All right third trimester mamas, this one is for you! If you don’t know me, I’m an L&D nurse and the face behind @mommy.labornurse over on Instagram. And every week we do Q&As in stories related to pregnancy and birth.
Over the past month or so, I’ve been gathering up all of the most common (but less answered) third-trimester questions to create this little round-up for you guys!
I know when it comes to the third trimester there is a TON of topics to cover – and I’ve got a lot of informational articles you can check out in the third-trimester section of the blog.
But here we’re going to answer some common third trimester FAQs. I will also sprinkle in some tips to help ease your mind and discomforts in the final trimester before birth!
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This question is actually a lot more common than you’d think, and it might have something to do with differing answers out there. MOST sources agree that the third trimester begins with week 28 and lasts until you give birth. But some sources say it starts in week 27, and that’s based on the assumption that each trimester is exactly 13 weeks.
And while it’s true that the other trimesters last between 13-14 weeks, the third trimester is less definitive in that sense too because due dates are rarely accurate in predicting when your baby will arrive.
Whenever due dates come up, I like to take a look at the stats and averages on when babies actually make their appearance. According to birth data put out by the CDC in 2017:
Most interesting to me is that in 1997 the percentage of births at 42+ weeks was 57%!! That’s probably for a few reasons: dating ultrasounds weren’t as good, which meant less accurate due dates, and the rates of inductions and scheduled/elective C-sections are far higher these days.
Related Reading: Third Trimester Must-Haves
Okay, now that we’ve determined the general window of the third trimester, let’s talk about nausea. Most often nausea and the first trimester go hand in hand, but a surprising amount of women also complain about pregnancy nausea in the third trimester as well.
For some of you, this might be the exact same nausea from the first trimester that never went away. This is because there is a small subset of women who do experience nausea for their entire pregnancy, and an even smaller subset experience severe nausea that’s known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
But if your nausea did disappear and now it’s back – it might actually be rooted in something besides those rising hormones. And that’s your growing uterus and baby! Basically, as your baby and uterus grow they begin to put more and more pressure on your stomach leading to nausea.
With so much less space in your stomach, it also means that you might feel fuller faster and get that nauseous, overly full feeling more quickly and easily than you did before you were pregnant.
The best thing you can do to prevent third-trimester nausea is to eat smaller, more frequent meals to try to avoid that overly full feeling. Keeping yourself “regular” in the bathroom will also go a long way. Often, staying well-hydrated, and incorporating a daily cup of tea and movement into your day can really help with this!
There is a common myth out there about traveling during the third trimester of pregnancy – especially airplane travel! But the bottom line is that most domestic airlines will let you fly until 36 weeks, and car travel further than 2 hours from your hospital usually follows the same cut-off. But let’s break this down a little bit.
First off, make sure you talk to your provider about traveling anywhere as far in advance as possible. This is true for both car and air travel! If you’ve got a higher risk pregnancy, your provider may recommend you stop travel well before 36 weeks, so it’s important to have a chat with them.
It’s true that most domestic airlines allow low-risk pregnant women to fly up to the 36th week of their pregnancy but be aware that many airlines do request a travel certificate from your provider, so make sure to check if they need one!
International flights may differ. Be sure to check with the individual airline for more details.
It’s also important to know where you are going too! For example, travel isn’t recommended for pregnant women in areas where Zika outbreaks are ongoing. Zika is an illness spread by mosquitoes that can cause serious birth defects. Malaria is a risk too. Check the CDC website for more info on high-outbreak countries.
Baby movement in the third trimester is a hot topic and one that I like to shed light on whenever possible! So as far as feeling baby move, by week 28 of pregnancy all pregnant women should regularly be feeling their baby kick, move, and roll around in there.
And this is a great time to start doing kick counts as a way of noting your baby’s movement and learning what’s normal for them in terms of movement (because it does vary from baby to baby!). Research shows that kick counting is a free and SUPER effective way for mamas to track baby’s wellbeing in the womb, spot potential problems, and prevent stillbirth!
How to kick count?
Alert your doctor if:
Remember – we’d MUCH rather you call and come in for a false alarm than have an emergency go unnoticed!
Many times, women hear the statement, “As your baby gets bigger, he/she might move less because there is less room.” This can be from a provider, friend, your mom, sister, etc.
While this is SORT OF true for some, it can get misconstrued making women think that when their baby is not moving normally, it’s simply normal because “they are running out of room in there”. And this can prevent us from spotting red flags and other issues.
It’s really important that if you are nearing term and your baby is not moving as frequently that you CALL YOUR PROVIDER! Or really at any point from here on out for that matter.
As baby gets bigger, movements may be more DULLED….you might feel “rolls” instead of sharp “jabs”, BUT baby should be moving just as much, and you should still keep track by doing fetal kick counts!
If your baby is moving less than normal, we will have you come in for some monitoring so that we can determine if there are any problems! You can read more about what that’s all about in the article, Non Stress Tests During Pregnancy.
Did you know that exercising during pregnancy provides you with a TON of benefits? Let’s look at some!
