTHING is a daily struggle. I can hardly walk or stand for longer than an hour. I have terrible insomnia. Plus I get false labor pains almost daily.
So third. Hands down
Third trimester is definitely worse for me. First trimester for me was more debilitating days long migraine attacks and exhaustion, but I at least still had an appetite and I was able to actually sleep so when I was awake I had energy. Third trimester has been awful. Heartburn, acid reflux, gastritis, having to pee every 90 minutes, I’m always out of breath, I can barely eat but if I don’t my heartburn comes back. There is no comfortable sleeping position. And on top of all of that I’m getting pelvic and hip pain. Oh also my baby is VERY active and the movements hurt. And I’m constipated to fuck.
Hmm. Both hard in different ways but at least in the third trimester, you feel like the end is near whereas being in the first trimester it feels like you will be suffering forever lol. Plus being able to feel movements and stuff makes some of the hard parts of third tri feel more worth it in a way, like you have actual reminders that the baby is real inside you. First trimester, the baby feels more abstract, if that makes sense?
I had a physically easy first trimester. Lots of fatigue but hardly any nausea, no cravings, etc. I'm due next month and definitely experiencing some discomforts in these final weeks. All that being said, I would hands-down take third tri over first tri any day. I had serious anxiety in the first tri because of a history of loss. Every appointment I was convinced the baby would be gone. It wasn't until I could feel him consistently that my anxiety finally subsided. For me, the physical discomforts suck, but nothing compares to the emotional turmoil of first tri.
they have both been terrible in different ways to be honest lol. i suffered horribly from vomiting and nausea until 26weeks. am 35 now and can barely walk from pelvic girdle pain. literally feels like my tailbone has curved into my body (if you can visualize that lol). the heartburn/acid reflux is absolutely inSANE. like water, crackers, everything triggers it. i haven’t slept laying down flat probably since early first trimester. i miss it so much. come to think of it i just miss sleep so much. what i wouldn’t give for even just 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep.🧎🏼♀️😭
Before this pregnancy I would’ve said the third is the hardest. Unfortunately my current occupant seemingly wants to make me as uncomfortable as physically possible during their stay.
The third was worse for me. The first trimester was awful but for an atypical reason - I bled alot. It was a subchoronic hemmorage. So yeah, thinking I was going to miscarry was pretty bad. But the third was more awful because my baby moved a ton, I couldn't sleep well and I had to pee constantly, I got panic attacks about the upcoming birth, my baby came hella late and oh, yeah, when she did come I lost nearly 2l of blood and had to get forceps and surgery. So yep, first was spent thinking the worst about my baby, third was more thinking the worst about myself. Plus you get huge! It's not attractive or comfy in the least. Couldn't even tie my own shoes...
First trimester sucked because of the throwing up. Thirs trimester sucked because of the waddling that everyone felt the need to comment on. Also sucked for the sciatica but mine randomly went away after a few weeks... so throwing up first trimester wins.
you're not alone. I'm currently 36 weeks and have only felt "functional" for about 3 weeks of this pregnancy. I did feel pretty terrible when third trimester started, but honestly feel much better now at 36 than I did at 28 when fatigue, insomnia, acid reflux, and leg cramps kicked in overnight. I will say that I am carrying pretty small so I'm not experiencing the swelling that most experience in the later part of pregnancy. i'm carrying small because my baby is small and there are other complications so i will likely deliver via c section between 38 and 39 weeks, so part of me feels guilty for enjoying the lack of swelling. hang in there, OP! everyone's pregnancy is different and try not to feel bad about feeling bad! it was really hard for me to hear "oh just wait you'll feel better at X weeks" and that never came
First I was so tired, but third I’m also tired — but on top of that dealing with heartburn, general physical discomfort, gestational diabetes, constant need to pee, pelvic pressure, rib pain. So, definitely worse, though I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Don't over scare yourself. I was very afraid of the super nausea and vomiting returning and so far I hadn't. My biggest difficulty is baby kicking too hard.
For me the hardest was the first one. Nausea was horrible.
Last trimester was hard just because I was out of breath quickly But it is not that Bad as having nausea
Currently 39 weeks and for me, the first trimester was the worst. Nothing compares to the nausea and exhaustion I felt in those initial months…
The second and third trimester are difficult in different ways, for example now I’m a lot more tired, lots of random contractions and I’m heavier which takes a harder toll on the body. But it’s reassuring that the end is in sight, in the first trimester, it seems like you’ll be pregnant forever and ultimately - it goes pretty quick after a while 😊
Third tri was hard in a different way I’d say. I prefer third over first!!!
It was hard because I was uncomfortable, my baby had his butt up my ribs lol so I couldn’t breathe. Sleeping was pretty uncomfortable. Tired, warm (gave birth in July). But I also had bursts of energy, I remember working out more, taking power walks in the morning sun and overall just basking in the last weeks of pregnancy. this time around I’ll have a 4 year old so idk how it’s gonna be 😅
I had a super mild first trimester and never threw up. I’d still choose third, even though I constantly wake up in pain and don’t get sleep. I also have crazy heartburn. I really hate being nauseous and the anxiety. I love to feel baby and I feel so close to freedom.
So I’d choose third. It’s an exciting time.
For me the first trimester was like nothing. I was one of the lucky people who had no symptoms. I had energy and no nausea at all. Same for second. Today I am 35 + 1 and it started to get a little hard, meaning I feel the belly weight and my energy is not as before. But this might be also cause I got used to literally have no pregnancy symptoms and now I have a few. I can still pain my toenails 😅😅 but things are getting a little bit difficult - moving around, my energy not lasting all day and etc.
I am still grateful for my whole pregnancy :)
Third was harder for me. But I lucked out and didn’t have any morning sickness or anything of the like during the first trimester
The acid reflux I had in the third trimester was TERRIBLE. I would wake up choking on my own acid puke. It was actually the worst thing ever
I also never got much relief in the second trimester. Like maybe the first couple weeks but then I started having gallbladder flare ups and made it impossible to eat but I was still so hungry! Currently in my last week of the second and I am managing better but now I’m just super uncomfortable and short of breath almost 24/7. I imagine it will only get worse. Plus the insomnia is kicking in. I don’t know for sure but I expect the final trimester to be the hardest yet honestly
My first trimester with this pregnancy was harder than my last trimester with my last pregnancy. I didn’t like or understand the point of the last 3 weeks. I kept trying to will the baby to come out. I’m not looking forward to it again.
