What to Expect in Your Third Trimester of Pregnancy

In your third trimester of pregnancy? Relax, you're almost there.  (Easy for me to say, right? I'm not the one who's had nausea, leg cramps and constipation for 6 months.)

As you know, the third trimester is the final trimester, the time you and your baby are preparing for the actual birth. So, what are you and your baby experiencing, and what are some things you need to become aware of?

For Baby:

Your baby has been going through many changes the past two trimesters, and now it's time for her to finish her development and prepare to make her arrival. By the beginning of the third trimester, your baby's head is now in proportion with the rest of her body. And, your baby is now able to hear muffled sounds and sense light! Go ahead, talk to him!

Your baby is practicing her breathing, and, a few weeks into the third trimester, she will weigh almost 3 pounds. As the baby gains more weight she'll notice it's getting pretty crowded in her temporary quarters, so don't be surprised if she stops moving around so much. This is totally normal and nothing to be worried about.

Your baby is also starting to have a more baby-like sleep schedule, and will have his eyes opened when he's awake, and closed when he's asleep.

Hiccupping is something you may notice your baby doing in the third trimester. This is because your baby is breathing in water, which goes into the windpipe, thus causing hiccups.

Nearing the end of the third trimester, around week 36, the baby's head will now descend into the pelvic region in preparation of the birthing process. By week 39, the baby will now have hair and completely developed lungs and may weigh over 7 pounds. She's now ready to be born.

For You:

Your baby's preparing to be born, and your body is preparing to give birth to her. What might you expect in this, the last trimester of your pregnancy?

Varicose veins - Other than being huge, you may also notice you've developed varicose veins, which can be very noticeable. These will usually disappear after you give birth. Varicose veins also come in the form of hemorrhoids. These, too, go away after giving birth. You can lessen the discomfort of hemorrhoids with a warm bath. You can also ask your doctor for other treatments he or she would recommend.

Increased back pain and leg cramps - Your enlarging uterus is putting pressure on your muscles, and your weight is throwing you off balance. All this can result in back pain and leg cramps. Unless you are directed otherwise by your doctor, it's good to take a walk everyday to help with leg cramps. It is also adviseable to avoid sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time, and to stretch your calf muscles and move your ankles and toes throughout the day. If you are bothered by leg cramps at night, you might want to light down on your left side to improve circulation.

Fatigue - Remember the fatigue of the first trimester? It's back. Instead of fighting it, why not take the time to get some extra rest?

Shortness of Breath - Shortness of breath can occur late in your pregnancy as your diaphragm is being pressed upon by your expanding uterus. Don't panic. This is completely normal.

While the above are uncomfortable and annoying, there are a couple of potential problems more common to the third trimester that you should be aware of:

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, also called toxemia, affects approximately 3 to 8 percent of all pregnant women, the diagnosis of which is determined by high blood pressure and protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Preeclampsia can show up any time after 20 weeks (before 20 weeks is pretty rare), but the average time it shows us (if at all) is after 37 weeks of pregnancy. It can even show up during labor.

While most women who develop preeclampsia experience it mildly, it can be serious, and becomes more serious the earlier it develops. If you experience serious symptoms of preeclampsia, it has the potential of affecting many of your organs. If severe, you may need to deliver your baby early. Most women see their blood pressure go down within a couple days from delivering their babies.

For mild to severe preeclampsia, you may be recommended by your doctor to modified bedrest, as blood pressure generally is lower when you are at rest. For a list of symptoms of preeclampsia, as well as who may be more at risk, please see our page on preeclampsia.

Pre-Term Labor

Another potentially serious problem you may want to note is pre-term labor, that is, labor before the 37th week. What are the signs of pre-term labor?

• contractions before week 37 which are frequent or painful
• abdominal pain
• menstrual-like cramping
• more than 4 contractions in an hour
• vaginal bleeding
• increase in vaginal discharge
• increased pelvic pressure

Remember, if it's something that's out of the ordinary and you're not sure, call your doctor.

Synonyms:  Rimester, rtimester, ttrimester, timester, tirmester, trrimester, trmester, trmiester, triimester, triester, triemster, trimmester, trimster, trimeester, trimeter, trimetser, trimesster, trimeser, trimesetr, trimestter, trimestr, trimestre, trimesteer, trimeste, and trimesterr are mispells and typos for trimester.