Third Trimester

Common symptoms you may feel during the third trimester

• Your fetus gives out heat and you may feel this
• Increased urinary frequency is common
• Blood pressure changes peak during this trimester as the fetus pushes on the vein carrying blood back to the heart
• Swelling of ankles, hands and face may occur
• Hair may feel thicker because of increased hormonal circulation
• Leg cramps may happen much more often
• Braxton Hicks contraction may occur in increased frequency 
• Stretch marks show up most often by now and are a sign of birth preparation time 
• Colostrum may begin to leak from the breasts
• Backache may increase due to the weight of the baby 
• Increased vaginal discharge see
• Varicose veins may continue and aggravate

What can your baby do by the end of the third trimester? almost everything!

• The fetus can hear and see
• Its brain continues to specialize
• The lungs and kidneys continue developing
• By the 36th week, the fetus “engages” in a position which mimics the movement of a baby towards the pelvic area and is called lightening
• The bones of the skulls are soft and this helps push the baby down through the birth canal 
• For most babies; their iris’ color is still blue and will develop their final color several weeks after birth 
• The fetus can suck their thumbs and can cry now 
• Babies at this point are covered in vernix caseosa which is a whitish liquid that protects the baby’s skin
• For most babies’ the head is pointed downwards but this can even happen in the last weeks of the pregnancy

Click here to read a summary of changes that will happen inside your body during this time period

26 to 31 weeks of pregnancy

Common symptoms you may feel in the 26-31 weeks of pregnancy?

• Increased lethargy
• Swelling in feet
• Ankles and hands
• Leaking colostrum
• Increased breathlessness

What happens inside your womb in 26-31 weeks of pregnancy?

• Baby is about 38 cm (15in long) and weighs about 1 kg (2 lbs)
• Moves more
• Can sense light, sound, movement
• Has a specialized nervous system with billions of brain cells
• Start to suck their fingers and hands

Click here to read a summary of changes in your baby from 26-31 weeks

32-35 Weeks of pregnancy

Common symptoms you may feel in the 32-35 weeks of pregnancy?

• Feel baby’s limbs sticking into your ribs
• Sweat more often
• Have a sticking out belly button
• Urinate more often
• Sore joints from lose pelvic joints
• Might look puffier and around feet, ankles and hands 

What happens inside your womb in 32-35 weeks of pregnancy?

• Baby is about 46 cm (18 in) long, weighs around 2.25-2.5 kg
• Is building up fat inside
• Developing immunity
• Losing the soft hair they had on their baby 
• Experiencing rapid brain growth

Click here to read a summary of changes in your baby from 32-35 weeks

36-40 Weeks of pregnancy

Common symptoms you may feel in the 36-40 weeks of pregnancy

• Increasingly more tired
• Feel anxious about labour
• Experience Braxton-Hicks contractions more often
• Experience more backache
• As the baby moves down to pelvic area it becomes easier to breathe
• Have stretch marks
• Have dry skin
• Have varicose veins
• Feel hot/heavy/uncomfortable
• May feel faint or dizzy at times 
• Get leg cramps more often 

What happens inside your womb in 36-40 weeks of pregnancy?

• Is about 55 cm tall (20 in) and weighs around 2.7-4 kg
• Gains around 28 g/day
• Has full developed lungs by now
• Has started to store iron to use in first 6 months
• Has skin that’s pinker and less wrinkled as they gain weight

Click here to read a summary of changes in your baby from 36-40 weeks