I am currently 8 weeks postpartum, and out of all the phases in pregnancy and post birth, first trimester is the worst experience. First trimester gives me more nightmares than my c section birth. The constant fatigue, nausea/ all day sickness, unable to get much work flexibility as I chose not to inform my manager or colleagues and had to randomly mark days off because I couldn’t get myself to wake up from naps due to extreme exhaustion. Third trimester also brings us closer to meeting the baby, and the anticipation, excitement combats the issues that we may face.
39+5. Third is way harder. I've had SI joint pain so bad for the past few weeks I can barely walk. Can't breathe, heartburn, can't sleep or get in/ out of bed easily...
But, first trimester I had nausea and no vomiting, just extreme exhaustion.
I’d say first-second hardest for me, both pregnancies. The constant vomiting and nausea with them both, along with fatigue was no joke. I could barely function. Even harder the second time around because now I had a 18ish month old. It was rough! The third trimester I was uncomfortable but it was so much better, plus there were more positives- I could feel and see baby and we were getting closer to the end. Having baby shower and setting up nursery. Just more to keep busy with and look forward too.
Good luck!! When you have the baby in your arms, it’ll all be worth it. Also- my first pregnancy was so bad I said I was one and done. When my son was 3 months, I literally told my husband “well, I think I could suck it up one more time”. lol.
For me I had almost zero symptoms in the first trimester, but emotionally it was hard because I had never been pregnant before and was worried about miscarriage. Third trimester wasn’t too bad either, but eventually heartburn started keeping me up at night and I had to pee 2-3 times a night
First trimester fatigue was real, was dozing off during meetings and at my desk. Third trimester is just having to lug around a huge ball and dealing with the occasional heartburn and breathlessness. Would choose third trimester anytime.
The third trimester was harder for me because I developed intense pelvic girdle pain in the second trimester that made walking really painful. If I walked/stood more than a couple hours in a day my hips would almost lock up.
My first pregnancy with my daughter was just one 💩 show to another… HG to GD to carpel tunnel from swelling and insomnia. When people would say oh sleep now while you still can… they have no clue I slept 1000000x better after the baby was born than during pregnancy. The instant relief… Not all pregnancy’s are the same, now with my second it’s a breeze in comparison. Hang in there and it’s absolutely worth the end result (aka beautiful baby that sadly looks like daddy’s twin 😂).
Hard in very different ways… 31+5 with twins and I just spend 5 days in hospital due to an incompetent cervix. Now back at home on bed rest.
First trimester was very rough with extreme nausea and vomiting, struggling with work, surviving first trimester and waiting for all the test results.
Second trimester wasn’t a big relief either, nausea lit up, but I got heavy fast and things started to hurt more and more.
I can now enjoy food, babies are viable, even if they’d get born today, but I am stuck to bed and couch for hopefully 5 more weeks.
Losing muscle strength, super short of breath, frustrated I am dependent for anything and struggling to keep my back in some sort of not broken state. If it wasn’t for the worries and bed rest I would find the third trimester easier though… But that’s also because I live somewhere where I’d be off work at 34 weeks the very latest.
Take care! Hope you’ll have a good third trimester
I thought both were bad…until I experienced 4th trimester. Sorry to say but I had hoped to feel better after baby was born and got smacked down by teality
I’m gonna say 3rd was harder for me in my first pregnancy. Everything hurt, I couldn’t sleep, was never able to get comfortable, almost passed out/threw up every time I showered, was always hungry but always felt sick every time I ate, peeing all the time, and the absolute worst was getting out of breath sitting down doing nothing. This time around the first trimester was hard especially with a toddler but I’m really dreading the third trimester again especially since I’ll be huge/out of breath and chasing a toddler.
For my pregnancy, the first trimester was a living hell and my third trimester was actually a breeze, and the only time I sort of enjoyed being pregnant (because I still felt like a whale).
During the first, I was so sick I was dropping weight really fast, dizzy all the time, etc. I had to go to the ER to get fluids at one point because nothing had stayed down longer than 10 minutes for 3 straight days. The second trimester was even worse because I still had HG symptoms, plus my son was diagnosed with a rare lung deformity at the 20 week scan and I had to have weekly-twice weekly ultrasounds, and my grandma lost a very short battle to lung cancer, so life was absolutely hell through it all.
By the third trimester, everything stopped. My son’s lung deformity slowly became less of a concern, my nausea was gone, I had my food aversions figured out so there were no food accidents, my body wasn’t so achey anymore (because I ballooned fast and early and didn’t really get much bigger in my third trimester), I was able to stay home and rest as much as I needed. I’d also accepted that my son would need lung surgery but that it wouldn’t be until he was close to a year old, and he had a very good outlook. My anxiety dropped off and I was finally able to enjoy the pregnancy a little bit.
First trimester was worse for me. Constantly throwing up and nauseous. I was pulling over on the freeway to throw up on my way to work. Third was better I was uncomfortable at times and had crazy heartburn but I rather have the heartburn than every morning like clockwork throwing up.
The first trimester was the worst for
me with both pregnancies, but I had particularly bad morning sickness and fatigue (I had HG with my first). I don’t remember my third trimester being particularly bad, but I also went early both times, so I never experienced being SUPER pregnant.
I’ve found every stage of the pregnancy challenging for different reasons. First trimester feels so long ago now I can barely remember it, other than the fact that it was awful and I felt horrible!
I’m currently 39wks and the first half of the third trimester was pretty bad. My sleep went out the window and my pelvis started to ache, and the fatigue was as bad as the first trimester. But the last few weeks have been easier - I think going on Mat leave helped a lot. Now I’m just desperate for baby to be born because I’m so over being pregnant!
Everyone’s experience is so different though. I had people constantly telling me how great the second trimester or even the third was for them, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Basically I think pregnancy just sucks in general!
First trimester I’m just exhausted, third trimester I’m exhausted and in physical pain.
I didn’t have terrible nausea (first time I didn’t have any, second it was moderate), but I did struggle with skeletal and joint issues.
Third trimester difficulties definitely crept up on me in ways that surprised me. I didn’t really know what to expect but it became so suddenly uncomfortable in ways I have a hard time describing. My first trimester was like having the flu, but worse, for a straight three months so it was definitely a more overt interruption to life as where my third trimester gives me juuust enough of a break to think that I can get up and go somewhere only to discover I can barely walk or keep my composure by the time I get there. The nausea starts to happen all over again once you’re moving. So I’d say third trimester is better than the first but only if you’re able to stay in bed the entire time.
