Pregnancy symptoms: What to expect during the third trimester

You're in the home stretch! The last stage of pregnancy may bring new pregnancy symptoms — but relieve earlier ones.

The last few months of pregnancy can be physically and emotionally challenging. Your baby's size and position may make it hard for you to get comfortable. You may be tired of pregnancy and anxious to get it over with. If you've been gearing up for your due date, you may be disappointed if it comes and goes uneventfully.

Try to remain positive as you look forward to the end of your pregnancy. Soon you'll hold your baby in your arms! Here's what to expect in the meantime.

Your body

As your baby grows, his or her movements will become more obvious. These exciting sensations are often accompanied by increasing discomfort and other late pregnancy symptoms.

• Backaches. As your baby continues to gain weight, pregnancy hormones relax the joints between the bones in your pelvic area. These changes can be tough on your back. Hip pain is common, too.

  If you must stand, place one foot on a box or stool. Sit in chairs with good back support. Apply a heating pad or ice pack to the painful area. Ask your partner for a massage. If the back pain doesn't go away or is accompanied by other signs and symptoms, contact your health care provider.

• Swelling. Swollen feet and ankles may become an issue at this stage of pregnancy. Your growing uterus puts pressure on the veins that return blood from your feet and legs. Fluid retention and dilated blood vessels may leave your face and eyelids puffy, especially in the morning. If you have persistent face or eyelid swelling, contact your health care provider.

  To reduce swelling, use cold compresses on the affected areas. Lying down or using a footrest may relieve ankle swelling. You might even elevate your feet and legs while you sleep. It may also help to swim or simply stand in a pool.

• Shortness of breath. You may get winded easily as your uterus expands beneath your diaphragm, the muscle just below your lungs. This may improve when the baby settles deeper into your pelvis before delivery. In the meantime, practice good posture and sleep on your side. As long as your health care provider says it's OK, aerobic exercise can help relieve this pregnancy symptom, too.
• Heartburn. Your growing uterus may push your stomach out of its normal position, which can contribute to heartburn. To keep stomach acid where it belongs, eat small meals and drink plenty of fluids. If this doesn't help, ask your health care provider about antacids.

• Spider veins, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Increased blood circulation may cause small reddish spots that sprout tiny blood vessels on your face, neck, upper chest or arms, especially if you have fair skin. Varicose veins — blue or reddish lines beneath the surface of the skin — also may appear, particularly in the legs. Hemorrhoids — varicose veins in your rectum — are another possibility.

  If you have painful varicose veins, elevate your legs and wear support stockings. To prevent hemorrhoids, avoid constipation. Include plenty of fiber in your diet and drink lots of fluids.

• Stretch marks. You may notice pink, red or purple streaks along your abdomen, breasts, upper arms, buttocks or thighs. Your stretching skin may also be itchy. Moisturizers can help. Although stretch marks can't be prevented, eventually they fade in intensity.
• Continued breast growth. By now, you may have an additional 1 to 3 pounds of breast tissue. As delivery approaches, your nipples may start leaking colostrum — the yellowish fluid that will nourish your baby during the first few days of life.

• Frequent urination. As your baby moves deeper into your pelvis, you'll feel more pressure on your bladder. You may find yourself urinating more often, even during the night. This extra pressure may also cause you to leak urine — especially when you laugh, cough or sneeze.

  Continue to watch for signs of a urinary tract infection, such as urinating even more than usual, burning during urination, fever, abdominal pain or backache. Left untreated, a urinary tract infection may damage your kidneys and trigger preterm labor.

• Braxton Hicks contractions. These contractions are warm-ups for the real thing. They're painless and come and go unpredictably. True labor contractions get longer, stronger and closer together. If you're having contractions that concern you, contact your health care provider.
• Weight gain. By your due date, you may weigh 25 to 35 pounds more than you did before pregnancy. Your baby accounts for some of the weight gain, but you also need to count the placenta, amniotic fluid, larger breasts and uterus, extra fat stores, and increased blood and fluid volume.
• Vaginal discharge. Potentially heavy vaginal discharge is common at the end of pregnancy. If you saturate a panty liner within a few hours or wonder if the discharge is leaking amniotic fluid, contact your health care provider.

Your emotions

As anticipation grows, fears about childbirth may become more persistent. How much will it hurt? How long will it last? How will I cope?

If you haven't done so already, you may want to take childbirth classes. You'll learn what to expect — and meet other moms-to-be who share your excitement and concerns. Talk with women who've had positive birth experiences, and ask your health care provider what options you may have for pain relief. Tell yourself that you'll simply do the best you can. There's no right or wrong way to have a baby.

The reality of parenthood may start to sink in as well. You may feel anxious and overwhelmed, especially if this is your first baby. To stay calm, revel in the emotions and sensations of being pregnant.

• Write your thoughts in a journal.
• Listen to soft music.
• Talk to your baby.
• Take photos of your pregnant belly to share with your child one day.

It also may help to review your decisions about issues such as circumcision and breast-feeding. Knowing how you'll proceed once the baby arrives can give you a greater sense of control.

Appointments with your health care provider

During the third trimester, your health care provider may ask you to come in for more frequent checkups — perhaps every other week beginning at week 32 and every week beginning at week 36.

Like previous visits, your health care provider will check your weight and blood pressure and ask about any signs or symptoms you may be experiencing. You may need screening tests for various conditions, including:

• Gestational diabetes. This is a temporary type of diabetes that sometimes develops during pregnancy. Prompt treatment and healthy lifestyle choices can help you manage your blood sugar level and deliver a healthy baby.
• Anemia. Anemia is an abnormally low level of red blood cells or hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that contains iron. Severe anemia may slow your baby's growth or trigger preterm labor. To treat anemia, you may need to take iron supplements.
• Group B strep. Group B strep is a type of bacteria that may live in your vagina or rectum. It won't make you sick, but it may cause a serious infection for your baby after birth. If you test positive for group B strep, your health care provider may recommend antibiotics while you're in labor.

Your health care provider will also check your baby's size and heart rate. Near the end of your pregnancy, vaginal exams may help your health care provider determine your baby's position inside your uterus. He or she may also check your cervix to see whether it's begun to soften or dilate in preparation for birth.

If you have specific desires or preferences for labor and birth — such as laboring in water or avoiding medication — you might want to define your wishes in a birth plan. Review the plan with your health care provider ahead of time to prevent any misunderstandings.

As your due date approaches, keep asking questions. How can I tell the difference between false labor and the real thing? When do I need to go to the hospital? Could I be too late for an epidural? Remember, there's no silly question. Understanding what's happening can help you have the most positive birth experience.

Source:

www.mayoclinic.com

Posted by Ashiya Mizuki

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