It may feel as if at that place'due south no way your tummy can stretch any more it already has, but there's no doubt nigh it — your baby bump will get a lot bigger over the course of the third trimester of pregnancy.

Hither'southward what to await from your body and your rapidly maturing baby in these last few weeks.

When does the tertiary trimester start?

The third trimester begins around week 28 of pregnancy and lasts until you give nascency, which may exist around week forty of pregnancy. In other words, your third trimester lasts from effectually week 28 to week twoscore, or months 7 to 9 of pregnancy. In total, the tertiary trimester is about 13 weeks long.

It's probable, however, that labor will first a couple of weeks before or later — in fact, nearly 30 percentage of all babies linger by the 40-week mark. If that's the case, yous can try a few tricks to naturally induce labor on your own, but one time you reach effectually week 41 or week 42 of pregnancy (depending on your medical practice and circumstances), you'll likely be considered overdue. At that point your doctor may decide to induce labor if it doesn't begin on its ain.

In the meantime, hang in there! Yous're almost to the cease line.

What are the symptoms of tertiary trimester pregnancy?

With that busy babe inside your belly, you're probably feeling lots of fetal activeness. You lot may besides be experiencing changes in your trunk equally your bump gets bigger and bigger, including:

  • Nausea.Morning sickness tends to subside after the first trimester, but it'due south possible — especially if you lot're expecting twins or multiples — for nausea to linger up until yous requite nascency.

  • Headache. Smells, a lack of sleep, stress, overheating and other factors tin can all trigger headache or migraine during your third trimester. Try to stick to a regular eating, exercise and sleep routine, and give yourself some much needed quiet time to de-stress.

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  • Diarrhea. As your body gears up for delivery, some of the muscles in your trunk — including the rectum — loosen up, causing what's known equally prelabor diarrhea. However a few weeks (or months) shy of your due date? Information technology might be a event of all that extra fiber in your diet, or even a stomach problems. If your symptoms linger for more than a few days, call your doctor.

  • Intestinal achiness. As your round ligaments (which support your lower abdomen) stretch to accommodate your growing bump, you lot may feel cramps or abrupt pain. There'southward not much you can do other than take it piece of cake.

  • Lightning crotch. No one'southward really sure what causes lightning crotch — a sudden, sharp stupor to the (you guessed it) crotch area — but one theory is that baby is pressing on a nerve that runs to the cervix. Other than alter positions, in that location'due south not much yous tin can do about the hurting besides wait it out. It should only last for a few seconds, however. Pain that goes on whatever longer warrants a telephone call to your doctor.

  • Fatigue. You'll experience more than zapped this trimester because of the demands pregnancy is putting on your body, then consume well and frequently, stay active and minimize pregnancy sleep bug.

  • Heartburn (acrid reflux). In the final few weeks of pregnancy, your uterus will push button your stomach and its contents upwardly, causing that persistent burn. If it's really bothering you lot, talk to your medico near proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) or H2 blockers, which are safe to use during pregnancy.

  • Braxton Hicks contractions. Your body's way of preparing for labor, you'll commencement to feel these irregular practice contractions around now until real labor starts.

  • Varicose veins. Y'all may find these jutting veins (including hemorrhoids, which are actually a type of varicose vein) in your lower trunk due to all of the extra blood yous're pumping. The good news: If y'all didn't have them before pregnancy, they'll probable disappear later you lot deliver.

  • Stretch marks. These tiny tears, which appear in skin that's existence stretched to the limit during pregnancy, are usually a outcome of genetics. Moisturize to minimize their appearance.

  • Backache. As the pregnancy hormone relaxin loosens your joints and your growing abdomen pulls your center of gravity forward, you may start to have an achy back — another reason to put your anxiety upward, literally. (Sharp, shooting pain from your back down your legs, on the other hand, may be a sign of sciatica.)

  • Insomnia. Leg cramps, abiding trips to the bathroom and just general aches and pains (not to mention all those other pregnancy symptoms y'all're experiencing) can all seriously interfere with your close-eye. In fact, indisposition affects more than 75 percent of the expectant set. A few sleepless nights are probably no big deal, just if the trouble continues, talk to your md virtually ways to manage sleeplessness. You might exist able to have melatonin or a magnesium supplement.

  • Crazy dreams. Thank you to pregnancy hormones, your dreams may be more than bright than always as you nearly your due date. They're totally normal — so have them with a grain of table salt and have fun swapping stories with a loved 1.

  • Awkwardness. Your hormones are on overdrive, your abdomen is throwing you off balance and you're more forgetful than ever. Yous're in good (significant) company — then merely try to be conscientious and have a humour about it!

  • Lack of bladder control. Yous sneeze = you pee. Indeed, all that extra weight on your pelvic floor makes it harder to stay dry. To the rescue: Your daily Kegels regimen.