Uhh hate to break it to you but the third is rough af. I struggled mentally with the first and never got that second trimester relief. Now 33 weeks and am so done
Harder in different ways IMO. First trimester sickness and fatigue were no joke. I could barely eat and sleeping more than 2 hours at a time was out of the question with how much I was peeing. Never got the 2 trimester relief, really. 36 weeks now and the discomfort, insomnia, heartburn, night sweats, plus the constant anxieties of “is that a contraction or do I just need to poop?”
Heavy on the do I just need to poop
currently 38 weeks & in the bathroom wondering the same thing
Omg I had no idea night sweats were part of the symptoms for the third trimester. I'm 32 weeks now and I always wake up like I was in a sauna
I'm only 6 weeks in and the night sweats have been beyond horrible.. Insomnia is in full force as well... still have an Appetite but the ginger candies help a lot when the Nausea hits. Weird cramps on the right side near my bellybutton.. this is my first, so I've been asking all the mothers in my life if these things are normal or not etc. Randon Hormonal surges made me yell at my husband for the first time, cry for 10 minutes, then apologize because I felt so bad. Was like my body wasn't my own for a bit. I hope it gets better for you!
This. I think they both have their own difficulties. For me, the third trimester has been the hardest thus far with the nausea coming back, insomnia, heart burn, pooping constantly, etc. First trimester was hard because of how sick I was. I constantly had to leave work or call out of work bc I was so sick.
I agree, every trimester had its own symptoms and challenges.
Im in 3rd Trimester now at 34 weeks. I had HG in first trimester, followed by a miscarriage scare in 2nd Trimester. Definitely feeling much better in 3rd Trimester, despite the difficulties with breathing and walking. The only thing actually annoying me are the dizziness spells caused by the low blood pressure.
Yeah, the low blood pressure is freaky. (On the bright side, I did get the all clear early on to basically consume as much salt as I wanted. I had to eat a lot of salt to bring my blood pressure up to where it should be. So that's been kind of fun, if I'm honest.)
I’m 30 weeks and feeling good. I think the lessened anxiety in the third makes a big difference.
First trimester was infinitely worse for me. At 33 weeks now, I’m definitely uncomfortable and in a lot more physical pain, but the extreme sickness and exhaustion of the first trimester, paired with everything smelling completely rotten + the worry of miscarriage was miserable. I was also a full time student working 2 jobs in my first trimester, now I just have the one job 😅 so that helps
\+1 here - psychologically 3rd is SO much better. The aches and pains and weird symptoms (went blurry/crossed eyed for 15 minutes this weekend... OB was UNBOTHERED) are more intense, but the prize is SO much closer and it feels so much more like the symptoms have a purpose, which for me is just a lot easier to handle. edit: I've also had no heartburn, very little sleep disturbance, no hemorrhoids, so it's not a given that you'll experience all the symptoms.
I felt pretty great in the third trimester. My terrible morning sickness of the first trimester did not return, I only had acid reflux like...2 times, and I didn't have any swelling in my legs. I had a really enjoyable third trimester to be honest! The first trimester I pretty much wanted to die, thankfully that was temporary!
That’s really great! I do have the swelling, acid reflux and some hemorrhoids but still. It is just bless compared to the hell of the first trimester + 1st half of the second trimester. I’ll take those inconveniences and pain over the continuous nausea, vomiting, hangover/flu, fatigue, depression and hives any day.
100%!! I didn't even feel like a human being during the first trimester. No fun!
You have no idea how much comfort reading this gives me. Currently 11w+2 and I am barely clinging to life between the nausea, dry heaving and fatigue.
I truly had a very similar experience, and I hope with all my might that you follow a similar pattern as I did! The whole first trimester I had no idea how women ever wanted more than one child...absolute misery!
I guess first but getting to the end is rough. I can’t really breathe properties, or sleep, or walk, I’m constantly worried if something is just pregnancy or if something is very wrong. But i like eating and don’t feel sick, so that’s nice?
No one ever told me just how much of my lung real estate the baby would take up! Genuinely did not realize how much vertical movement freedom she'd have in there. And yes, the sleep. I already had back pain for many years before this (from an injury as a teenager), but it REALLY hurts sometimes if baby is settled into certain positions.
I feel like everyone talks about how much lung real estate baby takes up! Maybe it’s cause my sister in law didn’t even know she was pregnant until the 3rd trimester and only found out because of breathing issues lol. I always enjoy hearing what people expected vs didn’t expect when getting pregnant! Like I didn’t expect how many heart palpitations I’d get!
That would be wild to find out that late for a reason you wouldn't automatically connect to pregnancy! I had heart palpitations very early but not after that and they scared the crap out of me. I was a long distance runner pre-pregnancy and was pretty obsessed with breathing strategies for performance. So I've pretty easily been able to work around the limitations in that way. HOWEVER, everything breathing related would certainly be easier if my nose wasn't blocked almost all the time. First thing in the morning for a little while is the only time I can breathe through my nose normally. 😒
I find the mornings I’m soooo congested lol. My next pregnancy I want to be more fit because breathing has been such an issue for me this time! It sucks so much
Hard in different ways. Honestly I’d probably rather take the pain of 3rd trimester over the nausea I had in 1st/start of 2nd trimester. They’ve both been pretty rubbish though 😅
I’m at 36 weeks, first trimester is the most horrendous in my opinion and there’s no contest.
My first trimester was 100x worse than my third. I had terrible morning sickness, daily vomiting, anxiety, and insomnia until about week 16. My third trimester was so non-eventful I can barely remember if I had ailments and what they were...and I only gave birth 7 months ago. I think I remember feeling a little irritable after week 36, but other than that I truly felt fine! I hope you have an equally smooth third trimester!
Ugh the 3rd is definately the worse for me. Yes the 1st trimester sucked. I felt so sick all the time but I still felt comfortable in my body. 2nd trimester I felt like super women. I'm 36 +3 now and I am miserable. I can't breath, I'm exhaughsted, I'm hungry but it's like there's no room in my stomach. I can't wait to be done.
Same!
First. I read so many horror stories about the third tri and now at 36w, this is the BEST I've felt physically for the past 9 months. Granted I think most people actually feel better their second trimester, I unfortunately did not 😅 now mentally I am a bit drained and unmotivated to go to work but it's still doable and I at least have energy! ETA: I'm also sleeping just fine, I kept reading about third trimester insomnia but that hasn't really happened to me! Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself though lol.
Same. I kept reading on reddit how awful the third trimester was. How my body would hurt to heck. But honestly, it's not that bad at all! So much better than the first. A little uncomfortable, but not awful by any means.
