Managing change during pregnancy-3rd Trimester

Third Trimester (Week 29-40)

Your belly button will now be more flattened or popped out due to your growing abdomen. A clear linea negra may also run down your abdomen. Your growing baby will exert pressure on your internal organs, causing problems like breathlessness, leaking urine, and frequent urination. You might experience sleeping difficulty.

To avoid tiring yourself during pregnancy period:

• Put your feet up whenever you can.
• Think of quiet things to do while you rest: practice gentle relaxation exercises, listen to soothing music, read a book or magazine, or perhaps knit something for the baby.
• It helps if you try to do thigs at a slower pace than usual, so that you don't become overtired/ exausted.

36th Week

Note: Chances of survival now will be good if your baby is born.

• Your baby’s skin is pink in color.
• Hair continues to grow.
• Your baby has little room to move; instead it may kick and punch. This will be visible from outside your abdomen.
• Size of baby: aprox. 46cm
• Weight of baby: approx. 2.5kg

If this is your first child, the baby’s head may become engaged now. This will help you breathe more easily and reduce problems with heartburn and indigestion. But with the baby pressed against your bladder, you may still need to urinate frequently. There may be mild contractions called Braxton Hicks. They are the painless, but uncomfortable hardening of your uterus which usually occurs regularly (approx. every 20 minutes). From now, until the end of pregnancy, you may have to rest your feet more often and avoid standing for too long to prevent your ankles from swelling.

38th Week

Do not be worried if you lose a little weight in the final two weeks. Your cervix (neck of the womb) will become softer to prepare for labor. You may experience fairly strong Braxton Hicks contractions, though not regularly.

• Little movement of baby because there is not enough space.
• Lanugo hair disappears.
• Eyelids are open now.
• Size of baby: approx. 50-51 cm.
• Weight of baby: approx. 3.4 kg.

Note: Prepare yourself to give birth anytime two weeks before or after the expected date of delivery.