How your body changes in the 3rd trimester
In the third trimester, your body begins to prepare for childbirth. The water retention increases and you find every posture difficult. Now the first contractions can appear.
Changes in the 3rd trimester
From the 7th month you are in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Your whole body is now slowly aligned to the forthcoming birth. You will probably also observe the following things on your body.
- Your areolas bulge and the nipples seem to grow.
- You gain weight on the buttocks, thighs and stomach without your stomach growing any further. Many are now gaining up to 500 grams per week.
- Your navel becomes flat and bulges outward.
- You may feel like you have stones in your stomach and suffer from heartburn as your baby pushes your stomach up.
- Your uterus now weighs about half a kilo and has grown so large that you can feel it at the top edge between the navel and breast bone. It pushes the diaphragm up into the chest cavity and constricts the lungs. This can lead to shortness of breath. You should still breathe deeply into your stomach to supply your baby with sufficient oxygen. Your belly has gotten so big that you have to waddle. As soon as the uterus contracts with the first contractions, you will feel relief as your baby’s head will be pushed down toward the pelvis into the birthing position, allowing your tummy to slide down and allowing you to breathe more.
- In addition, your baby is pressing on your bladder and pelvic floor, so that you feel a stronger urge to urinate. Since the connective tissue has become slack due to the stretching, the urethra no longer closes properly. Many pregnant women now suffer from incontinence. The slightest movement can cause drops of urine to come loose, and this does not necessarily stop after the birth. You should therefore do pelvic floor exercises regularly to counteract this.
- Shortly before the birth you have up to 1.5 liters more blood in your body, so your heart has to pump much harder.
- If you wear contact lenses, you may prefer glasses now, because the tear fluid in the eye can be reduced due to hormonal changes.
Attention: water in arms and legs
The water retention in your lower legs, arms, hips, shoulders, stomach and face has increased further and reached up to 2 extra liters of water. These should quickly compensate for the blood loss after birth. However, if you have severe problems with water in your arms and legs, put your feet up and drink at least 2 liters a day. However, if the symptoms become severe and are accompanied by other symptoms, it may also be a gestosis in some cases . If you suspect this, contact your doctor or midwife as soon as possible.
Warning: do not sleep on your back
At this point in your pregnancy, you find every posture difficult, including lying down. When lying down, the supine position is critical because it can lead to vena cava syndrome : when you lie on your back, your baby blocks the backflow of blood to your heart, causing you to feel dizzy, nauseated and palpitations. Therefore, you should avoid the supine position and instead lie on your side. You can also tuck a pillow between your knees to make yourself more comfortable.
More info about the 3rd trimester
In our pregnancy weeks and pregnancy calendar you will find a lot more information about the development of your body and your baby in the 3rd trimester: