Deja Vu All Over Again

Remember how, way back when, I told you all about my rampant morning sickness in the first trimester? And then later, and cautiously optimistic, I said it was dissipating in the second trimester.

Well, the third trimester has brought back an old friend - really bad morning sickness. It's different this time, though - instead of unrelenting waves of nausea throughout the day, it comes more as a surprise. Yesterday morning, it was the mere act of getting out of bed and putting on slippers. That afternoon? Starting the car.

The timing couldn't be worse, either. Today I have my glucose test, which screens for gestational diabetes. I'll be drinking a syrupy liquid, waiting an hour, and then getting blood drawn to see how well my body metabolized the sugar. I've heard everything from, "Oh, it doesn't taste half bad," to "It makes some people very nauseous." The latter warning came from my doctor, who advised eating a protein-packed, non-sugary, bland breakfast - something like scrambled eggs, but no juice - this morning before the test.

Only now, I'm downing an anti-nausea med and hoping these eggs will stay down. Later, I'll pray I keep whatever goop they hand me down long enough to do this test. Then I will go in search of fruit, which I avoided yesterday and today, opting for more high-protein snack options and water.

But all of this complaining aside, it's an interesting time in my pregnancy. I'm in the home stretch, and while I can't see my feet, I can see the marks on the calendar that remind me of the dwindling number of doctor's appointments, the baby showers, and the deadlines we've set to get the house prepared for a new baby. I'm beginning to go to the doctor every two weeks, having graduated from the once a month routine of the first and second trimesters. My next milestone? The 37th week, when Baby E is considered full term. It's a little more than two *gulp* months away.

And when I think of it that way, I realize that I can pretty much do anything for two months. Including going back to my first trimester diet occasionally and refilling that prescription that helps with the nausea.

So any moms out there experience a return of morning sickness in the third trimester? What did you do?

Bethany Erickson is 28 weeks pregnant and the wife of Texas Health Resources web editor Tom Erickson.