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Pregnancy symptoms week by week in 3rd Trimester

pregnancy symptoms week by week
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You and your belly may be two-thirds of the way there, but your baby still has a lot of growing to do. Here is what to expect in the third trimester of pregnancy. Your bump will keep getting bigger, even if that seems impossible right now.

In pregnancy symptoms week by week, feelings can swing from tiredness and anxiety to excitement about meeting your baby. Your baby keeps growing and maturing, and each extra week in the womb improves their chances if they are born early.

You will have more frequent checkups in the third trimester so your provider can monitor you and your baby. It is also a good time to think about labor and to prepare for the baby. If you can, enjoy some time for yourself too, especially once maternity leave starts.

If you already have children, keeping up with them can feel harder now, so accept any help you are offered.

One important habit in the third trimester is to go to sleep on your side, left or right. The NHS explains that falling asleep on your back after 28 weeks is linked to a higher risk of stillbirth.

If you wake up on your back, just turn onto your side.

When does the third-trimester start and end?

The third trimester begins in week 28 of pregnancy and lasts until you give birth, usually around week 40.

Physical change during pregnancy symptoms week by week

Your body may experience some physical changes during this trimester:

1. Path to improved health

Your body and its hormones will affect how you feel during pregnancy week by week.

  • The tiredness you felt in early pregnancy can come back. It is a good idea to make time for a nap.
  • You will feel your baby move a lot during this trimester.
  • The “nesting instinct” may kick in. You may feel the need to clean the house or get things ready for the baby. Take it slow so that you don’t wear yourself out.
  • You may feel more emotional while preparing for labor, childbirth and parenthood.

2. Puffiness

Changes in circulation and fluid retention can cause swelling in your feet, ankles, hands and face.

If swelling in your hands and face is sudden or severe, call your doctor. If you also have a headache, blurred vision or pain just below the ribs, call immediately. These can be signs of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

3. Tingling and numbness

Swelling can press on nerves and cause tingling and numbness in your hands and feet. The skin on your belly may also feel numb because it is so stretched.

Tingling and numbness in the hands is often due to carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by pressure on a nerve in the wrist. A wrist splint at night can help, and the problem usually goes away after delivery.

4. Varicose veins

These are bluish, swollen and sometimes painful veins just under the skin. They often appear on the back of the calves or on the feet.

Varicose veins are caused by:

  • Pressure from your growing uterus on the large veins behind it, which slows blood flow back to the heart.
  • Pregnancy hormones, which relax the walls of the veins so they can swell.
  • Constipation, which makes you strain during bowel movements.
  • An increase in blood volume and fluid retention.

5. Hemorrhoids

These are varicose veins in the rectum. They may bulge out of the anus and cause itching, pain and sometimes bleeding. Ask your doctor about taking a stool softener (not a laxative).

6. Aching back, pelvis, and hips

Back pain may start in the second trimester. As your belly grows, the strain on your back increases. Pregnancy hormones also loosen the joints between the pelvic bones to prepare for birth, which can make your hips and pelvis ache. Sleeping with a pillow behind your back or between your knees can help.

7. Abdominal pain

The muscles and ligaments (tough, fibrous bands of tissue) that support the uterus stretch as your baby grows, and this can be painful. Call your doctor about severe or constant belly pain.

8. Shortness of breath

As your uterus moves upward, your lungs have less room to expand, so mild breathlessness is common in the third trimester. Get urgent care for sudden or severe shortness of breath or chest pain.

9. More breast growth

Your breasts keep growing, and your nipples may leak a yellowish liquid called colostrum. If you breastfeed, this fluid will be your baby’s first food.

10. More weight gain

Weight gain continues through the third trimester as your baby grows fastest. Much of it is lost after delivery, though it may take several months to return to your pre-pregnancy weight.

11. Vaginal discharge

Discharge often increases late in pregnancy. If you have a gush or steady trickle of fluid, or you see any blood, call your doctor immediately.

12. Stretch marks

As your baby grows, your skin stretches more and more. This can cause stretch marks, which look like thin lines on the skin. They often appear on the belly, breasts and thighs.

13. Less fetal movement

Your baby's movements may feel different as space gets tighter, for example more rolls and fewer sharp kicks. But they should not slow down.

The NHS advises that you should keep feeling your baby move right up to and during labor. If your baby is moving less than usual or the pattern changes, call your midwife or maternity unit immediately, even at night.

Emotions during pregnancy 3rd trimester

The third trimester brings its own mix of feelings. You may feel excited, impatient, anxious about birth or simply tired of being pregnant. No wonder you go through so many feelings during pregnancy symptoms week by week!

By now you may be used to handling these mixed feelings. Many of the early “growing pains” of pregnancy are behind you, and most of the feelings ahead focus on giving birth and meeting your baby.

Here are some common emotions of the third trimester that can be considered in pregnancy symptoms week by week:

1. Forgetful

You may stop in the middle of a sentence, unable to remember the point you were trying to make. Many pregnant women notice this kind of forgetfulness.

Pregnancy symptoms week by week

Calendars, phone reminders and notes on the fridge or bathroom mirror can help you keep track of appointments and tasks.

2. The Need for a Time Out

You have done a lot and still have a lot of work ahead of you. You are not a “bad” mother for wanting time off. Rest now is good practice for the tiring early weeks of parenthood.

3. Eager to Get Things Done

Many women feel a strong urge to tie up loose ends at work, organize, clean or meet social obligations. The nesting instinct, the desire to prepare the nursery and clear the house for the baby, often kicks in now, though for some it comes later.

Remember that your first priority is having the energy to look after yourself and your baby. Learn to delegate. Start sharing tasks with your partner or family now; their help will matter a lot in the first weeks after the baby arrives.

4. Birth Decisions Overwhelming Your Third Trimester Emotions

You may be partway through childbirth classes before you start thinking seriously about your birth preferences. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options. Talk them through with your provider, and remember that plans can change on the day.

Parental care

In the third trimester, most people have a checkup about every two weeks from week 28 to week 36, then every week until birth. As your due date gets closer, you and your provider can discuss physical exams, late pregnancy tests and your birth plan.

Here are some other tests and care you may receive in the third trimester:

  • If your glucose screening test was high and you have not had a glucose tolerance test yet, it will be done early in this trimester to check for gestational diabetes.
  • Your blood may be rechecked for anemia, especially if you were anemic earlier in pregnancy.
  • If you are at risk for sexually transmitted infections, you may be tested again for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV.
  • If an earlier ultrasound showed placenta previa or a low-lying placenta, you will have another ultrasound to check where the placenta is.
  • If your pregnancy is high-risk or your provider is concerned, they may order tests such as a biophysical profile or nonstress test to check on your baby. If there are concerns about your baby's growth, you may have regular ultrasounds to measure the baby and check the amniotic fluid level.
  • If your pregnancy goes past your due date, ACOG says testing may be recommended at 41 weeks. This may include a nonstress test and an ultrasound of the amniotic fluid, done weekly or twice a week.

Labor induction may also be recommended if your pregnancy reaches 41 weeks, because some risks to you and your baby rise after the due date. If your cervix has already started to soften (ripen), induction is often easier.

  • The CDC recommends a Tdap vaccine during weeks 27 through 36 of every pregnancy to help protect your baby from whooping cough (pertussis), even if you have been vaccinated before.

If flu season is here or approaching, your provider should talk to you about getting a flu shot if you have not had one yet.

HP Thoughts: Are you aware of what is happening during the 2nd month of pregnancy? Read about this: Pregnancy of 2 Months.

Sources

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