This trimester is full of excitement. It’s the final leg of the nine-month journey, and all you think of is the day you will meet the baby. You plan your meals to boost breastfeeding, book the hospital, and shop for the baby.
You’ll be feeling heavier, and you will be slower due to the baby’s weight. So, how do you prepare yourself for the third trimester?
The most important thing is that you take plenty of rest, eat small nutritious meals, and have confidence in your body’s ability to finish the pregnancy journey. You should also expect a few changes in your baby and your body.
Changes in your body:
- You feel the baby’s movements and kicks more strongly.
- Your pregnancy belly will become more pronounced.
- Your uterus may get hard and tight at times (Braxton Hicks contractions).
- You may feel short of breath as the baby takes up more space in your abdomen.
- After the baby “drops,” towards the birth canal, then you may feel an increased need to urinate.
- Your cervix may begin to thin out (efface) and open in the last weeks of pregnancy.
- Your back may hurt, and your ankles and feet often swell slightly. You will feel tired all the time, and if you don’t exercise, the three months will feel like a year. Thus, rest as much as you can. Drink enough water and take short walks every day. Also, a gentle massage on your feet and back will ease the pain and swelling.
- You might also notice clear, yellowish, sticky first milk (colostrum) leaking from nipples.
- You may feel contractions. That is normal. Call your medical provider if you have more than six within an hour.
- Expect to deal with heartburn now that the uterus is pushing the contents in your stomach up. However, you can go to the hospital to get some medicine.
- Some women develop varicose veins now that they’re pumping extra blood around the abdominal area.
- The skin on your tummy will stretch every day. Hence, you may see more stretch marks in that area. However, you can apply an oil to lubricate your skin throughout the nine months to minimize the stretch marks. Read here on how to take care of your skin when pregnant.
Changes in your baby
- Your baby moves, kicks, and stretches more often.
- The body begins to fill out. That is, it becomes less thin and wrinkled.
- Fine body hair disappears.
- Baby responds to sound and light, so keep talking and singing to the child. You can involve your co-parent too. Both baby and you will love the bonding sessions.
- Your baby’s weight increases, so you feel heavier than the last two trimesters.
- Firstborns usually “drop “into the pelvis, which protects the uterus before labor begins at 37 to 42 weeks. In subsequent pregnancies, the baby may not settle deep into the pelvis until contractions start.
Take-Home
The baby needs lots of calcium at this stage, so you have to eat foods rich in minerals.
Your baby’s brain should grow faster than in the previous two stages. Hence, ensure that you eat well in these last three months. If you don’t have an appetite, kindly consult a doctor.
