›
Pregnancy
›
3rd Trimester Weeks
As you approach the final trimester of your pregnancy, your baby’s development is rapid and it’s common to experience aches and pains as the weight you’re carrying increases. You might soon begin to feel the urge to ‘nest’ and get everything ready for the new addition to your family. It can be an incredibly exciting time, but also a frustrating one if you’re like most mums who can’t wait to meet their baby. It’s also perfectly natural to feel nervous about labour.
section gives you a week-by-week guide to the ways in which your baby’s developing inside you and helps you to prepare both emotionally and physically for labour and birth.
At the start of your third trimester, your baby is poised for a significant growth spurt. To avoid a less dramatic one of your own, regular gentle exercise will help you gain weight steadily while preparing your body for labour. Read about your baby’s development, exercising safely, and keeping yourself nourished as well as fit.
Your immune system is providing antibodies for both of you at the moment and will continue to do so after your baby is born through your breast milk. If only there was some immunity to heartburn! For this common pregnancy complaint, we’ve compiled some tips for easing the discomfort along with advice about travelling at 27 weeks.
At 28 weeks, your baby’s senses are well developed. They’re starting to fill out the space your bump allows, making their movements more noticeable than ever. A healthy diet will help them continue to grow well, while lessening your chance of developing gestational diabetes. Find out more about your own health and the importance of oily fish for your baby’s healthy brain development.
Weighing around 2lb 5oz, your baby is set for some impressive weight gain in the coming weeks. You may find that sleeping comfortably becomes more of a challenge. The following suggestions may help to bring you a peaceful night’s sleep.
Over the coming weeks, your baby will make their way into the position they’ll assume for birth – which for the majority is head down. Brain development continues in preparation for future learning once your baby is born. Find out about your baby’s progress at 30 weeks and how to avoid the common pregnancy symptom of urinary infections.
At 31 weeks, your baby continues to gain weight and develop important cognitive functions such as memory and recognition. With their increasing size, you may be experiencing spells of breathlessness, which can also be a sign of iron deficiency. Read about these common symptoms and how to relieve them.
Now well developed, your baby is becoming aware of their own body, sucking their thumb and reaching for their feet. Braxton Hicks can happen any time now, and you may be feeling discomfort in your back as your body works harder to support your growing bump. Sciatica is common. Read our suggestions for minimising back issues and alleviating the pain when it strikes.
Your baby now measures around 44cm long and their nutritional needs are growing at the same time. Read our suggestions for eating healthily and making sure you get the energy you need at 33 weeks, even when you can only manage small portions.
At 34 weeks, your body is busy preparing your baby to stay healthy once they’re born with a steady supply of antibodies from you. With your growing bump and various pregnancy symptoms to contend with, it can be an incredible achievement to sleep through the night. Read our suggestions for sleeping easier along with your baby’s latest developments.
With only a few weeks to go, your baby will be starting to prepare for their big entrance into the world! The combination of their size and their movements may in one sense be a relief, but it may also cause you to experience a weak bladder during pregnancy. Read on to find out more.
With well developed senses, your baby now responds to light and sound. At 35 weeks, your thoughts are likely to be turning to labour and your baby’s arrival, translating to wild and vivid dreams. Read about your baby’s development, where to turn for reassurance and why your breasts may be leaking milk already.
At 37 weeks, your baby is now considered full term. As you await the first signs of labour, it’s natural to want to stay busy getting everything in order, but try to keep your to-do list light and put your feet up when you can. Find out about your baby’s progress and how to avoid getting hot and bothered throughout the day.
Fully developed, your baby will spend their remaining time in the womb laying down fat stores. With labour not far away, your body may give you a sign that it’s almost ready with a mucus ‘show’. Read about what’s happening this week, including advice to help calm any natural anxiety you may be feeling and helping you all to look forward to your family’s new arrival.
Both you and your baby are in your final stages of preparing for labour. You’ve both come a long way, and you may be feeling more than ready to say ‘goodbye’ to being pregnant and saying ‘hello’ to your baby. Read on to find out more about the final changes your baby is going through.
Over the last 40 weeks, your body has created and nourished a whole new life. Your baby will soon be in your arms which is an exciting but sometimes overwhelming thought. Read about the signs of labour and how to ease the nerves you may be feeling about the incredible journey ahead.
Use Iraq Apta Advice’s Pregnancy Due Date Calendar to work out when your baby is likely to arrive.
• When was the first day of your last menstrual period?
• How many days in your menstrual cycle?
All dates are approximations and should only be considered as a reference.
