Third trimester of pregnancy: from which week? Features and recommendations of the doctor

The third trimester of pregnancy is the final stage before childbirth. Soon everything will change, and a pregnant woman will become a mother. What happens to the baby, what complications may arise, how to avoid them in the third trimester of pregnancy? What week does this phase begin ?

The last trimester begins from the 29th week and continues until the birth. In obstetrics, the 28th week is considered the boundary between the second and last trimester. If a child is born at this time, he will weigh about 1 kilogram, and his height will be approximately 35 centimeters, with appropriate medical care, he has every chance to survive.

So, what happens to the baby and mother at the last stage of pregnancy, what complications can develop during this period, what vitamins can help a pregnant woman prepare for childbirth and avoid negative consequences?

Child

The fetus becomes large, it can no longer tumble in the uterus and repeatedly change its position. Starting from the 28th week, the child seeks to take his natural prenatal position - head down, that is how it will be easiest for him to overcome the birth canal and be born. Finally, he will take his place only by the 35th week.

The seventh month of pregnancy (from the 29th to the 32nd week) the baby is actively improving the nervous system, it already has all the sensory organs functioning: it tastes, hears, sees. By the 32nd week, subcutaneous fat accumulates, folds on the skin straighten, the body becomes more proportional. Internal organs reach a high level of development: the pancreas produces insulin, the kidneys and liver are finally formed. At the same time, a significant increase in the baby’s weight is taking place, its weight is already about 1600 grams, and its height is 40-45 centimeters.

Eighth month (33-36th week) - the fetus grows at an active pace. Marigolds grow on his fingers. He has already developed sucking, swallowing and respiratory reflexes. He swallows amniotic fluid that enters the kidneys, where approximately 500 ml of urine is formed per day. His body is still covered with feather hairs, but their number is gradually decreasing. The baby has its own rhythm of life, which does not always coincide with my mother's.

Ninth month (from the 37th to the 40th week) - during this period all the processes of the child's maturation are completed, he is already completely ready for life in the outside world. Its weight is from about 2500 kilograms to 4500, its height is from 45 centimeters to 55. By the end of pregnancy, the baby occupies the entire uterus, it is cramped, so the nature of the movements changes, they more closely resemble tremors with legs and arms. The child can no longer roll over, so many pregnant women begin to worry about a decrease in fetal activity. But there is no reason for concern, this is a natural normal process, as a rule, its activity increases in the evening and after eating.

In the last month of pregnancy, the fluffy hair on the baby's skin almost disappears, remaining only in small quantities on the shoulders.

Woman's body

In the third trimester of pregnancy, the baby is growing rapidly, and the woman’s body is under heavy stress. The uterus presses on adjacent organs. Its bottom supports the diaphragm, it becomes difficult for a woman to breathe. She presses on the bladder, and the woman starts to run very often to the toilet. There are heaviness in the legs and swelling.

By the beginning of the third trimester, weight gain is approximately 7-8 kilograms, and by birth, weight increases by another 5-6 kilograms. So, the total increase for the entire pregnancy is 11-13 kilograms, but if before pregnancy there was a weight deficit, then the increase can be 15-16 kilograms.

Some women at this stage of pregnancy experience morning sickness, often appear in the third trimester of pregnancy, heartburn, these unpleasant sensations are associated with hormonal changes in the body. Either you need to learn to cope with them, or endure, but if they intensify, you need to consult a doctor.

Due to the increased activity of the child in the evening and at night, the woman has very frequent insomnia. The large size of the fetus causes painful and unpleasant sensations at the time of stirring. Weight gain and large sizes of the tummy are the cause of pain in the third trimester of pregnancy in the lower back.

The psychological state of the woman is changing, she is interested in issues that are related to the bearing, birth and development of the baby. In the third trimester of pregnancy, according to pregnant women, the "nesting" syndrome becomes very pronounced, which is expressed in the fact that the woman begins the arrangement of the children's room, acquires a dowry and toys. These changes are associated with hormonal changes and are a natural mechanism that contributes to the creation of favorable conditions for raising a child after his birth.

In the third trimester of pregnancy at week 37-38, all mechanisms aimed at preparing for childbirth are launched in the woman's body. The hormonal background changes, estrogens come to replace progesterone. Under their influence, the uterine tone increases: training contractions appear, the cervix begins to ripen, the mucous plug departs. In psychological terms, all the interests of women are reduced only to childbirth.

