Third trimester pregnancy is actually the last trimester of your gestational period or begins from 29 to 40 weeks almost. It roughly includes seven, eighth, and ninth months of pregnancy, when you are have almost covered your Gestational journey. You and your belly have almost two-third of the travel, but your baby is still growing on. Females feel more discomfort during the last trimester, as the baby inserts the pressure on the body. But are more excited to birth.
Your baby will grow up, open her/ his eyes, gain more weight, and prepared for delivery during the third trimester. Pains are very commonly seen as the problem in the third trimester. As the uterus expands, you feel more pain in the abdomen or stomach. You can also feel heartburn, backache, headaches, and stomach pain in the trimester. There is nothing to worry but can be necessary to call the doctor if it is severe.
Diet during Third Trimester Pregnancy
Baby growth needs additional energy during this third-trimester pregnancy, therefore, women should eat more and more. Folic acid supplements or multivitamins are recommended, as more energy is required to get prepared for delivery. Green vegetables, fruits, fresh juices, plenty of water, milk, and soup, etc are available to nourish you. Such women who are malnourished, suffer from post-partum complications.
Bones of your baby are growing. You need more calcium to feed the baby and milk is a good source of calcium. You should eat more apples in pregnancy because it enriches many essential nutrients in it. Plenty of water is needed because it maintains your blood pressure and prevents Preeclampsia. Take more carbohydrates and proteins. Eat mutton, qeema, fish, or such delicious foods that make not only you stronger, energetic, and healthiest. Choose thin slices of the lean ham for a thiamine boose, and also add to a vitamin-riched salad of tomatoes, radishes, sweetcorn, and lettuce.
Your Baby’s Development During Third Trimester Pregnancy
In the third trimester, your baby is continuously growing until she’s born. But here are a few developmental milestones in your baby to watch for during this trimester like
- At 28 weeks; your baby’s Eye wide opened
- At 30 weeks; hairs shedding in your baby
- At 34 weeks; turning head down of baby
- At 39 weeks; full-term baby
Physical Symptoms & Signs during Third Trimester Pregnancy
When you are nearer to labor, hormonal balance shifts. Oxytocin hormones begin to elevate because it involves in uterine contraction during labor. It also rejects the milk from the breast after birth. Progesterone hormone starts to decline as pregnancy is going to terminate. Due to this hormonal variation, the body develops some signs and symptoms under the action of these hormones. They include
1- Abdominal Bump due to Pregnancy
2- Braxton Hicks contraction:
As you moving towards the termination of your pregnancy, your hypothalamus in the brain starts to produce the oxytocin hormone which prepares your body for labor. Women start to feel these irregular practice contractions now until real labor starts.
3- Heartburn:
In the third trimester pregnancy, your uterus expands and put pressure upwards to your stomach along with its contents that cause persistent heartburn. This is a common symptom of all pregnant women during the last trimester, but if it is severe or bothering you, go to your doctor. Mostly proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) or H2 blockers are recommended for this burn because they are safe to use during pregnancy.
4- Weight Gain
It is an acceptable symptom, as the baby is growing you gonna weight more. But weight increases on a trimester basis in a woman with the normal pre-pregnancy weight
- The first trimester of pregnancy: 1-4.5 pounds
- The second trimester of pregnancy: 1-2 pounds increase per week
- The third trimester of pregnancy: 1-2 pounds increase per week
5- Swelling
Not only your abdomen is swollen, but you also might experience swelling or edema in your dependent parts especially in your lower extremities, such as your feet and ankles.
Because during pregnancy, the body produces 60 percent more blood volume than usual. Uterus also growing during pregnancy and putting pressure on the large veins of legs that return the blood to your heart and leave all the extra fluid to pool in your lower limbs. This is how swelling or edema occurs in pregnant women.
6- Fatigue
Though you have traveled 7 to 8 months of pregnancy, your body getting more changes in hormones as well as in growing fetuses and demands more food and more energy. You get tired at last.
7- Breast Enhancement
Under the action of two hormones, progesterone and prolactin, the breast begins to accommodate more milk in it to feed the baby later on. Breast size increases, nipple size increases to feed the baby, and areola becomes more pigmented than before. Breast swollen and soreness is a normal pregnancy Symptom.
8- Lack of bladder control
Frequent urination, as well as lack of bladder control, is a common complaint of all the pregnant women. Additionally applied weight on your pelvic floor makes it hard to stay dry.
