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The Third Trimester
Welcome to the third trimester. You're entering the last weeks of your pregnancy! Your baby will be here before you know it - but it might seem like your pregnancy is dragging on and on ;)
Don't worry - your feelings are normal! Try to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy.
Treat yourself a few times. Spend extra time with your older child or children.
Now might be a good time to go see a movie or have a nice dinner (though nursing babies are very portable!)
You should continue to take great care of yourself as you move through the last portion of your pregnancy. Eat well and try and get the rest that you need.
If you haven't started thinking about your baby's birth, now is the time to do it. Use the menu on the left-hand side of the page to explore your birthing options as well as your baby care options!
Third Trimester: Week 29
27 Weeks After Conception
This is a big week for your baby. He or she will have eyelashes growing this week. Your baby is becoming more sensitive to light, sound, and touch as each day passes. Your baby's brain will also become capable of directing breathing. His or her lungs continue to mature.
Your baby is ready to start building up white fat, which will accumulate under the skin and help fill your baby out. The wrinkles in his or her skin will start to become smoother as the fat builds up throughout the rest of pregnancy. Newborns are still somewhat lean though. Your milk will quickly fill your baby out into that chubby "bundle of joy" you picture when you think of smiling babies.
Your baby's brain is also about ready to control body temperature. This is an important milestone. It will still be vitally important for you to help your baby stay warm when he or she is born. Skin-to-skin contact is the absolute best way to be sure that your baby is warm enough. As you prepare for your natural birth, plan to insist that your baby be placed right on your chest, where both of you can cuddle under blankets.
Your belly will continue to grow as your baby gets bigger. You may have been having Braxton-hicks contractions or you may start feeling these "practice contractions" within the next few weeks. They help tone your uterus and get you ready for birth. You may also want to begin drinking a tea blend to help tone your uterus - these blends are made with red raspberry leaf, which has long been known to benefit the uterus.
Third Trimester: Week 30
28 Weeks After Conception
You baby is around 16 inches long by now and weighs 3-3.5 pounds. He or she is curled in your uterus, but still moving quite a lot. Your amniotic fluid will begin to decrease a little as your baby takes up more and more room in your body. Your baby has a good chance at survival if born now.
Your belly continues to grow and you may find that sleeping has started to get uncomfortable. Sleeping on your left side is recommended because your blood flows most easily to your baby when you are in that position. You may find that having an assortment of pillows help. Or you may decide that a pregnancy pillow will help. Many mothers-to-be swear by them.
Stand up slowly from sitting positions and from lying down. Otherwise you may feel dizzy or lightheaded. Your blood volume is expanding at this point to keep up with the increased circulation needs of you and your baby. Continue to drink plenty of nourishing fluids (try broths and soups, or herbal teas if you get tired of plain old water.) It is normal for your iron levels to drop slightly when your blood volume expands. Eating iron rich foods with vitamin C rich foods enhances iron absorption - hard boiled eggs and fresh orange slices are a good example for a snack!
Your increased blood volume may also cause varicose veins - try to keep your feet up and take it easy.
Third Trimester: Week 31
29 Weeks After Conception
Your baby is covered with a very fine, soft hair called lanugo. If your partner puts his ear up against your abdomen he may be able to hear your baby's heartbeat! The rate your baby grows in height has begun to slow down, but your baby will be packing on weight from now until birth.
Babies suck their thumbs even in the womb. In fact, if your baby were born now, he or she might even have a callous from all the sucking he or she has been doing! If your baby is a boy, his testes will begin descending around this point.
Try to maintain good posture as you go throughout your day. It will help prevent backache. You may also find that the muscles of your abdomen ache a little as it continue to stretch to accommodate your growing baby.
Choosing maternity clothing that you find fashionable and comfortable will help you stand a little taller and sit a little straighter. As you're contemplating fashions you may want to look into the growing trend of birthing clothing - which will allow you to labor in birth in style as well as comfort.
A little breathlessness is normal and you may continue to notice it throughout pregnancy. Your baby is getting much bigger and your lungs cannot expand quite as much as usual. Practice slow and steady breathing to keep plenty of oxygen flowing to you and baby. This will help you prepare for birth as well.
Third Trimester: Week 32
30 Weeks After Conception
Hurray! Your baby can understand information from all five senses! The sense of smell, however, is generally believed to wait until birth before it become functional. This is because your baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid.
Your baby can sense light and the iris of his or her eye will respond to light. If you enter a bright room or shine a flashlight near your baby you may notice that he or she responds!
Your baby may have head on his or her hair, and there are fingernails and toenails on tiny feet. You might even have to clip those nails shortly after birth!
Continue to prepare for birth by practicing relaxation and breathing. Prenatal yoga will also help you to prepare for birth. It also helps relieve pregnancy aches and pains. You will also want to do kegel muscles to exercise your pelvic floor. This will help you recover more quickly from childbirth.
You may be noticing that your baby has regular sleeping and waking times and you may feel more activity at certain times. You may also be feeling kicks all around, including under you ribs!