Possible complications

In the third trimester of pregnancy, a woman's body is under a heavy load, in the presence of a predisposition or chronic diseases, serious complications are possible. You need to know about them, since timely treatment is very important for the life and health of the mother and child.

• Gestosis. It is also called late toxicosis - this is one of the most dangerous complications of pregnancy. Symptoms of this condition are: protein in the urine, severe swelling, high blood pressure. The reasons for the development of preeclampsia are still not fully understood, it is established that the risk factors are chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension. The risk of the onset of the disease increases several times in women under the age of 18 and over 35, also with multiple pregnancies and in primiparas.

Preeclampsia is the cause of complications that threaten the life and health of both the mother and the child, serious of them: seizures with loss of consciousness, cerebral edema, premature detachment of the placenta, internal bleeding, fetal death, bleeding in the mother, liver, kidney, respiratory failure.

Treatment of this condition is carried out on an outpatient basis; if therapy does not help, a cesarean section is performed.

• Placental insufficiency is a violation of the normal functioning of the placenta. A clear sign of this condition is fetal hypoxia. The reasons for the development of this complication are: hypertension, anemia, kidney pathology, diabetes mellitus, bad habits. For the treatment of placental insufficiency, drugs are prescribed that improve the uteroplacental circulation.
• Shortness of breath is a feeling of lack of air. The bottom of the uterus in the third trimester of pregnancy is located so high that it prevents the lungs from expanding when exhaling, hence the breath becomes less deep, but more frequent. Shortness of breath can occur even at rest if the woman is lying on her back. As a rule, the condition improves about 2 weeks before birth, when the baby drops to the entrance to the pelvis. For the prevention of shortness of breath, do not overeat, stay in stuffy rooms, lie on your back.
• Insomnia is a fairly frequent complication of the last stage of pregnancy. It manifests itself both in violation of falling asleep, and in frequent awakenings. The reasons for this may be: an uncomfortable posture, fetal movements, a desire to empty the bladder, training contractions. To establish a dream, you need to sleep with special pillows for pregnant women, walk before bedtime in the fresh air, take a warm shower, and often ventilate the room.
• Constipation is a fairly common complication. This is primarily due to the relaxing effect of the hormone progesterone on the intestinal wall. Often constipation is accompanied by bitterness in the mouth, bloating, unpleasant aftertaste, a feeling of fullness of the intestines. It is necessary that the woman's diet is dominated by foods that favorably affect the functioning of the intestines: carrots, beets, pumpkin, zucchini, apples, prunes, dried apricots, kefir, yogurt. You need to drink about one and a half liters of water per day and move a lot.
• Phlebeurysm. It occurs due to weakening of the walls of blood vessels under the influence of progesterone, plus due to an increase in blood volume. Many pregnant women suffer with swelling of the legs, which intensifies by night, then protruding bluish veins appear on the legs - this is varicose veins. A measure of prevention is the wearing of compression hosiery, comfortable shoes. You should also not stand for a long time on your feet.

Discharge

Whitish and transparent discharge during pregnancy in the third trimester without impurities and odor, in a small amount - this is quite normal. It is quite another matter if they become plentiful and their structure changes:

• Transparent and abundant discharge usually indicates leakage of amniotic fluid.
• The fermented milk smell of secretion indicates thrush.
• Brown discharge, if occurred after the 37th week, is a clear sign of an approaching birth. It is gradually moving off the cork.
• Yellow discharge during pregnancy in the third trimester can occur as a sign of urinary incontinence or an infectious disease, especially should be alerted if there is itching or irritation of the genitals.
• Pink - are the norm before childbirth, but at an earlier date it is a dangerous pathology (placental abruption, leakage of amniotic fluid, vaginosis).
• Spotting is an occasion for immediate medical attention, as this is a threat to the life of the mother and child.

A pregnant woman should be alert for any non-standard reactions of the body. It is necessary to carefully monitor your condition, and if the discharge is accompanied by temperature and pain in the third trimester during pregnancy, you need to urgently consult a doctor.

Cold

Colds at the last stage of pregnancy are extremely undesirable, since the immune system is very weakened, in addition, the placenta is aging, therefore, its protective functions are reduced, and the risk of infection of the baby increases.

What can and cannot be done during a cold?

