The Stages Of Pregnancy - The Third Trimester
Author: Janet Hart

The Third Trimester

15 inches long, weighing between 2 and 3 pounds, your baby is
now opening and closing her eyes. He sleeps for about 20-30
minutes at a stretch. He is becoming rather athletic and some
of his kicks may take your breath away! His bones are still
flexible but getting stronger every day.

Practice breathing is taking place inside the womb as your baby
practices for the real world outside. You may feel tiny jerks
and twitches if your baby gets the hiccups during practice.
While the lungs are not fully developed, they are getting
closer. Babies born at this point in pregnancy can survive but
would probably be on a ventilator.

Your baby's protective coating of hair (lanugo) will start to
disappear, and her lungs are nearly fully developed. Her pupils
are functional and will constrict and dilate when exposed to
light and dark.

Your baby is gaining weight more rapidly now as he adds fat to
his body to prepare for the rigors of birth and the outside
world. You will feel lots of stretching, kicking and rolling
now!

At about 36 weeks into your pregnancy, your child is
approximately 6 pounds and 18 inches long, and is practicing
sucking in preparation for nursing in the real world. If you
are on target for delivery, your baby may 'flip' this week and
turn over into the 'heads down' position for birth.

Anytime now! If you deliver during the next few weeks, you are
pretty average in terms of the length of your pregnancy. Every
week you continue to carry your child, she will gain more
weight in the womb and get stronger though she is running out
of room to play so her activity and kicking may seem to slow
down.

At 38 weeks, if you have not delivered, your baby is nearly 7
pounds. Did you know that your baby's brain and nervous system
are still developing, and WILL throughout his childhood and
well into adolescence? Now that your baby has finished storing
fat, his body temperature will hold stable when he is born. And
the antibodies he receives through your placenta will help him
get through the first few months after birth in good health.

At 40 weeks, if you haven't delivered yet, your baby will
probably be about 7 or 8 pounds and around 20 inches at birth.
Don't be too concerned if your due date passes without labor.
Only about 5% of pregnant women delivery on their due dates and
your doctor will probably not recommend induction for a week or
two after you are due, unless you or your baby are in jeopardy.


As you pass through your third trimester, your body is changing
more quickly.

Nearly all pregnant women get stretch marks, those streaks that
appear on your stomach and thighs as your body expends.

There is no 'cure' for stretch marks, but they do fade after
pregnancy.

Keep your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water and use a
good non-greasy moisturizer on your abdomen, and legs to
prevent dryness and keep the worst of the stretch marks at bay.
This moisturizing will also decrease itching which many pregnant
women report during late pregnancy.

You may also see varicose or spider veins during your late
pregnancy. These most commonly appear around your ankles and
feet where you have lots of swelling, but they can appear in
other places as well.

Wear maternity pantyhose and put your feet up often to reduce
swelling.

If you find that you perspire more easily, use powder and wear
well-ventilated clothing so that you don't get a rash or
increase perspiration and odor during these late months.

About one in 150 women encounter pruritic urticarial papules
(PUPP) during late pregnancy. These are red, itchy patches that
usually appear on your stomach. Talk to your doctor to get a
good cream to treat these patches.

Be careful not to get overheated or hold your breath for long
periods of time when you are in late pregnancy. This will
affect the blood vessels in your body which are already working
overtime to provide oxygenated blood to you and to your baby.

Every woman complains about sagging breasts in late pregnancy
and after pregnancy but you should know that gravity will take
its toll even if you never had a child.

So relax!

There is no way, short of surgery, to make your breasts small
and perky again but you should acknowledge the changes by
wearing a supportive bra, and you can help yourself by using
good poster and by lifting arm weights and doing arm exercises
to give your chest muscles more tone.


About The Author: Janet Hart is the owner of
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