The third trimester starts from when you are 28 weeks, to the arrival of your baby. You will have more antenatal checks during this time, as your midwife will want to monitor you and your baby’s health more closely. Your baby will not be fully grown until 37 weeks or after, but some babies do of course come early. If your baby comes early, they are likely to need support in a neonatal unit. However, a premature baby of 28 weeks or more has a good chance of full health with the right care.
You may miss the second trimester when the severe tiredness or sickness was behind you and you had more energy. With the baby growing rapidly, you are now having to share your body. Your lungs have less space, and you may get breathless from relatively small amounts of exercise. You may also be peeing more often again, but this time it is from pressure on the bladder rather than hormones alone. Everyday tasks will become more of a challenge. If you experience breathlessness when you are sitting down, then it’s important to contact your maternity team to be assessed.
In addition to regular check-ups, your midwife will review your birth preferences with you. You may have a list of things to get ready for the birth, or jobs to get done. It’s a good time to learn about feeding and looking after your baby so you can feel confident when your baby arrives. It’s much harder to do this in the early days when you are likely to be recovering from birth.
You may also feel more tired again, so make time for activity and rest, and ask friends and family to help where they can.