You may be noticing colostrum by now - this is the very first milk that your baby will get from you. Your body begins producing it around the beginning of the third trimester. Some women see droplets of it and some do not. You may notice that your nightshirt is wet after you've been lying on your side the entire night.
This colostrum will be liquid gold for your baby. It gives him or her the best start in life. You may want to wear pad in your bra if the colostrum is leaking more than a small amount. This is also an excellent time to look into a comfortable nursing bra
. You should pick up a book such as the The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and take a look at the breastfeeding pages as well!
Third Trimester: Week 33
31 Weeks After Conception
Your baby has a lot of amniotic fluid at this point. In fact, there is so much that from now on it will be decreasing slightly each week to accommodate your child. You may begin to feel more and more thumping and bumping from your little one as there is less cushioning in there for him or her.
Your baby is also continuing to add fat padding beneath his or her skin. This fat causes the color of your child's skin to go from a deep red to a more pinkish, translucent tone. Even if your baby will be dark skinned later, he or she has very translucent skin now.
Your baby's brain is growing very rapidly at this point and his or her head circumference will grow a little to accommodate that. The brain continues to fold over and over because it is such a complex organ!
The placenta that connects you to your baby is a very amazing and complex organ. It takes nutrients from your blood and passes them to your baby. However, the blood streams are separated by several layers of tissue - your blood never actually mixes with your child's.
Constipation may be a problem in the late weeks of pregnancy. Plenty of walking and some gentle prenatal exercise can help prevent this. Also make sure you drink plenty of fluids and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. These measures will also help if you're having trouble with sleeplessness. Use a good pregnancy pillow for better sleep.
Third Trimester: Week 34
32 Weeks After Conception
This week you can say that your little one has "baby blues" because no matter what color your child's eyes will become they are blue now. After your baby's eyes are exposed to light for several weeks you should be able to tell what color your baby's eyes will be.
Your baby is starting to produce antibodies of his or her own. This will be very helpful to your child when born. Your baby will still need help to stay free of infection, however.
Breastfeeding is the best way for you to keep your baby healthy. It is also the most natural choice for you to make.
Right now your body transfers antibodies through the placenta to your baby. This is an amazing way that you are already mothering your baby. When you choose to breastfeed you continue this miraculous process because your milk also transfers living antibodies to your baby.
This gives you a healthier, happier baby. Now is a good time to start looking over what baby gear you have so far and what you will need for your bundle of joy. You'll want to get a basic layette and care seat for your little one. You may also be interested in diapering options.
Are you feeling anxious about meeting your baby? You are not alone! You may also have some apprehensions about giving birth. It's best to think these through and research them if you need to. You can also talk them over with your care provider. Reading the natural birth pages will be helpful to you as you prepare.
Third Trimester: Week 35
33 Weeks After Conception
Your baby continues to grow this week, causing your uterus to stretch more and giving you more of a baby belly! Your baby has probably settled into the position that he or she will assume for birth by now. Most babies are head down, but some babies settle in bottom down.
If you baby is head down it is called a "vertex presentation" and if your baby is head up it is called a "breech presentation." You can learn more about vertex and breech babies on the baby position page. If your baby is breech, there are certain exercises you can do to help with turning your breech baby.
Your baby continues to fatten up. This week your little one is beginning to get padding on his or her arms and legs. You may still think that your baby's arms and legs look a little lean when he or she is born, but you can be sure that there is insulating brown fat padded up under that soft skin.
You may be dealing with some swelling as your abdomen continues to grow. A little swelling in your hands and feet is normal. Put you legs up and take plenty of time to rest. You should also continue to drink liquids so that you can keep fluid moving through your body. Continue to salt to taste as well.
Your blood volume has expanded dramatically to nourish your baby and keep you healthy - salting to taste helps your body retain the fluids that it needs in order to keep your blood volume as high as it needs to be.
If you have sudden and dramatic swelling then you should call your care provider. Anytime you feel worried, call your care provider. You will probably be noticing more and more Braxton-hicks contractions; these practice contractions give you a great opportunity to prepare for labor by trying your relaxation techniques. Another way to tone your uterus and help labor and deliver to go more smoothly is to drink red raspberry leaf tea throughout your third trimester.
Third Trimester: Week 36
34 Weeks After Conception
Almost all of your baby's development this week is about fat. Fat is vitally important to your newborn as it gives him or her the insulation that is needed to survive outside of your womb. One of the best ways to keep your baby cozy when he or she is finally with you is to cuddle skin to skin. You'll feel baby's soft skin and tiny rolls!
The downy hair on your baby's body, called lanugo, is gradually disappearing now. You may still notice some on your baby when he or she is born, especially on his or her back. But most of it will be gone. If your baby were born at this point, he or she would have a great chance at survival.
At this point your baby weighs 6-7lbs and is around 18 inches long. Your baby is beginning to look more and more like the newborn that you are imagining. Have you decided where your newborn will sleep yet? You will want to read the section on co-sleeping to understand how wonderful it is to share sleep with your little one. A co-sleeper may be a good choice for your family.
