Known. Doula Services

Known. Doula Services Certified birth, bereavement, & postpartum doula working with families in Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area

08/31/2026

36 weeks!

This has been so much fun to update you all week by week, & this week is no different! Definitely feels like a big milestone to be in my NINTH month of pregnancy, even though I know realistically we could still have 6 weeks left 😅

My p***c symphysis has finally begun to get uncomfortable--which is PHENOMENAL compared to feeling worse than this at 22wks with our oldest & 18wks last time. My chiropractor & pelvic floor pt (shout out to .dbq & ) have been super helpful reminding me of different techniques to help my pelvis stay healthy throughout the last weeks. Tailbone pain is new--I usually don't experience that until postpartum, but focusing on sitting up straight & not tucking my hips under has helped a bit.

Remembering to eat is still a struggle--I'm more grouchy/emotional & experience significantly more heartburn when I forget to eat. (Sorry to those of you who've experienced my hanger!)

Other than those few things, my body is feeling overall pretty good. My SI joint pain has significantly improved, but the kids are playing really well independently so I haven't been moving my body much this week 🙈

When do you think this sweet girl will come? Let me know in the comments! Will we have a September baby, or will I have to wait until October? 😜

08/25/2026

We're 35 weeks pregnant!

Things are starting to really feel real--we have all of our birth supplies already, & I'm starting the Gentle Birth tincture to help with preparing my body for birth, along with my daily NORA tea blend. (Remember-- the blend is $10 off until I give birth! Comment or DM me NORA & I'll send ya the deets!)

Realistically, I've still got about a month & a half until we meet Chessa B, but for some reason I feel like things are getting so close!

I used a different herbal birth prep (Polly Jean's Formula) last time, which I loved because of the lack of bleeding I had but it can cause faster labors which I'm hoping to avoid this time around. So instead of taking those capsules, I'm taking 1/4tsp of this tincture twice a day with meals. Jury's out on which I like better--I'll let you know after birth!

Walking has been a HUGE thing for me recently to help keep me from feeling stiff, & I'm still working on nutrition -- remembering to have a carb, fat, & protein at every meal -- & eating snacks throughout the day to prevent my heartburn. I've noticed that when I get hungrier, I have more intense heartburn.

When did things start to feel real for you during pregnancy?

08/17/2026

34 weeks, what?!

The pregnancy congestion is still around, & I expect it to stay up until birth as happened with the other two as well. Fatigue is setting in again, too, but it's not quite unbearable & a cat nap a week (plus remembering to snack) has sufficed so far.

More pelvic discomfort this week, so I went to my friends to make sure my body's set up well for Chessa's birth. Gratefully, everything looks really good & I just have to prioritize stretching at this point.

My husband & I do the four sisters of balance together every night now, just to keep my hips loosey goosey & continue to make space for our daughter to position herself well in preparation for birth. Let me know if you wanna know more about the 4 sisters!

Just about a month & a half, & we'll get to meet our new baby girl!

08/10/2026

33 weeks!

A few shifts happened this week.

Increased pelvic pressure because Chessa girl's getting bigger & has consistently been head-down. There have been a couple times this week where I bend over to help one of my toddlers get something they've dropped, & girly says "nope!" through a nice little lightning crotch 😅

I definitely feel more pregnant this week than I have been, which is both exciting & tough. My chiro visits are going up to once a week rather than every couple weeks to help combat the discomforts of the end of pregnancy, & I'm working on my motivation to do my labor prep exercises daily.

Any guesses on how big she'll be? Our oldest was 10lb 6oz, & our other daughter was 8lb 6oz. I think it'd be fun if she was 9lb 6 oz, but what do you think?

08/03/2026

32 weeks!

I just realized I forgot to record a 31 week bumpdate... sorry guys! This week, my kids & I got to go to another midwife appt, & baby girl & I are still doing really really well as far as all the numbers go. I love bringing my big kids to my appts because they get to hear their baby sister on the fetoscope & get to know our midwives too--so when they come to the house they're not nervouse as if they're strangers.

This week, my appetite is beginning to decline, which feels really early to me, but I've just got to remember to keep snacks nearby so I don't snap at my bigger kids.