In fact, it’s so important and beneficial, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends getting about 30 minutes of activity a day! Here are a few GREAT exercises to do during your pregnancy that are all safe for the third trimester:
Related Reading: Interview with a Prenatal Yoga Expert
Most of the time YES! Generally, if you were physically active before your pregnancy, you should be able to continue your activity in moderation as long as it’s a no-contact activity. But it’s ALWAYS a good idea to check with your provider first.
Also! Don’t feel like you HAVE to exercise at your former level; instead, do what’s most comfortable for you now. And if you WEREN’T physically active in your pregnancy up until now – it’s not too late! Just start slow and work up your endurance. Remember any movement helps!
Related Reading: The Best Prenatal Fitness App
During pregnancy, hydration is super important for a number of reasons. The general recommendation is ten 8oz glasses of water per day, but if it’s especially hot, you exercise regularly, or you still feel thirsty, aim higher!
Basically, you may feel thirstier because your body knows it NEEDS water. So listen to your thirst-cues and always drink enough to quench your thirst, the amount is going to look different for different women.
Related Reading: A Complete Guide to Amniotic Fluid Levels During Pregnancy
Hopefully, by the third trimester, you feel familiar with the reasons to call your provider. We already talked about baby movements above, but bleeding, severe abdominal pain, symptoms of preeclampsia, and preterm labor are also frequently talked about.
One thing I don’t hear as often? To call your provider if you have itchy palms and soles of your feet during pregnancy (or any abnormal itchiness to be honest!). Here’s why:
Itchy hands and feet can be a symptom of a scary condition called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). In fact, itchy hands, itchy feet, itchy body – if you are feeling itchy and your provider hasn’t ruled this out, let them know!
Cholestasis is a condition where the flow of bile is affected by the increased amounts of pregnancy hormones. Cholestasis is more common in the last trimester of pregnancy when hormones are at their peak, but it usually goes away within a few days after delivery.
It’s a big deal because it increases the risk for fetal distress, preterm birth, or stillbirth. A developing baby relies on mama’s liver to remove bile acids from the blood; therefore, the elevated levels of maternal bile cause stress on baby’s liver. Women with cholestasis should be monitored closely and serious consideration should be given to inducing labor once the baby’s lungs have reached maturity. (source)
But, don’t get too nervous. Many women who have cholestasis go on to have perfectly healthy babies! Your birth just might be a bit sooner or a little different than you previously imagined. The bottom line on itchy feet? Bring it up to your provider ASAP!
Hip pain during the third trimester is a super common discomfort that affects most women to at least some degree. It’s mostly caused by that growing belly, and your need to move in different ways to accommodate that belly! All of the pulling, tightening, and shifting that’s happening with the muscles, ligaments, etc. surrounding your pelvis also add to the perfect storm, hah.
So what can you do about hip pain in the third trimester? Here are my suggestions:
Unfortunately, yes. Vaginal swelling in general, including the labia and vulva, is really normal during pregnancy, but that doesn’t make it any less alarming. If you’re experiencing this, your vagina and labia likely look or feel a lot puffier or fuller than they typically do. Just like how swelling happens in other parts of the body, it can totally happen down there too.
Here are some reasons for labial swelling in the third trimester:
The way you’ll treat vaginal swelling is similar to how you’d treat any other swelling. I want you to stay super hydrated to help flush out excess water and apply perineal ice packs to your vagina to help reduce inflammation. Padsicles work great too!
You can also ask your provider about wearing compression garments/support wear that are designed to increase blood circulation down there.
I get this question all the time – and I think it’s because mamas just don’t know what the phenomenon is! A sudden tightening across your stomach during pregnancy is most likely a Braxton Hicks contraction.
A lot of women experience them and don’t even realize that’s what they are. You can learn more in our article, What Do Braxton Hick Contractions Feel Like?
And if you’re referring to a more constant sense of tightness, it could definitely just be your growing belly kind of stretching your skin beyond its elasticity. Often this creates a sense of tightness and sometimes itchiness on the stomach too! My best advice for dealing with this is lathering on a nice thick belly butter or belly oil to try to get some relief.
Related Reading: Best Stretch Mark Cream for Pregnancy
A lot of pregnant women don’t realize that pregnancy increases your risk for dental issues! Issues with your gums, including gingivitis, are far more common, and you have an increased risk for cavities too.
This happens for a number of reasons, the main two being your changing hormones and a change in habits/dietary preferences. This can include changes in diet due to cravings, an increase in vomiting leading to plaque build-up, an increase in swelling in the gums (swelling can happen everywhere!), which exacerbates gum disease, and more.
It’s recommended to keep your regular dental check-ups during pregnancy (every 6 months), and if for some reason a regularly scheduled visit doesn’t fall during your pregnancy, it might be a good idea to plan an extra cleaning!
And of course, if you’re experiencing tooth pain or abnormal gum bleeding you should definitely give your dentist a call!
Read more from the CDC about pregnancy and oral health.
Well, mama, I’m guessing you learned something new about what to expect during the third trimester, and hopefully gained some coping tips too! I wanted to point you towards some other awesome resources and content to help make your third trimester (and preparation for birth!) a little bit smoother.