Are you still eating well? It may be harder to eat as much as you need to nourish yourself and your child. But it's still very important - in fact it's especially important that your baby is bulking up on good nutrients. If you're having trouble eating all the food you need, go back to the old standby of "grazing" - have several small meals instead of three big ones.
Third Trimester: Week 37
35 Weeks After Conception
You and baby have made it a long way together and this week you can breathe a little sigh of relief. Most doctors consider your baby to be mature enough to be born at 37 weeks after your last menstrual period. If you're planning a homebirth your midwife will probably be comfortable assisting you at home now.
Your baby is done with most of his or her development and is now just packing on the fat. However, birth weight is very important to your baby and these last couple of weeks are very good for him or her.
You may be feeling very uncomfortable at this point and very ready to be over with pregnancy. But just remember that your baby will come when it is the right time. Your cervix may begin to thin out and perhaps even dilate a little, but that doesn't mean that labor will begin at any moment (though it could!)
Each centimeter that you dilate now, before labor starts, is less work that you have to do while you're actually in labor ;) Take the time to relax through your Braxton-hicks contractions. If your feet are swelling, put them up. You may also want to try an herbal foot soak to soothe them.
You are probably peeing a lot at this point. Be sure to go to the bathroom when you need to. It's not good to hold back. It may seem frustrating that you're peeing so often, but soon it will be over. Keep drinking plenty of fluids and go for walks daily as you await labor.
Third Trimester: Week 38
36 Weeks After Conception
Have you decided how you're going to diaper your baby? Or maybe you're considering elimination communication? Your baby has his or her first stool forming now. It's called meconium and it's an accumulation of dead cells and wastes. Meconium is very sticky and tarry.
If you are using cloth diapers you may want to have a supply of disposable newborn diapers on hand for the first day or two, because meconium may be hard to get out of your cloth diapers. Or have a stack of inexpensive prefolds to use for those first couple of days. You can throw out any that are resistant to cleaning.
If your little one is a girl, her labia major will be forming over her labia minor. Your little boy's testes will have completely descended.
Are you wondering how labor will start? You are not alone! Many women wonder the same thing. You're probably feeling many Braxton-hicks contractions. These practice contractions tend to be irregular and they stop when you change positions or activities.
If your contractions are becoming steady and seem to be getting more frequent, you may want to time them. If they don't stop when you change activities you could be in labor! The best thing to do when you think labor is starting is to rest or go about your light daily activities. When you find that you can't rest anymore or focus, then labor is probably well underway!
Third Trimester: Week 39
37 Weeks After Conception
At birth your baby will probably weigh between 6-9 pounds. Birth weight depends some on genetics, but a lot has to do with your nutrition. Continue to eat well for you baby for these last couple of weeks and in the postpartum period. Your good nutrition will ensure good milk for your child!
Your baby is pretty cramped in your belly. You're able to see his or her arms and legs moving beneath your skin very well. If you are a first time mother your baby's head may have engaged in your pelvis. Subsequent babies usually wait until labor begins to engage.
You can probably breathe a little easier once your baby has engaged but you'll need to run the bathroom a lot more from the increased pressure on your bladder! Go when you need to go - holding it could cause infection.
You may be tired and crabby, and very ready for your baby to be born! Any complaints that you have are probably similar to the ones you've had for the last few weeks. Be sure to take it easy and rest for the birth, and do what you need to do to feel good.
Even while you know you need to conserve energy for birth it will probably help you feel better to get some gentle exercise every day. This will help you prepare for birth and keep your circulation going strong for you and your baby. Choose a brisk walk, prenatal yoga, swimming, or another gentle exercise.
If you find yourself feeling restless for your baby, reorganize your baby things, get your house cleaned (just don't go overboard!) or settle back with a good book or movie. Your baby will be with you before you know it. You may also want to review NBBC's natural birth resources and especially the pain relief articles.
Third Trimester: Week 40
38 Weeks After Conception
Your baby is around 20 inches long and weighs 7-7.5 lbs. He or she is soft and chubby. There isn't much vernix left on the baby now, but some will probably remain until birth.
Your baby's sucking reflex has matured and your baby will be ready and eager to nurse when he or she is born. Breastfeeding is a wonderful gift to your baby.
Your body is transferring immunities to your child. This process is continued throughout the first year (and beyond) of your little one's life by your milk. Human milk is filled with antibodies that will benefit your baby. Your first milk, called colostrum, is thick and golden in colors and is absolutely brimming with antibodies to help your newborn.
If you are still pregnant at this point, know that you are not alone. Many first time mothers go "overdue" and mothers also go past their due date in subsequent pregnancies. You due date is just a guess at when your baby should come, anyhow.
If you are uncomfortable, it never hurts to try to get labor started naturally. However, you should carefully weigh the risks of chemical induction.
Your labor will start before you know it and your baby will soon be in your arms. Take plenty of walks to encourage labor to start and to help keep you occupied. You can also focus on cleaning the house and sorting out the last of your new baby's things.
You should balance any busywork with rest. Take the time to put your feet up and relax, and try to conserve your energy for your upcoming birth. Enjoy moderate activity and as much rest as you can get.
Soon it will be time to move on to natural baby care!