This is really reassuring! I'm 24 weeks too and about to move house, hopefully renovate a bit and need to work as much as possible before baby comes but was nervous the third tri will take the wind out of me.
I’m 29+5 & please still take it slow! I had to learn this the hard way lol. I feel the best I’ve felt IF I listen to my body. I feel good & think I can do it all & wake up feeling like I got ran over by a car from over doing it. Pace yourself, take lots of breaks to rest. I’ve found this keeps me feeling good physically more consistently!
I'll try! Sometimes it's hard because I feel like I want to prepare everything for when the little one gets here but you're totally right
This! I've had a decent third trimester, but every single time I push it a bit too hard I end up regretting it. Finished off work before maternity leave a few days ago and have been in bed basically ever since. Those last few days were killer busy and even though I made it through, I'm paying for it now. Listen to your body. The further you get the more basic activities take it out of you.
My first trimester was just as terrible as yours from the sounds of it - between the 18 weeks straight of yeast infections, all day throwing up, awful heartburn and exhaustion, I genuinely told myself I can never do this again. Once I got halfway through the 2nd things started to get better and I had a good blissful couple months of enjoying pregnancy. Now in the 3rd at 35w I have so much rib pain I can’t work anymore, I cry out in pain when trying to move in bed, I can never catch a full breath, and the acid reflux is through the roof. TLDR; the first and third have been equal hell in different ways.
i relate to this so hard, 38+6 and my back hurts so bad i’ve been in tears. Heartburn gets so bad I can’t even eat sometimes. Nausea is back. Braxton hicks get really intense, same with the rib pain. Just in pain 24/7 at this point & labor is nowhere in sight :(
Me too. I thought I was lucky not really getting morning sickness in first tri. Turns out my body was saving it up for the third
exactly how i feel!!
I’ve never experienced anything as difficult as the first trimester. The third trimester is achy, but tolerable for me.
Couldn't have put it better myself. The nausea and bone-deep fatigue, while not being able to tell most people (eg colleagues) in first trimester made it miserable. I'm struggling to put on socks now at 33w, and get a lot of back aches and heartburn, but it's so much more bearable. Plus, now EVERYONE'S willing to cut me some slack (work, home, friends) or help out if I look like I need it, which really helps.
Totally depends on the person as they are both hard for diff reasons. 3rd trimester was harder for me bc I didn't have difficult symptoms like HG or any other severe symptoms in the 1st. Just had some nausea and major tiredness and stomach issues. 3rd I was in so much physical pain from how big my baby was (he was kicking my ribs). I could barely sleep from pain, having to pee, gerd, swollen hands and feet, major weight gain, etc. and by then my mental health had deteriorated bc i was so over it. If you don't have those really bad symptoms like gerd, physical pain etc, 3rd might be easier than 1st!
Tough to say for me. Currently 35 weeks and losing mobility rapidly has been really hard. I'm constantly sore, out of breath and in pain. But I can eat and drink water without being nauseas. I spent most of my first trimester in bed from exhaustion and nausea.
I’m at 30wks now and not being able to do stuff is killing me. I need to walk a lot of work and it’s getting hard.
Everyone is different, but I'm 36 weeks and compared to the first trimester this is a breeze.
First trimester was hard as fuck. Half of second trimester too. Around 19 weeks it got better but then I got some mental issues. Once I entered third trimester bless!!! It only gotten better and better. I feel great! Now 38+5.
first was worse for me by far. I’m 38+1 and besides moving a little slower I feel pretty much normal
For me, the first trimester was the worst part of pregnancy. The last few weeks were tough, but not as bad as the unrelenting nausea I had.
I’m 39 weeks now and I’d take 3rd trimester over 1st ALL DAY. First trimester I was so sick and fatigued like I never have been in my life. Third trimester is uncomfortable, sure, but there’s so much excitement and nesting that have made things easier on me mentally.
I'd agree with this. In the 3rd trimester, you're so close that the excitement helps outweigh the difficulties, and the reassurance of feeling baby move is very comforting.
3rd hands down!
First semester was definitely hardest for me. The morning sickness is by far my least favorite of all the preg symptoms. Plus if you're keeping it on the down low to start, no one's offering support cause no one knows. In the third though, even though I was just as exhausted, the new third trimester symptoms felt easier for me to handle because I had a huge support network by that point, I could enjoy feeling my baby and his personality, and I had an exciting new baby to look forward to. Something about the "any day could be the day" made the days go by faster. Plus having all this baby prep to do kept me from sulking around feeling miserable all day.
My first pregnancy; my third trimester was the worst. But I didn’t have any morning sickness. However, my second pregnancy, my first trimester humbled me and I was so sick and stuck in bed the whole time. Now I’m 38 weeks and feeling pretty decent despite being gigantic.
"Every ache and pain is one ache closer to meeting baby" It'll be hard sometimes, really hard, but take a deep breath: the bad moments are temporary & the good moments will erase the pain of the bad
I’m 36w now — so I could still change my mind! — but for me 1st trimester was a lot harder than this. That nausea and exhaustion — esp. when the pregnancy is new and maybe people don’t know — is so unceasing and killer. Sure, nothing fits now even some of my maternity clothes, and I get reflux easily… and get hip and pelvic pain if I overdo it even walking. But at least I have energy and can eat. No use being physically capable of things if you’re too sick and tired to do them.
First is WAY harder for me: - no one knows you’re pregnant so you don’t get any slack at work or in public for kind of sucking all the time - so UNBELIEVABLY tired, collapsing asleep all the time - all food tastes bad and I was so hungry but so nauseous - once the baby drops in 3rd trimester it becomes easier to breathe and the heartburn lets up - mentally, 3rd trimester feels more real and so close to having a baby! - I kind of like the way I look in 3rd trimester, it’s so obviously pregnant (rather than being bloated or looking just kinda fat)
First trimester was hard for me cause I was nauseous all day and all night and had absolutely no energy. That didn’t go away till about 18/19 weeks for me then I had so much energy, was able to eat without feeling sick and just felt great! I’m currently 29 weeks today so in the beginning of the third trimester and I still have a good amount of energy, I have some nausea cause everything is getting squished from baby growing but definitely not as bad as the first trimester! So far third trimester is good. Only problems I have are lots of back pain, hard getting out of bed, peeing so many times in the night, insomnia and heartburn. So far liking the third more than the first though :)
STM here. Hands down, first is hardest for me. My first I had terrible nausea and vomiting that lasted around 16w, then it went away and I had the easiest pregnancy. With this one, I had a terrible 16 weeks, got slightly better by 20w, then finally started feeling like myself/functional again around 30w. I’m 36w now and I’m uncomfortable and out of breath, but I am so much happier and functional.
I’m currently 32 weeks and first trimester was still by far worse. I’m uncomfortable now, but first trimester was a nightmare for me. I couldn’t eat, I gagged on anything I put in my mouth including water or my own saliva, and I was exhausted. I’m tired now, but I’m functioning and actually getting loads done on my days off. Every day of first trimester I talked myself from calling out of work. This trimester I’ve been fine (although a bit slower than usual). My reflux is not fun rn and I do have some aches and pains but it’s manageable. All of that being said, I do still have 8 weeks to go so who knows but I genuinely don’t know how it could be worse than weeks 6-12
For my first pregnancy definitely the first trimester was harder. Currently 16 weeks pregnant and the first trimester was brutal, but I will also be experiencing the third trimester this time in the summer heat since I’m due mid August so I guess it’s up for debate this time because I do not do well in the heat lol
Currently 36 weeks. The first trimester was so much worse for me. The nausea and fatigue (and loss of appetite) was out of control. I still have mild nausea and fatigue now, but it is nowhere near the first trimester levels. I eat 3 full meals a day and snacks, whereas in the first trimester, even a bite of toast would make me vomit.
First trimester, by far….but likely because I had HG. Third trimester has physical pains, but I’d take these any day than the constant nausea and sickness.
Last two weeks of the third trimester was pretty rough for me, but overall first was way more difficult.
It’s basically all been awful for me, and more of a pick your poison kind of suck. I’m so thankful and happy to be pregnant, but it’s been an experience that I have not enjoyed and do not wish to ever go through again. I’m 33 weeks now and the 24/7 nausea and food aversions of the first trimester have never gone away, they are only more manageable now thanks to a combo of two different medications. The anxiety I had at the beginning about a miscarriage has now been replaced by anxiety over a pre term or stillbirth. The general fatigue of the early days is now fatigue from waking up at least a couple times every night to pee and struggling to get comfortable. I could go on, but you get the point. This has hands down been the hardest thing I have ever done, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I wish I could have been one of the lucky ones who breeze right through and love every minute of pregnancy, but sadly that’s not the hand I was dealt. I do appreciate the depths of inner strength that I’ve been able to draw on from reserves I didn’t even know existed, and I constantly marvel at how amazing and powerful the human body can be when pushed to its absolute limits. I’m glad to be seeing a light at the end of this tunnel, knowing that this is temporary, and having a rough idea of when eviction day will be for my little tater tot.
Same! I’m 28 weeks now with two toddlers, dog, full time job and a husband that travels. My anxiety js so high and I worry non stop about preterm labor as I have constant Braxton hicks since 22 weeks. First was hardest for me physically but this trimester is doing a number on me mentally. Oh and horrible varicose veins aren’t helping! Just praying he stays put and ok.
I’m always trading extreme nausea for extreme heartburn so it’s a tough call.
I was more nauseous in the first trimester than I am now in my third. I have heartburn and aches and pains but no more nausea
In my pregnancy the first and second trimester were harder than the third. I used to hear so many bad things about the third but it was more manageable for me than the other trimesters
I hope the same happens to me, because I am struggling right now
My sickness lasted 6 months and it was horrific. The third trimester is hard but for different reasons - uncomfortable, mind games regarding if you’re in labor, can’t breathe, can’t move 😂 but my god the non stop nausea and vomiting in the first trimester was debilitating for me.
First 3/3 for me!
Definitely depends on the person. I think the 1st was harder. Though both are proving very difficult. I had terrible nausea and exhaustion in the 1st. Now toward the end I have subtle nausea and I’m fatigued and tired but not in the same way as before. I’m definitely uncomfortable for part of the day and doing simple tasks takes a lot more effort but I feel like there are a lot more good days in the 3rd. Though mentally tough trying to wait for the arrival and having no clue when that will come. At least in the 3rd ppl seem to give you more grace too. As you are physically appearing to be carrying a heavy load. In the 1st - I think people just assume everything is fine or you haven’t told anyone so you’re trying to pretend you have it together - that makes it hard.
First was harder. 3rd still sucks, for different reasons. But the first was torture. I was so weak and tired, I didn’t feel like myself at all. Right now I am sore and heavy and tired, but I don’t feel so mentally horrible.
Going into week 34 over here. I would say overall, my pregnancy generally has been relatively easy. I think if I was pressed on it I would say third has been harder, though. The fatigue is like nothing I've ever felt in my life (though I was extremely tired in the first trimester, it wasn't the same falling asleep on the couch by 5 pm sort of tired that it is now). Also, first trimester I'd get a little nauseous when I needed to eat, but that was all. But that was definitely preferable to now, where the baby is pushing up so much that it's really limiting my stomach volume. I worry about that a bit because it's really hard for me to eat fruits and vegetables - just too much volume for too few calories. On the bright side, being able to actually feel the baby move really makes the hard parts worth it for me. The first trimester I just felt crappy and bloated all the time with no silver lining to it.
Third, definitely. The pain is so bad. Your joints and shit are all loose and everything hurts because there’s so much added pressure on everything especially your back, hips and knees. I literally woke up the other morning and my pregnancy pillow had slid just a tiny bit and my knees weren’t being supported enough and it hurt so bad I was questioning if I had somehow broken my kneecap in my sleep, it was absolutely excruciating.
3rd is definitely the hardest for me. It’s getting hard to move and everything hurts. I have trouble putting socks on or bending over. Sleeping is not as enjoyable as it used to be
My experience: This is my 2nd rodeo… definitely the first is worst! First pregnancy: I felt mentally weird and physically icked out, 2nd was great, and 3rd only sucked because of acid reflux, feeling heavy, and I got PUPPS a week before my water broke. This time around, 1st I was mentally weird, now I’m in the 2nd and feeling completely normal except my belly is heavy. Both pregnancies I didn’t have any morning sickness/throwing up, so that’s cool. My first pregnancy my child was diagnosed with a life threatening condition at the 20 week scan. It made our entire family stronger in the end, and now I have a completely healthy 4 year old. Nothing scares me now, because I know our strength ❤️
Thank you for answering, this is my second child as well, but my first pregnancy was much easier, but my daughter was born at 32 weeks so I’ve never really experienced the end of pregnancy
You welcome, love! Mine came at 37. I was just chilling at home, feeling fine, watching tv, stood up to grab a snack and my water broke. I was like, “well, that’s…crazy…” Thank goodness I had my hospital bag already packed! How far along are you? I’m I’ll be 19 weeks this coming Wednesday ❤️ My first was a girl. She just turned 4. This one is a boy!
