Pregnancy Third Trimester

The pregnancy third trimester is one of the most exciting simply because you know you are just three months away from holding your baby in your arms.

Your pregnancy third trimester lasts from month seven right until the baby is born. These laws few months of your pregnancy are physically and emotionally taxing, but very joyful as well. Some pregnancy symptoms from your first and second trimesters will remain, others will be gone altogether, and there will be some new ones to take their place.

Pregnancy Symptoms During The Third Trimester

• You’ll be huge during your pregnancy third trimester. Your baby is bigger than ever before and will only keep growing. You’ll have to buy maternity clothes to be comfortable because none of your other clothes will come even close to fitting.
• The extra weight you put on during your pregnancy third trimester can be tiresome, literally. While you may have been able to zip through all your chores with enthusiasm when you were in your second trimester, the pregnancy third trimester will be quite the opposite. You will feel like you need to slow down and take it easy. Listen to your body. Try taking naps to help with the fatigue.
• You will be gaining weight rapidly through the pregnancy third trimester. But if you are eating healthy, then most of the weight is probably the baby’s weight as it gains most of its birth weight during this time.
• You may experience some back pain as well because of the extra weight on your abdomen during the pregnancy third trimester.
• Your breasts will be producing enough colostrum to maybe cause leaking. This is a good sign as it indicates that your mammary glands are working fine and you will be able to feed your baby after it is born.
• Your breasts will feel quite heavy during your pregnancy third trimester. Heavy enough to cause discomfort or even a slight soreness. There are several supportive bras made especially for pregnant women that may help.
• Heartburn is very common in the pregnancy third trimester as your growing uterus puts a lot of pressure on all your other organs.
• Constipation, flatulence, belching are all part and parcel of the wonderful pregnancy third trimester.
• Shortness of breath is also a common pregnancy third trimester symptom as the growing uterus pushes against the organs.
• Frequent trips to the bathroom will continue as the bladder is under even more pressure now.
• Leg cramps may occur during your pregnancy third trimester. You can remedy this by doing some stretches before bed.
• As you near your due date, the ligaments in your pelvis will loosen to prepare for childbirth. This may cause you to walk about in a bit of a clumsy manner.
• The baby will turn upside down (head towards your pubic bone) toward the middle of the pregnancy third trimester. Since the baby’s feet are now somewhere near your ribs, you may experience some internal bruising when your baby gives you a sharp kick now and then.
• Most women find the pregnancy third trimester to be the most emotionally trying one. Not only do you have to deal with the havoc the surge of hormones is wreaking in your system, but also the imminent birth of your baby and the responsibility that comes with it. Now is a great time to go back to all those baby care books to educate yourself so you feel less insecure about becoming a mother.
• You may have difficulty sleeping during your pregnancy third trimester because of the stress and hormones, but also because you’ll be so big that you may not be able to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
• Some pain on the pubic bone is normal during the pregnancy third trimester. The hormone relaxin loosens your ligaments in the pelvis in preparation for birth. But sometimes, the loosening can be exaggerated. This causes some instability in the joints. And it is the cause of pubic bone pain.
• Many women are also terrified by the very thought of labor, and it can cause a lot of undue stress. If this is something that concerns you greatly, speak to your doctor about pain management options that can be used when you go into labor.
• The Braxton Hicks contractions that you started to experience in your second trimester will continue into the third. They will be of longer duration than before, between 30 and 60 seconds.
• Your ankles and even your fingers might swell to some degree during your pregnancy third trimester. But if there is sudden swelling, you need to contact your doctor immediately.
• If you thought you were moody during the other trimesters, just wait and see. The pregnancy third trimester is one of the worst for mood swings not just because of the hormones but because you are physically exhausted and just want the baby to be born. The waiting can get frustrating and you’ll be snapping people’s heads off for no reason at all. This is more normal than you think and will pass after your baby is born.
• Your baby will be born soon. So come to a decision about where you want to have the baby, pack your bag to take to the hospital on the big day, get all the baby’s stuff ready like the nursery, clothes, diapers, furniture, etc. Now would also be a good time to take time off work.

What To Look Out for In Your Pregnancy Third Trimester?

Pre-term labor is still a possibility in the pregnancy third trimester. Although your baby is almost fully developed and has a high chance of surviving outside your womb if born before its due date, this is not an ideal situation and should be avoided. So continue to keep a lookout for any of the following symptoms and call your doctor pronto if you experience any of them.

• Sudden swelling of ankles or hands
• Rapid weight gain – you’ll know by now how much weight you are putting on, on average, each month and at what pace. So you will be able to guess quite easily what would be considered too much and too fast.
• Severe back pain
• Intense headaches
• Vaginal bleeding
• Feeling more breathless than usual when performing routine tasks
• Blackouts
• High fever
• Seeing spots
• Vomiting

What’s Happening With Your Baby In The Pregnancy Third Trimester?

Weight gain and rapid development of the finer details of your baby are the two main things your baby undergoes during the pregnancy third trimester. From the beginning of the pregnancy third trimester to the time your baby is born, it will have gained almost double its weight. Since the baby is putting on weight so quickly, it will be really cramped in your uterus. This is why you will be able to feel every move your baby makes. This is also why your baby will move less than it used to in the earlier trimesters as there just isn’t enough space.

All the organs are fully formed and functioning, the hair and eyelashes grow and gain color, the brain is developing each day, the testicles have dropped into the scrotum if your baby is a boy, your baby can suck its thumb and cry, and it is urinating more than 0.5 litres a day. Up to 80% of babies born prematurely in the third trimester will survive with some initial medical help.

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