• You can’t soar your feet and take warm baths.
• Do not take antipyretic drugs.
• You can’t go to the sauna and put cans.
• The nose can be washed with saline, saline, chamomile infusion.
• You can gargle with chamomile, saline, soda, eucalyptus solution.
• You can - drink plenty.
• Mandatory - bed rest.

It is necessary to be especially careful before giving birth, to avoid crowded places, not to contact with patients.

Third Trimester Pregnancy Temperature

During this period, the usual and normal 36.6 are very rare. Normal temperature in the last stages is considered to be 37 ° C. This increase in temperature during pregnancy in the third trimester is due to the influence of the hormone progesterone.

If the temperature has risen to 38 ° C, it must be urgently brought down, the safest way is to drink plenty of warm water: linden tea, milk, tea with raspberries.

You can take paracetamol once, if you suddenly have a high temperature during pregnancy in the third trimester. But in no case should you take aspirin and its analogues, they are very toxic for the child and can cause bleeding.

It is necessary to recover before the onset of labor, otherwise when the baby is born, he will be placed in another room so that he does not catch the infection.

Vitamins

In the third trimester, most likely, vitamins are indispensable.

The main problems of this period can be reduced hemoglobin, convulsions, weakened immunity. It is necessary to accept:

• Vitamin C, which is responsible for the immune system, strengthens blood vessels.
• Vitamin A is taken in conjunction with iron to prevent anemia.
• Vitamin B helps to cope with seizures, which are very frequent companions of the third trimester of pregnancy.
• Vitamin K is responsible for blood coagulation and prevents the occurrence of bleeding.

For a child who still receives all the necessary substances from the mother’s body, it is necessary:

• Vitamin D with calcium for the development and strengthening of the baby's skeletal system.
• Vitamin A for bones, mucous membranes, skin and liver of the child.
• Vitamin E for the normal functioning of the pulmonary system.

The pregnant menu, as before, should be useful, balanced, varied and enriched with vitamins.

Intimacy

Doctors do not welcome intimacy in the third trimester of pregnancy, as:

• A high threat of uterine tone and the onset of premature birth.
• By the end of the 9th month, as a rule, the cork already begins to depart, the risk of infection of the fetus increases.
• The uterus at the end of pregnancy becomes very vulnerable, there is a high risk of injury.

Surveys

You should go to the doctor for examination during this period of pregnancy every two weeks. In addition, during this period, the following analyzes are mandatory:

• Glucose test, take blood on an empty stomach and after drinking a sweet solution.
• Complete blood count, hemoglobin level analysis.
• At the 8th month of pregnancy - a smear from the vagina.
• At the 32nd week - the measurement of the pulse and heartbeat of the child.
• At 32-36th week - an ultrasound scan.

From the 30th week it is better to start attending a school of motherhood, you should not give up this opportunity, since classes in the group will help to cope with fears and prepare for a long-awaited meeting with the baby.

Rules of conduct in the last period of pregnancy

So, in the third trimester of pregnancy it is necessary:

1. Be sure to attend all scheduled consultations.
2. Eat properly: eat 5-6 times, in small portions, eat more fruits and vegetables.
3. Choose a hospital, prepare all the necessary things and documents in advance.
4. Attend moms' school and pre-birth courses.
5. Perform Kegel exercises, which are excellent prophylaxis of tears during labor.
6. Preparing a children's dowry, but do not get too carried away.

From what week in the third trimester of pregnancy is it necessary to collect a bag in the hospital? Doctors advise you to be ready already from the 37th week, a list of things that should be put in the bag, you need to prepare in advance. It is best to put things in a new plastic bag, since bags are forbidden to carry in many maternity hospitals due to sanitary standards.

Tips for expectant mothers

Doctors recommend in the last period of pregnancy:

• More relax, visit friends, chat.
• Do not drink plenty of fluids at bedtime, because at night it will be difficult to fall asleep and often have to wake up in the toilet.
• If possible, raise your legs up more often and rest in such a pose to reduce swelling.
• More walk in the fresh air, but do not bother with long walking.
• Listen to calm music, watch positive TV shows, read.
• Sleep at least 7 hours at night and several hours during the day.

In addition, you should visit the doctor at the appointed time and carefully monitor your health and your baby. Confidence that everything is going well will help to relax and enjoy the last weeks of this amazing state.