  • Leaky breasts. Your torso'southward warming up to feed your infant.

  • Weight gain. Your baby is packing on the pounds, but your weight volition likely wearisome down as you near delivery day. Information technology'south not unusual to gain effectually eight to ten pounds this trimester. Information technology'south also normal if you lose a few pounds at the end of your 9th month.

With all these pregnancy symptoms and more than weighing on you, just try to keep your eye on the prize: your beautiful infant, whom you lot'll meet in just a few weeks!

When should I worry about my tertiary trimester?

You'll likely desire to head to the hospital around the time active labor starts, when baby is on the way (though check with your doctor to be certain).

Every bit delivery solar day approaches, you lot may experience faux labor symptoms — only the real signs of labor to watch out for include:

  • Baby dropping.By about week 36, you may notice yourself waddling as your babe drops into your pelvis.

  • Bloody prove. This stringy mucus tinged pink or brownish with claret is a sure sign labor is well on its fashion. Y'all also may or may non notice the discharge of your fungus plug (which seals off your uterus from the exterior world).

  • Pelvic pressure level. Crampiness in the groin area can be a sign of labor as your cervix starts to dilate and thin out.

  • Labor contractions. Compared to Braxton Hicks contractions, these intensify, rather than diminish, the more you move effectually.

  • Your water breaking.This may not even happen, however, until you're already at the hospital.

Call your doctor, however, if you offset to feel signs of preterm labor or any of the following late-pregnancy warning symptoms:

  • Heavy vaginal bleeding

  • Astringent vaginal hurting

  • Astringent pain in the lower belly

  • A fever over 101.five Fahrenheit

  • Astringent lower abdominal pain

  • Sudden weight gain

Recall: You lot're always amend trusting your instincts and staying on the safe side when you're expecting.

How much does a babe grow during the third trimester?

Your little one will get a whole lot larger in the third trimester, growing from nearly 2 i/ii pounds and 16 inches long in calendar week 28 of pregnancy to between 6 and 9 pounds and 19 to 22 inches long in week 40. Considering your baby is growing so fast, don't exist surprised if that growth spurt (forth with a subtract in living infinite) leads to some serious kicks and pokes in your gut.

Here are a few of the highlights of your third trimester of pregnancy:

  • Bones. Every bit cartilage transforms to bone in months 7 and 8, your babe volition be getting calcium from yous — so be sure to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods.

  • Hair, pare and nails. By calendar week 32 of pregnancy, baby's formerly see-through skin volition go opaque. In week 36, fat continues to accumulate as your infant sheds vernix (the waxy substance that protects the skin from your amniotic fluid) and lanugo (the warm, hairy coat).

  • Digestive system. In the concluding weeks of pregnancy, meconium — or baby's showtime poop, consisting mostly of claret cells, vernix and lanugo — starts to build up in baby'southward intestines.

  • V senses. Your baby's bear upon receptors will be fully adult around week 29 or week xxx. By calendar week 31 of pregnancy, your baby will get signals from all five senses, perceiving light and dark, tasting what y'all eat, and listening to the sound of your voice.

  • Brain. In the third trimester your infant's encephalon will grow faster than ever, test-driving some nifty skills including blinking, dreaming and regulating body temperature.

Around calendar week 34 of pregnancy, baby's body turns due south, settling into a heads-downwards, bottom-up position — unless, of form, your baby remains stubbornly in the breech position, in which case your doctor will likely endeavor to manually turn infant around calendar week 37.

Third trimester checklist

Yous're nearing the home stretch, but there's enough to practice in the meantime. Here are the top to-dos for the tertiary trimester.

  • Keep rail of fetal movement. From about week 28 on, y'all'll want to count babe's kicks regularly and note any changes in activity, especially during month 9.

  • Sentinel your weight. Your pregnancy weight gain will option upwardly speed at the outset of the tertiary trimester and slow downwardly as your due date nears. You may even lose a pound or 2. If you're not gaining plenty, or if you've gained likewise much, work with your dr. to adjust your pregnancy diet to get back on rails.

  • Keep moving! As long as yous have your practitioner's okay and you follow a few fitness safety precautions, it'due south safe to go along doing your pregnancy-rubber exercises up until your due date.

  • Schedule your third trimester checkups. Wait your glucose screening by about week 28 (or the kickoff of month 7) if y'all haven't had it already, an anemia test around month vii, and your group B strep exam in month 9. Besides in your ninth calendar month, your practitioner volition perform an internal exam of your neck to run into if effacement and dilation (the thinning and opening of your cervix) accept begun. If yous're classified every bit "high-take a chance," your physician may also schedule a biophysical profile or nonstress exam in the concluding few weeks simply to be certain everything is proceeding as expected.

  • Take a infirmary tour. If you haven't already, calendar month 7 is a great time to take a tour of the hospital or birthing eye where you programme to give birth.

