Third Trimester Pregnancy Challenges, Recovery, and Partner Support

Deep Dive

This is the second-to-last episode of the NearlyParents podcast before Sophie goes on maternity leave, marking a significant pause in their regular content. Jamie is facing pressure to pass his driving test, with his test date potentially coinciding with Sophie's due date. Sophie is experiencing intense pregnancy cravings, which include a strong desire for Vietnamese rolls with fish sauce and mango and prawn salad, as well as Serrano ham.

The discussion then shifts to the common perception of pregnancy duration, with Sophie asserting that pregnancy is ten months (40 weeks) rather than the often-cited nine months. Jamie humorously recounts Sophie's requests for assistance with simple tasks, like filling her water bottle, and details his unhinged approach to packing the hospital bag. This included ordering a fan, an excessive number of adult nappies and pants, and a pack of a thousand earplugs, leading to a suitcase filled primarily with these items.

A peculiar situation arose when their cleaner opened a parcel containing a box meant for placenta encapsulation, mistaking it for the actual placenta and becoming distressed. This led to an explanation of the process where Sophie plans to have her placenta turned into pills and a moisturizer for personal consumption. Jamie and Sophie also debated whether Jamie would try Sophie's breast milk or placenta, with Jamie expressing willingness to try the milk but not the placenta, while Sophie was firm about not sharing her placenta.

The conversation took a turn into a discussion about male anatomy, specifically circumcision, and the term "balled" at the end of the penis. This led to a humorous exchange where Jamie explained that circumcision involves removing the foreskin, not a "balled," and a request for visual examples of circumcised and uncircumcised anatomy. They also touched upon the anatomy of the vagina, mentioning the labia majora and minora.

Sophie then detailed her nightly experience with severe leg cramps, which require Jamie's assistance to alleviate, noting his perceived weakness in helping. She also shared disturbing nightmares she has been having, including one involving a baby with a Family Guy head and another about repeatedly failing to get a pet rabbit up a slip and slide. To combat sleep disturbances, they have been listening to Stephen Fry's "Mythos" on repeat, though it appears the playback is not adhering to scheduled timers.

The episode features a sponsor segment for Nuna baby gear, highlighting their Dutch design, safety standards, and a new collaboration with BMW. Following this, another sponsor segment promotes Momentous supplements, particularly their Creapure creatine, backed by experts like Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Stacy Sims.

Listener messages are then shared. One anonymous listener recounts a mortifying teenage experience involving giving a hand job that resulted in sperm on her hand, which was noticed by her friend's mother. Another listener, Meg, shares an extraordinary story about her sister Ellie, who was 38 weeks pregnant with a cryptic pregnancy and went into labor unexpectedly, giving birth to a healthy baby boy named Sunny. Laura shares her experience with postpartum depression and commends Jamie for being an advocate for Sophie during labor, also finding motivation in Jamie's ultramarathon journey to get back into running with a running buggy.

The discussion returns to pregnancy preparations, with a mention of perineal massages, which Sophie expresses no desire to perform due to exhaustion and a preference for watching reality television. Jamie also nudges Sophie about assembling the pram, which has been sitting unassembled for three months. They then address the topic of resuming sexual activity, with Sophie expressing reservations about missionary positions and her inability to be on top due to her pregnant state, leading to a humorous discussion about alternative positions.

The conversation touches on the idea of "reborn virgins" and the hymen, with Sophie recalling a childhood desire to ride a pony to break her hymen before losing her virginity. They also discuss the necessity of harvesting breast milk, with Sophie expressing fear and a need for Jamie's help to extract milk into a pipette, contrasting this with her past experiences of going to nightclubs. Sophie then describes her recent baby shower, which was a joyful event despite her sister's absence, and mentions that a show about it will be released on Disney+ next year.

A segment dedicated to baby names ensues, with Jamie and Sophie reacting to suggestions like Rowan, Stuffy, Grant, Jamie Junior, Edith, Walter, Isabelle, and Keith. They express particular dislike for Keith due to a character in a book. Sophie also reveals that for her baby shower, guests were asked to bring their childhood favorite books, including "The Rainbow Fish."

The episode concludes with a collaborative rhyming story game where Jamie and Sophie build a narrative line by line, starting with a family in a shack with a pet bat. The story takes a bizarre turn, involving a rat, a horse, an eyeball, a scary daddy, and a knife. They then discuss the upcoming final episode before Sophie's maternity leave, promising it will be emotional, happy, and fun, and reiterate how to contact them. They offer well wishes for various life situations, including marriage, engagement, renovations, being single, and pregnancy.