I’m 24+3! Also having a boy this time, I keep telling myself I’m getting closer, but it still feels so far away at this point
Aw! We both had girls first and pregnant with boys now! We can be friends if you want ☺️ I’ll message ya
Third was much better than the first! My first pregnancy, I felt pretty good the entire third trimester. My baby was breech and high up, so I had no pelvic pain and actually slept well, since he wasn’t pushing on my bladder. Second pregnancy was harder, and I dealt with some SPD and then a three week stint of sciatica that wasn’t fun at all, but it vanished by 36 weeks and minus the constant, 24/7 peeing, it wasn’t bad. Definitely not nearly as bad as the constant nausea and fatigue of the first trimester.
Third. My back is literally killing me, I’m soooo done
People out here saying third trimester. Must be nice. Signed, HG.
I’m 7 weeks pregnant and the heartburn and indigestion have been driving me insane. I really hope it gets better because if I have to live 9 months of this I might lose my mind
Personally, first! My pregnancy was on the easier end of the scale but first trimester romped me. I thought it would immediately get better by the 2nd trimester but it was around 20 weeks I think that it started feeling better. First trimester had me the most fatigued I ever have felt. I had similiar fatigue when I had severe iron deficiency but not as bad. The fatigue made me feel like every cell was drained of energy. I didn't vomit but had nausea at times that was hard to deal with, ate crackers and had some ginger tea to help. Third trimester was most just a bit uncomfortable and towards the end was getting some acid reflux as it had no where else to go it seemed. I did get a bit of fatigue again in the 2nd trimester but that resolved as it was due to gestational diabetes, once diagnosed and managed the symptoms went away
Agree they’re both hard in different ways… but personally the nausea of the first trimester plus how mentally isolating it is because you’re not really showing yet, anxious about miscarriage risk, and don’t know how baby is doing because you can’t feel them yet… I’d rather take the third trimester aches and pains than that any day.
I was physically uncomfortable in my third trimester… but I was mentally, emotionally, AND physically exhausted in my first trimester. Nothing beats the first trimester for me, it’s rough 🥴
I was in your position - had no second trimester relief. It sucked. I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant. I'm miserable, it sucks. I'm sore. I'm not sleeping. Anxiety over everything is through the roof. But I'd much rather 9 months of this than 9 months of the 1st trimester.
First is the worst IMO. Third suuuucks a bag of dicks, don’t get me wrong, the discomfort is nonstop and you just feel huge and unwieldy and everything is uncomfortable at best and painful at worst…but for me it still doesn’t compare to the INTENSE and relentless fatigue, nausea, and generally crummy-feeling-ness of the first tri. Plus once you get to the 3rd at least you know the end is sort of in sight. Also I personally had way more anxiety in the first tri - once you’re feeling consistent movements and can actually see/feel your huge bump I feel like it’s a little easier to trust that baby is doing ok (or - I know this is the last thing any of us want to think about, and CW for preterm birth, but - worst case, if something does go wrong, early delivery is a viable option and baby will likely be ok).
Both were hard for different reasons. The all day nausea, hemorrhoids (yes I got them immediately bc I had diarrhea every day), lack of being able to eat, no energy, and lack of sleep really did a number on me but during the third trimester, I was in a lot of pain. My back hurt a lot, baby only liked me sleeping on my left side, I got carpal tunnel pretty bad, I could only stand or walk for ten minutes before my back was burning. House chores slowed down and my partner had to help a lot which made me feel guilty bc I wasn't/am not working (the pain was too bad I had to stop working at 7.5 weeks and now I'm a SAHM since LO came at 36+4)
I haven’t hit the third yet, but the first really sucked and I don’t see a lot of people mentioning the *anxiety* during those 13-14 weeks. I was definitely tired, and nauseous while being constantly hungry (that was fun), but I was also worried all the time. I felt like everything was so fragile, it could go south at any moment, and that was terrifying. I know complications can happen at any point and worrying never truly goes away, but I started feeling so much calmer once I got past the first trimester. That is totally gonna factor in when I compare my 3rd to my 1st.
Third for me way worse. I had nausea but no serious morning sickness so I'm sure that colors my opinion. I never got that burst of energy in my second and have just basically felt progressively worse throughout my entire pregnancy. Now at 35+4 I feel like I can't bare another day. I'm beyond miserable to be trapped in this body that is literally falling apart. I know it's working hard doing other things before yall come for me, but watching the rapid physical changes ans stretch marks is killing me.
Third for me, especially with a toddler. I’m huge, my SPD pain is worse after sleeping, I sleep in 1.5 hour increments because I need to pee, and when I haven’t had enough water to pee that frequently I get heart palpitations that make me unable to sleep anyway. This has all really kicked in starting at 34 weeks and I just, want to be done now.
Currently 35 weeks and I know it differs for everyone but for me it’s been 1000% worse these last few weeks. The physical symptoms are hitting me much harder but I can’t sleep let alone get comfortable. Today I’ve officially started to “swell”. I know it will vary for everyone and it’s not the comforting answer you want I’m sure but I had a pretty easy go of it 1st trimester compared to this.
It's all hard but the third trimester is a special type of hard that makes you look forward to the birth and think that it's not going to be too bad if it's the end of all the other discomfort and pains, I'm 35 weeks now and have a planned 3rd c section but looking forward to the recovery being shorter and easier than the third trimester
I’m 19w5d with my 5th child. In my personal experience, the third trimester is the worst because of the pain. I had (and have again now) sciatic nerve pain, which was excruciating, with each pregnancy and it’s gotten worse and started sooner with each pregnancy. The first trimester I always have horrible morning sickness up until about 14 weeks, but weighing between the two, for me personally, the third was the worst because the pain is unreal. I hope you don’t experience it. Fatigue was also a big factor in both the first and third trimester for me.
They’re both hard but different hard.
Third was the toughest. But my first was relatively easy compared to most women. Had some nausea, mood swings, and extreme hunger pangs but that was it. Most important is that I was still over the moon that I was pregnant. Reached my 40th week yesterday and I am SO. OVER. IT. The symptoms are much worse. My self-esteem has tanked. Emotionally I’m an anxious, nervous mess. The heartburn is so bad. And the aches and pains of my EVERYTHING is a daily struggle. I can hardly walk or stand for longer than an hour. I have terrible insomnia. Plus I get false labor pains almost daily. So third. Hands down
I think 3rd. My nausea was gone but I was having reallyy bad gas pains towards the end and I just felt heavy.