I'm still taking 2-3c of NORA tea every day, & I'm really enjoying it! My blend also contains mint & lavender which is absolutely DELIGHTFUL as an iced tea! I will have some on sale from now all the way until Chessa's birth -- $17 per pint jar ($10 off!). Samples in jelly jars for $7!

Comment or DM me "NORA" & I'll get you the info 😊

07/28/2026

30 weeks!

Chessa's been overall very kind to my body this week, with the exceptions of more round ligament pain this week. I've been doing more inversions & other mobility exercises to help alleviate some of that discomfort, which I think has been helpful.

I have had some more fatigue this week, but nothing crazy at this point.

She's also getting very strong which is encouraging & fun to feel! We're getting to interact a little more this week where she'll push back when I poke her, & that's been really fun.

What types of things have helped you with round ligament pain!! Let me know!!

07/21/2026

29 week bumpdate!

This week has brought on some more symptoms:
- Acid reflux has reared her ugly head more days than normal this week, but it's not so bad I don't want to change anything specifically & I'm not noticing any differences in dietary changes that tends to cause it, so we're just coasting on that for now.
- Round ligament pain has come back! It's honestly kind of a nice reminder sometimes that our sweet Chessa girl's still growing & getting bigger, but man it sure is annoying!
- Pregnancy congestion is here! Hoping I can alleviate it some with extra fluids & incorporating spicier foods to help keep things open & flowing, but we'll see how long it sticks around this time. The last two pregnancies I have had congestion all the way up to birth...

What things did you notice as you continued in your third trimester? Let me know!

07/16/2026

What the heck is belly mapping? I'm so glad you asked! 😉

Belly mapping is essentially figuring out how baby is positioned in your uterus by using your hands! It's a really fun way to bond with baby, & it can be used at any time in pregnancy, but it's much easier as baby gets bigger.

Basically, you're looking for baby's back, head, & lil b***y to figure out if baby's lying vertex (head down), breech (b***y down), or transverse (sideways). Positioning isn't a huge deal, as baby still has quite a bit of extra room to wiggle & move as needed up until the last few weeks of pregnancy. There have even been babies known to flip from vertex to breech (or visa versa) in labor!

I love mapping my babies to help with bonding & getting to know their preferences. It's also fun for me to feel my babies before I get to hold them in my arms 🥰

Have you ever heard of belly mapping before? Tell me below!

07/13/2026

28 weeks! Welcome to the third trimester, everyone!

I don't have GDM this pregnancy, praise the Lord! Lots of people have been asking me what I did to affect it this time around, & I can't point to any one thing as having made the difference, other than the Lord is kind & good.

Chessa has been making herself much more obvious lately with her kicks, jabs, & rolls, which I am loving.

Braxton Hicks contractions are around again, basically just as reminders to p*e regularly & drink enough of my electrolytes!

Also, she's starting to get big enough for me to start belly mapping a little bit--stay tuned for Thursday!

07/09/2026

There are lots of options to screen for gestational diabetes!

Most providers will give you one option, but here's the whole low-down.

Option 1: the 1-hr glucose tolerance test. For this option, you can drink a beverage containing 50g of glucose. This either comes as Glucola or Fresh Test. The beverage must be consumed within 5 minutes, & your blood sugar is taken one hour afterward. If your sugars are low enough, congrats you've passed!

Option 2: (often given as an option if the one hour test is failed) the 3-hr glucose tolerance test. This is completed fasted (no food consumed for a certain period of time), & your sugars are tested fasting, 1 hr after consuming 75g of glucose, 2hrs after, and 3 hrs afterward. If 3/4 of the blood sugar levels are within the limit, congrats you've passed! If you have 2+ of the levels above the limit, this is considered an indication of having gestational diabetes.

Option 3: take your blood sugar 4 times daily for 1-2 weeks (depending on your care team). This is typically fasted & 2 hrs after every meal. You track what you eat & your blood sugars, which can help women learn how their body reacts to different diet/movement changes.

I have done the third option with all 3 of my full-term pregnancies, & I've absolutely loved it! It helps to give the feeling of knowing how your body is affected by your normal day-to-day diet, & is a more realistic version of what my blood sugar does in a day. Stay tuned to see if I have GDM this time around!

Were you given all of these options? Which did you choose? Let me know in the comments!

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5655 Deerwood Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA
52404

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