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