3rd Trimester of Pregnancy

Pregnancy Third Trimester (Week 28 thru 40)

Wow! You’ve begun the home stretch of pregnancy by reaching your third trimester. During the third trimester of pregnancy your baby (and yourself) will be packing on more pounds than in the entire first and second trimester combined. You may start to feel anxious, you may begin “nesting” or preparing your home and nursery for the arrival of the baby, and you may have an additional onset of unpleasant and uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms. Some of these symptoms will be reminiscent of your first trimester feelings, and some may be new and uncharted territory.

As your due date becomes more in sight, you may be considering different things that need to get taken care of before the big day comes!

Here are some suggestions of things to take care of while in your third trimester:

Create your birthing plan and discuss it with your doctor.
Organize and decorate the baby’s nursery.
Finalize your maternity leave plans at work.
Make a packing check list for your hospital bag.
Shop for baby’s coming home outfit and blanket.
Arrange for help during the first week if you have older children.
Attend a birthing class and learn breathing techniques.
Tour the hospital where you plan to deliver the baby.
Know the types of pain management you may want to use during delivery.
Pre-make and freeze meals that you can pop into the oven once baby is home.

Changes in Your Body

Some of the discomforts you experienced in the second trimester will continue into your third trimester. Additionally, many women find breathing even more difficult as the uterus is growing into the lungs and more frequent urination as the uterus pushing on the bladder.

You may experience some new and some familiar aches and pains in the third trimester as well, including:

Tender Breasts
Hemorrhoids
Trouble Sleeping
Leg Cramps
Swelling

Weight Gain

On average, it is normal to gain about one pound per week or three to four pounds per month, during the third trimester. At the end of your pregnancy it is normal to gain a total of 25 to 30 pounds, depending on your pre-pregnancy weight and your doctor’s recommendations. Of the weight you will gain, roughly 7 ½ pounds will be your baby.

Changes in Your Baby

Your baby is growing, moving, and packing on the fat. With rapid growth, your baby has less room in your uterus so you may not feel the circus like you did before but probably will feel more sharp jabs from the elbows and knees.

Even before your baby is born, it will be able to open and close its eyes, sucking its thumb, and taking in amniotic fluid to practice breathing.

At birth, most babies are 20 to 22 inches long and weigh 7 ½ pounds. However, newborns who are between 5 pounds, 11 ½ ounces and 8 pounds, 5 ¾ ounces are considered healthy babies.

Preparing for Birth

Near your due date, your cervix becomes thinner and softer, called effacing. This is a normal process that helps the birth canal (vagina) to open during the birthing process. At your doctor’s visits, your doctor will check your progress with a vaginal exam.

To help in preparation for the big day you may also begin to notice that your baby is beginning to move into the birth position. Dropping or moving down lower in your abdomen in the head down position is normal for you baby to do. Once your baby has moved, you may notice that is becomes easier to breathe.

Visiting Your Doctor or Midwife

As you have done throughout your pregnancy, continue to see your doctor or midwife regularly. Closer to your due date, around 38 weeks, you’ll even begin to make these visits on a weekly basis.

During these last few visits to your doctor or midwife, feel free to ask questions and share your concerns. Your doctor is there to listen and help ease your concerns and worries and it’s natural for you to have a lot of emotion running through you.

If you anticipate having a non-surgical, vaginal birth, talk to your doctor about the options you have for pain management and the pros and cons of each option. Some women choose to have a natural, medicine free delivery while others choose a pain management technique to help them through the process. It is important that you make the best choice for you after discussing your options with your doctor.

Inducing Labor

Only a small number of babies are actually born on their due dates, about 5%. This should help ease your concerns when you due date comes and goes and you’re still pregnant.

In some cases, with continued pregnancy, your doctor or midwife may have concerns about the health of you and your baby and for this reason; your doctor may choose to induce labor.

To induce labor means that your doctor will begin the labor process for your body by artificial means. Typically, your doctor will wait one to two weeks after the due date has passed before considering inducing labor.

Signs of Labor

Contractions at regular and increasingly shorter intervals that also becomes stronger in intensity. Learn the difference between real labor contractions and Braxton Hicks.

Your water breaks. This can be a large gush or a continuous trickle and you have contractions at regular intervals.

Lower back pain that does not go away. This can also feel like cramps or premenstrual symptoms.

Your cervix is dilating (opening) and becoming thinner and softer. This will be determined by your doctor during a pelvic exam.