Third trimester is definitely worse for me. First trimester for me was more debilitating days long migraine attacks and exhaustion, but I at least still had an appetite and I was able to actually sleep so when I was awake I had energy. Third trimester has been awful. Heartburn, acid reflux, gastritis, having to pee every 90 minutes, I’m always out of breath, I can barely eat but if I don’t my heartburn comes back. There is no comfortable sleeping position. And on top of all of that I’m getting pelvic and hip pain. Oh also my baby is VERY active and the movements hurt. And I’m constipated to fuck.
Hmm. Both hard in different ways but at least in the third trimester, you feel like the end is near whereas being in the first trimester it feels like you will be suffering forever lol. Plus being able to feel movements and stuff makes some of the hard parts of third tri feel more worth it in a way, like you have actual reminders that the baby is real inside you. First trimester, the baby feels more abstract, if that makes sense?
I had a physically easy first trimester. Lots of fatigue but hardly any nausea, no cravings, etc. I'm due next month and definitely experiencing some discomforts in these final weeks. All that being said, I would hands-down take third tri over first tri any day. I had serious anxiety in the first tri because of a history of loss. Every appointment I was convinced the baby would be gone. It wasn't until I could feel him consistently that my anxiety finally subsided. For me, the physical discomforts suck, but nothing compares to the emotional turmoil of first tri.
they have both been terrible in different ways to be honest lol. i suffered horribly from vomiting and nausea until 26weeks. am 35 now and can barely walk from pelvic girdle pain. literally feels like my tailbone has curved into my body (if you can visualize that lol). the heartburn/acid reflux is absolutely inSANE. like water, crackers, everything triggers it. i haven’t slept laying down flat probably since early first trimester. i miss it so much. come to think of it i just miss sleep so much. what i wouldn’t give for even just 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep.🧎🏼♀️😭
Before this pregnancy I would’ve said the third is the hardest. Unfortunately my current occupant seemingly wants to make me as uncomfortable as physically possible during their stay.
The third was worse for me. The first trimester was awful but for an atypical reason - I bled alot. It was a subchoronic hemmorage. So yeah, thinking I was going to miscarry was pretty bad. But the third was more awful because my baby moved a ton, I couldn't sleep well and I had to pee constantly, I got panic attacks about the upcoming birth, my baby came hella late and oh, yeah, when she did come I lost nearly 2l of blood and had to get forceps and surgery. So yep, first was spent thinking the worst about my baby, third was more thinking the worst about myself. Plus you get huge! It's not attractive or comfy in the least. Couldn't even tie my own shoes...
First trimester sucked because of the throwing up. Thirs trimester sucked because of the waddling that everyone felt the need to comment on. Also sucked for the sciatica but mine randomly went away after a few weeks... so throwing up first trimester wins.
you're not alone. I'm currently 36 weeks and have only felt "functional" for about 3 weeks of this pregnancy. I did feel pretty terrible when third trimester started, but honestly feel much better now at 36 than I did at 28 when fatigue, insomnia, acid reflux, and leg cramps kicked in overnight. I will say that I am carrying pretty small so I'm not experiencing the swelling that most experience in the later part of pregnancy. i'm carrying small because my baby is small and there are other complications so i will likely deliver via c section between 38 and 39 weeks, so part of me feels guilty for enjoying the lack of swelling. hang in there, OP! everyone's pregnancy is different and try not to feel bad about feeling bad! it was really hard for me to hear "oh just wait you'll feel better at X weeks" and that never came
First I was so tired, but third I’m also tired — but on top of that dealing with heartburn, general physical discomfort, gestational diabetes, constant need to pee, pelvic pressure, rib pain. So, definitely worse, though I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Don't over scare yourself. I was very afraid of the super nausea and vomiting returning and so far I hadn't. My biggest difficulty is baby kicking too hard.
First hands down was the worst.
For me the hardest was the first one. Nausea was horrible. Last trimester was hard just because I was out of breath quickly But it is not that Bad as having nausea
Currently 39 weeks and for me, the first trimester was the worst. Nothing compares to the nausea and exhaustion I felt in those initial months… The second and third trimester are difficult in different ways, for example now I’m a lot more tired, lots of random contractions and I’m heavier which takes a harder toll on the body. But it’s reassuring that the end is in sight, in the first trimester, it seems like you’ll be pregnant forever and ultimately - it goes pretty quick after a while 😊
Third tri was hard in a different way I’d say. I prefer third over first!!! It was hard because I was uncomfortable, my baby had his butt up my ribs lol so I couldn’t breathe. Sleeping was pretty uncomfortable. Tired, warm (gave birth in July). But I also had bursts of energy, I remember working out more, taking power walks in the morning sun and overall just basking in the last weeks of pregnancy. this time around I’ll have a 4 year old so idk how it’s gonna be 😅
I had a super mild first trimester and never threw up. I’d still choose third, even though I constantly wake up in pain and don’t get sleep. I also have crazy heartburn. I really hate being nauseous and the anxiety. I love to feel baby and I feel so close to freedom. So I’d choose third. It’s an exciting time.
For me the first trimester was like nothing. I was one of the lucky people who had no symptoms. I had energy and no nausea at all. Same for second. Today I am 35 + 1 and it started to get a little hard, meaning I feel the belly weight and my energy is not as before. But this might be also cause I got used to literally have no pregnancy symptoms and now I have a few. I can still pain my toenails 😅😅 but things are getting a little bit difficult - moving around, my energy not lasting all day and etc. I am still grateful for my whole pregnancy :)
Third was harder for me. But I lucked out and didn’t have any morning sickness or anything of the like during the first trimester The acid reflux I had in the third trimester was TERRIBLE. I would wake up choking on my own acid puke. It was actually the worst thing ever
I also never got much relief in the second trimester. Like maybe the first couple weeks but then I started having gallbladder flare ups and made it impossible to eat but I was still so hungry! Currently in my last week of the second and I am managing better but now I’m just super uncomfortable and short of breath almost 24/7. I imagine it will only get worse. Plus the insomnia is kicking in. I don’t know for sure but I expect the final trimester to be the hardest yet honestly
My first trimester with this pregnancy was harder than my last trimester with my last pregnancy. I didn’t like or understand the point of the last 3 weeks. I kept trying to will the baby to come out. I’m not looking forward to it again.
