Congratulations on your pregnancy! This is the third part of a five-part series about the trimesters of pregnancy. We will visit each of the three-month blocks and talk about the information, tasks and ideas that belong to that special time before baby arrives.
Information
The third trimester (weeks 29 to 40) is the time when many pregnant parents start to feel uncomfortable. You may feel big and swollen; your back may be sore. Your body is sending you a lot of messages: slow down, take it easy, relax. Be kind to yourself and your baby.
By now, your baby can hear the sounds of your life. They are learning to recognize your voice and the music you play. Baby can also perceive light through the wall of the uterus and feel any pats and pokes you give your tummy. Some babies will poke back!
As your uterus gets bigger, you will notice painless (but uncomfortable) tightening or Braxton Hicks contractions. These practice contractions massage the baby and ensure good circulation to the uterus. They do not mean that you are going into labour.
Heartburn is another frequent side-effect of pregnancy around now. It’s caused by progesterone, which slows your digestion and allows for more nutrients to be absorbed for your baby. Try eating frequent small meals and not lying down after you eat.
Tasks
Many pregnant parents don’t think a lot about labour and birthing until this trimester. That’s just fine. There’s lots of other stuff to think about. As you start to think about getting the baby out, you might want to watch some videos or read some good books.
• Mothersadvocate.org/videos.html is good place to find excellent birth videos.
• The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin and Melissa Cheyney is a great evidence-based source of information on labour and birth.
During this stage, your care-provider will:
• offer you the option of being screened for Group B Strep.
• want to see you every week after week 36.
• check for the position of your baby to screen for breech or other variations in presentation—head down is best!
• want to hear about your preferences for birth and answer your questions, so make sure you ask!
Meet with your doula if you have chosen to have one. They will want to know about your plans and preferences for your baby’s birth so they can support you. Attend your Prenatal Childbirth Preparation Classes with your partner or birth-helper.
Take a Baby Care or Parenting the Newborn Class. Organize equipment, supplies and a space for the baby. Remember babies don’t need a whole lot, but gathering items is part of the process of getting ready, emotionally, as well as logistically!
Start planning for the fourth trimester! Think about who will be available for physical support right after the baby is born. Your partner? Birth helper? Family? Friends? Post-partum Doula?
Plan meals for after the baby comes. Cook and bake and freeze. Tell a friend about MealTrain.com.
Learn about Postpartum Mood Disorders. Where can you find help if you need it? About 20 to 40 percent of birthing parents are diagnosed with some mood disorder (anxiety or depression) after giving birth. Support makes it all easier to deal with. One helpful resource is the Pacific Post Partum Support Society (postpartum.org).
Ideas
Consider your preferences and values with regards to your baby’s birth. How would you like to cope with labour pain? What interventions would you like to avoid, if possible? What is important to you about the experience of giving birth? Discuss and share with your partner or birth helper.
Take a little time off to rest and enjoy the calm of a child-free house before everything changes. Try not to work until the last minute. Becoming a parent is a rite of passage and requires a little pause, an interruption in your usual life, for you to prepare mentally.
On the other hand, having a baby is not the end of your life. You will still be able to do many things. I see some parents-to-be shopping as though they were preparing for a siege. Shopping is a great activity to do with a baby (after the first few weeks).
Enjoy your partner. Talk to each other and take the time to strengthen your relationship. There are difficult days ahead and you need a strong team to get through them. Do cozy pleasant things together. Go out to a movie on a whim. Go for long leisurely walks. Have a fancy dinner out. You will be able to do these things together again someday, but not right away.
This is the third installment of a series about the five trimesters of pregnancy. Check the next edition of Island Parent for more about how to thrive through your early parenting experience.
