Tips & Advices What to expect in third trimester

The Last League of your Pregnancy. Are you ready for the third trimester?

You are pregnant and you are powerful. You are bold and you are beautiful. Go forward in your boldness, in your beauty and in your contentedness. Trust your body to birth and know that the collective power of women worldwide will be with you.

Wow! You’re already down to your third and last trimester. How are you feeling? Nervous? Excited? Want to get it over with? Your feelings and emotions, be it positive or not-so-positive are totally valid. You have done so amazingly well in the first and second trimesters and now, in a few more weeks, you’ll be carrying your baby in your loving arms. It can all get a little overwhelming as you are not sure what to expect. Moving into the third trimester can be scary for some women as this indicates more rapid growth of your baby, belly and body.

In this final phase of pregnancy, your baby is completing the final touches of its development before it comes into the world. This can mean more martial art kicks and somersaults in your belly. It can get sort of uncomfortable as the more your baby grows, the less movement space it has with stronger nudges. You may also have difficulty in sleeping, moving and getting things done as your belly rapidly grows into a gigantic watermelon. You will get over it soon, but you got to hang in there for now! Here are some of the other things you might experience.

– Shortness of breath

• As your belly expands due to the growing of the uterus, grows higher in your abdomen, and presses on your diaphragm, breathing can be difficult.

– Frequent urination

• As the baby grows bigger and moves lower into the pelvis, it adds more pressure on the bladder making you do some extra trips to the washroom.

You might also experience urine leak especially if you laugh too hard, cough or sneeze.

– Swollen feet, ankles and backaches

• These are other common symptoms and totally normal in this third trimester. However, if you start experiencing swelling on your face and hands, do rush to the hospital as it’s a sign of preeclampsia. Backaches can also start taking a toll on you. Your body is preparing for the birthing process making your pelvic area loosen causing more strain on lower back and hips. You will begin to waddle like a penguin when you walk too.

– Sleeping difficulty

• You might lose on sleep as it gets more uncomfortable to sleep due to the growing belly or just anxiety of the unknown keeping you awake. Either way, do try to calm yourself and rest as much as you can, while you can.

– Braxton Hicks contractions

• Last but not the least, from time to time, you might experience mild contractions and tightness at the abdomen area mostly during the evenings. They also tend to occur more often and stronger as your due date approaches. Do rush to the hospital once you find the contractions to be regular and stronger with shorter intervals. It’s a sign your baby is ready to come out.

As the reality of being a mom sinks in, you might get overwhelmed but embrace it in a positive light and get excited to welcome your little bundle of joy into the world.