This was our Final PART 3 of our series. PART 1 and PART 2 can be found here.
THIRD TRIMESTER (29th week to 40th week)
Generally, this trimester starts from the 29th week and ends in the 40th week. In this trimester, the baby gains weight rapidly and your body helps the baby to prepare for delivery. Full-term pregnancy ends in 40 weeks i.e. when you enter the 10th month. In some cases, if you pass your due date and don’t experience any labor pain, then artificial pains have to be induced in your body by your doctor for delivery.
8th Month (29th week to 32nd week)
Development of baby: In the starting of this month i.e. in 29th week, all the organs of the baby have completely developed and function properly. Now baby weighs around 2.65lb (i.e. 1.2kg). In 30th week, baby moves and responds so properly that it’ll give you a signal of false contractions (called as Braxton Hicks contractions). In 31st week, baby weighs around 3.31lb (i.e. 1.5kg) and can clearly hear from outside the womb due to which the loud noises from outside may scare your baby. Now comes the last week of this month, i.e. 32nd week when most of the babies come in head-down position while in some cases, they’ll remain in the bottom-down position till last month.
Changes in your body: That extra weight makes you so tired and uncomfortable, that it sometimes makes you feel breathless and also makes it difficult for you to sleep. To prepare your body for delivery, your ligaments start loosening which increase your chances of backache or injury, so be careful. And focus on your exercises/stretches as it helps a lot to ease the pain and helps in delivery. Sometimes, you may also feel mild pain in your pelvic area.
9th Month (33rd week to 36th week)
Development of baby: In 33rd week, the baby is continuously growing, maturing and gaining weight, and now weighs around 4.2lb (i.e. 1.9kg). In 34th week, the baby becomes 4.63lb (i.e. 2.1kg) and about 30cm long. Their bones get harder but the skull remains soft for easier delivery. In 35th week, baby weighs around 5.07lb (i.e. 2.3kg) and 32cm long. Now there is less space for the baby’s movement, so it gets so uncomfortable. In 36th week, the baby weighs around 5.51lb (i.e. 2.5kg) and 35cm long. Now, the baby move towards the pelvis and completely ready to take birth.
Changes in your body: Now all those issues like cramps, aches, swelling, and indigestion increase with time. At this time, a lot of rest and pelvic floor exercises will help you. That pressure on your lower abdomen makes you urinate more frequently. You may feel mild contractions at some moments but these go away by just changing your sitting or standing position. But if it gets stronger and won’t go away, then these are for real i.e. premature labor.
10th Month (37th week to 40th week)
Development of baby: At the end of the 37th week, your pregnancy will count as full-term pregnancy and now baby gains weight slowly. In 38th to 40th week, you’ll feel less baby movements because of less space, which is completely normal. But if there is no movement of the baby, then immediately consult your doctor. In this final month of pregnancy, your baby weighs around 7.8lb (i.e. 3.5 kg) at the end of this month and you can go for delivery at any time. Baby weighs around 6-8lb (i.e. 3-4kg) in case of a full-term pregnancy. Now at any time, you can have delivery and hold your baby in your arms.
Changes in your body: It gets so difficult to fall asleep in those last few weeks of pregnancy, which makes you so tired and restless. You may experience more vaginal discharge than normal. Your cervix gets softened and starts to open to prepare your body to deliver. Those final stretches are so uncomfortable. But the feeling of motherhood is just so amazing, you’ll forget all those difficult days of pregnancy when you’ll hold your baby in your arms.
While these stages of pregnancy go fine for some women but it goes difficult for others. Pregnancy experiences vary from person to person, so never compare yourself with others. Don’t expect too much, just go with the flow and always take your doctor’s advice for your queries. Hope this article will help you understand the development of your baby and changes in your body with passing stages of pregnancy.