Found this article really useful so thought best share with u too!
-Simmi

You're Almost There: The Third Trimester

Now that you have successfully navigated two-thirds of your pregnancy, what can you expect in the last three months? The third trimester of pregnancy, from weeks 28 to 40, is a remarkable period of growth and development for your baby. This is when your baby begins to develop fat under his skin, so that he starts to look like the baby you expect to see at birth.

Portrait in Miniature

By the end of week 32, he is likely to weigh about 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds) and be about 28 centimeters (11 inches) long. He will continue to gain weight rapidly so that by the time he's born he'll weigh about 3.1 to 3.6 kilograms (7 to 8 pounds). He'll begin to develop a sleep-wake cycle, and you may start to be aware of when he's awake and moving and when he's asleep and quiet. You may also notice periods of rhythmic movement that probably mean he has the hiccups.

Your baby now begins to suck his thumb or make sucking movements with his mouth, so he'll already have learned how to breastfeed by the time he's born. His eyelids are no longer fused, which means he can open and close them regularly. He develops his ability to see and hear, and you'll notice that he becomes responsive to stimuli in your environment, such as noises, music or light. Even though he's still inside you, he begins to respond like a \";real\"; baby!


The Comfort Zone

But what about you? You'll probably discover both positives and negatives about the final months of pregnancy. The negatives are the physical discomforts you'll notice, most of them due to the increasing size and weight of your baby. You may find yourself feeling short of breath as your baby begins to press up against your diaphragm and lungs, so that climbing a flight of stairs or taking a brisk walk around the block is no longer an easy task. Backache and fatigue may slow you down because of the increased weight you're carrying around.


Easy Does It

Take this chance to slow down and make fewer demands of yourself. Ask friends or family members to help you whenever possible. It may be hard to find a comfortable sleeping position at night, and you may find yourself making frequent trips to the toilet as the baby presses on your bladder. Cutting down on fluids before you go to bed will help. And many women notice swelling (also called oedema) in their ankles and feet because of extra fluids in their body. Elevating your legs whenever you can will help relieve this swelling. Emotionally, you may find that you're getting downright impatient with this pregnancy - you want your baby in your arms now, not in your womb!

Here are some more tips for making your third trimester comfortable and fulfilling:

If weather permits, take a leisurely walk out of doors a few times a week. The fresh air will invigorate you, get your blood circulating and reduce some of the aches and stiffness you may be feeling.

Attend some antenatal classes to learn comfort measures and stretching exercises. Use the relaxation exercises taught there, along with some visual imagery and music, to help you relax and focus on the excitement ahead.

Sleep on your side at night for comfort. Use pillows to support your upper leg and your back. Get at least seven hours of sleep each night and take naps during the day so that you approach childbirth as rested as possible.

Read . . . read . . . read. Information about labour, birth and baby care will help to decrease your anxieties and prepare you for the events ahead.

Keep your weekly antenatal appointment so that your GP can follow your progress and your baby's as you approach birth. Knowing that all is well will enable you to relax and enjoy the last few weeks of being pregnant.


Looking Ahead

So what can possibly be the positive side of your third trimester? Mainly, it's the increasing anticipation and excitement. Knowing that your baby is growing and healthy, feeling him move and kick ever more vigorously, preparing for his birth, choosing a name, buying baby clothes and getting all the things ready to care for him in your home, and realising that in just a number of weeks he'll be here all make this time special. And, of course, it helps to know that all the physical discomfort you're feeling now is only temporary and will disappear as soon as your baby arrives! It is an incredible time - so try to relax and enjoy it. You're almost there!


Vindhya replied. Hi Simmi,

Thanks for sharing the information. I can totally relate to the looking ahead section. I can't wait for second trimester to be gone. I hope third trimester goes by like the first, which went off really fast. I still need to wait for two more weeks to enter the third one. I guess, most of you are already there, congratulations.

Happy third trimester to all.

Vindhya Nikita replied. Hi Simmi,

This is such a wonderful article and could relate to it so much already especially the anticipation and anxiety part. I always feel 40 weeks is bit too long. Can't wait to hold the little one in my arms. And i'm sure all of u also must be feeling the same.
Thanx a lot for sharing this with us.

Hope u and baby r doing fine.

Take care
Avi replied. Hey Simmi, thanks again for the info....
yeah, we are on the last stretch....

and looks like I am experiencing most of the physical discomforts already. I used to be able to run for more than an hour without any fatigue whatsoever but now just walking up a couple of stairs or just walking makes me out of breath and tired.... and I am surely getting more and more excited and a little anxious too about the D-day.......