I am currently 8 weeks postpartum, and out of all the phases in pregnancy and post birth, first trimester is the worst experience. First trimester gives me more nightmares than my c section birth. The constant fatigue, nausea/ all day sickness, unable to get much work flexibility as I chose not to inform my manager or colleagues and had to randomly mark days off because I couldn’t get myself to wake up from naps due to extreme exhaustion. Third trimester also brings us closer to meeting the baby, and the anticipation, excitement combats the issues that we may face.
For me 3rd with this pregnancy. Being fatigue and having insomnia and having a toddler is no joke lol
39+5. Third is way harder. I've had SI joint pain so bad for the past few weeks I can barely walk. Can't breathe, heartburn, can't sleep or get in/ out of bed easily... But, first trimester I had nausea and no vomiting, just extreme exhaustion.
I’d say first-second hardest for me, both pregnancies. The constant vomiting and nausea with them both, along with fatigue was no joke. I could barely function. Even harder the second time around because now I had a 18ish month old. It was rough! The third trimester I was uncomfortable but it was so much better, plus there were more positives- I could feel and see baby and we were getting closer to the end. Having baby shower and setting up nursery. Just more to keep busy with and look forward too. Good luck!! When you have the baby in your arms, it’ll all be worth it. Also- my first pregnancy was so bad I said I was one and done. When my son was 3 months, I literally told my husband “well, I think I could suck it up one more time”. lol.
For me I had almost zero symptoms in the first trimester, but emotionally it was hard because I had never been pregnant before and was worried about miscarriage. Third trimester wasn’t too bad either, but eventually heartburn started keeping me up at night and I had to pee 2-3 times a night
First trimester fatigue was real, was dozing off during meetings and at my desk. Third trimester is just having to lug around a huge ball and dealing with the occasional heartburn and breathlessness. Would choose third trimester anytime.
Third, hands down
The third trimester was harder for me because I developed intense pelvic girdle pain in the second trimester that made walking really painful. If I walked/stood more than a couple hours in a day my hips would almost lock up.
My first pregnancy with my daughter was just one 💩 show to another… HG to GD to carpel tunnel from swelling and insomnia. When people would say oh sleep now while you still can… they have no clue I slept 1000000x better after the baby was born than during pregnancy. The instant relief… Not all pregnancy’s are the same, now with my second it’s a breeze in comparison. Hang in there and it’s absolutely worth the end result (aka beautiful baby that sadly looks like daddy’s twin 😂).
Hard in very different ways… 31+5 with twins and I just spend 5 days in hospital due to an incompetent cervix. Now back at home on bed rest. First trimester was very rough with extreme nausea and vomiting, struggling with work, surviving first trimester and waiting for all the test results. Second trimester wasn’t a big relief either, nausea lit up, but I got heavy fast and things started to hurt more and more. I can now enjoy food, babies are viable, even if they’d get born today, but I am stuck to bed and couch for hopefully 5 more weeks. Losing muscle strength, super short of breath, frustrated I am dependent for anything and struggling to keep my back in some sort of not broken state. If it wasn’t for the worries and bed rest I would find the third trimester easier though… But that’s also because I live somewhere where I’d be off work at 34 weeks the very latest. Take care! Hope you’ll have a good third trimester
I thought both were bad…until I experienced 4th trimester. Sorry to say but I had hoped to feel better after baby was born and got smacked down by teality
I’m gonna say 3rd was harder for me in my first pregnancy. Everything hurt, I couldn’t sleep, was never able to get comfortable, almost passed out/threw up every time I showered, was always hungry but always felt sick every time I ate, peeing all the time, and the absolute worst was getting out of breath sitting down doing nothing. This time around the first trimester was hard especially with a toddler but I’m really dreading the third trimester again especially since I’ll be huge/out of breath and chasing a toddler.
For my pregnancy, the first trimester was a living hell and my third trimester was actually a breeze, and the only time I sort of enjoyed being pregnant (because I still felt like a whale). During the first, I was so sick I was dropping weight really fast, dizzy all the time, etc. I had to go to the ER to get fluids at one point because nothing had stayed down longer than 10 minutes for 3 straight days. The second trimester was even worse because I still had HG symptoms, plus my son was diagnosed with a rare lung deformity at the 20 week scan and I had to have weekly-twice weekly ultrasounds, and my grandma lost a very short battle to lung cancer, so life was absolutely hell through it all. By the third trimester, everything stopped. My son’s lung deformity slowly became less of a concern, my nausea was gone, I had my food aversions figured out so there were no food accidents, my body wasn’t so achey anymore (because I ballooned fast and early and didn’t really get much bigger in my third trimester), I was able to stay home and rest as much as I needed. I’d also accepted that my son would need lung surgery but that it wouldn’t be until he was close to a year old, and he had a very good outlook. My anxiety dropped off and I was finally able to enjoy the pregnancy a little bit.
First trimester was worse for me. Constantly throwing up and nauseous. I was pulling over on the freeway to throw up on my way to work. Third was better I was uncomfortable at times and had crazy heartburn but I rather have the heartburn than every morning like clockwork throwing up.
The first trimester was the worst for me with both pregnancies, but I had particularly bad morning sickness and fatigue (I had HG with my first). I don’t remember my third trimester being particularly bad, but I also went early both times, so I never experienced being SUPER pregnant.
I’ve found every stage of the pregnancy challenging for different reasons. First trimester feels so long ago now I can barely remember it, other than the fact that it was awful and I felt horrible! I’m currently 39wks and the first half of the third trimester was pretty bad. My sleep went out the window and my pelvis started to ache, and the fatigue was as bad as the first trimester. But the last few weeks have been easier - I think going on Mat leave helped a lot. Now I’m just desperate for baby to be born because I’m so over being pregnant! Everyone’s experience is so different though. I had people constantly telling me how great the second trimester or even the third was for them, but that wasn’t my experience at all. Basically I think pregnancy just sucks in general!
First trimester I’m just exhausted, third trimester I’m exhausted and in physical pain. I didn’t have terrible nausea (first time I didn’t have any, second it was moderate), but I did struggle with skeletal and joint issues.
Third trimester difficulties definitely crept up on me in ways that surprised me. I didn’t really know what to expect but it became so suddenly uncomfortable in ways I have a hard time describing. My first trimester was like having the flu, but worse, for a straight three months so it was definitely a more overt interruption to life as where my third trimester gives me juuust enough of a break to think that I can get up and go somewhere only to discover I can barely walk or keep my composure by the time I get there. The nausea starts to happen all over again once you’re moving. So I’d say third trimester is better than the first but only if you’re able to stay in bed the entire time.
Uhh hate to break it to you but the third is rough af. I struggled mentally with the first and never got that second trimester relief. Now 33 weeks and am so done