  • Cull your baby's pediatrician. Interview a few candidates with a list of questions around week 32 and pick your favorite.

  • Buy infant gear. Make sure you have the babe gear essentials — especially a crib, stroller, car seat (which y'all'll need to bring your baby home from the hospital), irresolute table and baby monitor. On that annotation, have your machine seat in to be professionally installed.

  • Go educated. In add-on to a childbirth course — which will help y'all to feel more than prepared for the entire nascency process — y'all may also desire to consider classes on babe CPR and infant care.

  • Prepare to breastfeed, if you plan to. The best time to learn well-nigh breastfeeding is before baby arrives. You might fifty-fifty desire to take a breastfeeding class, or rent doula or a lactation consultant for advice or aid now or later if you lot need it.

  • Learn about the stages of labor. Get prepared for babe'southward birthday by learning what to expect during early, active and transitional labor besides as pushing baby out and delivering the placenta.

  • Consider how you'd like to manage labor pain. Want an epidural or other medication to manage labor pain? Thinking about having a natural birth, possibly in a birthing tub? Now's the time to discuss your options with your practitioner.

  • Check your birth plan. From whether or non you want an epidural to when and who cuts baby's umbilical cord, make or finalize your birth program. (Simply remember, when it comes time to push baby out, not everything ever goes exactly equally planned — the important part is keeping you and your baby prophylactic and healthy!)

  • Gear up your nursery. Become all of the essentials you'll need for your plant nursery. And don't forget baby basics like bottles, infant apparel, diapers, wipes, pacifiers and formula (if you're not planning to breastfeed).

  • Commemorate your baby crash-land. Take some cute bump shots — you can hang them in the plant nursery or add to your baby's photo album later.

  • Stock your fridge. You may want to whip up a few meals to go along in your freezer for the beginning few weeks, when you lot'll be busy with a new baby and recovering from birth.

  • Plan financially. The costs of having a baby can add upwardly rapidly, and so brand a new family budget and start following information technology accordingly.

  • Pack your hospital handbag. Pack light — but don't forget a few comforts from abode that yous'll want to have with you at the infirmary.

  • Arrange for cord claret cyberbanking. If you're considering string blood banking — public or private — exist certain your practitioner is enlightened of your plans, and don't forget to pack whatever cord blood kit the banking concern sends yous in your hospital purse.

  • Learn what happens after nascency. Read up on what happens after birth as your torso repairs and you brainstorm to arrange to your new role.

  • Gear up for infant's first yr. Learn more virtually all the exciting milestones that happen in baby's first year of life — there's so much to await forward to!

What to avoid during the third trimester

With your burgeoning abdomen and lower-than-usual energy levels, yous might not be doing very much of anything these days. The good news: Now that you're in your third trimester, you don't have long to go. Hither are a few things to avoid in your tertiary trimester — you'll be able to exercise many of them again soon!

  • Traveling. This may be stating the obvious, but if your due appointment is nearing, you lot probably don't want to venture also far from dwelling. Plus, some modes of transportation — like air travel, for case — are off-limits after around 36 weeks of pregnancy (and maybe sooner), depending on the airline's policy.

  • Lying on your dorsum. Chances are, you haven't been sleeping or doing exercises on your tum for a few months now. But y'all should also avoid lying apartment on your back during pregnancy, since the unabridged weight of your uterus and infant tin shrink the vein that carries blood from your lower torso to your heart, causing you lot to feel nauseous and short of jiff.

  • Hot tubs and saunas. Y'all've never needed a long soak more — and withal, y'all'll even so need to avoid hot tubs and saunas (specifically, annihilation that raises your internal temperature to more than 101 degrees F) until you evangelize. If you practice have a bath, keep the h2o at around 97 to 98 degrees F and monitor the levels with a thermometer. And, of form, be conscientious non to lose your residue in the tub.

  • Exercising in warm temperatures. Y'all don't have to finish working out during your third trimester, only you lot should avoid exercising in hot conditions. At present is not the fourth dimension to try hot (Bikram) yoga, afterward all. Stay indoors to reduce your odds of overheating or becoming dehydrated.

  • Booze. No amount of alcohol has been shown to exist safe at whatever point during pregnancy — so make it a mocktail.

  • Raw or undercooked foods. Raw and undercooked foods (mainly poultry, eggs, meat or fish) can harbor infection-causing leaner, then keep them off the carte du jour for the remainder of your pregnancy.

  • Unpasteurized dairy and juices. You lot may not encounter unpasteurized milk or juices very often, merely you may run across certain cheeses that have been made with unpasteurized milk. Soft cheeses, similar Brie, goat, and feta, are common culprits, for example. Check the label to make sure the production has been made with pasteurized ingredients.

Getting excited? You should be — it won't exist long at present until yous meet your baby!