What to expect in your last trimester?

The third trimester can be the most stressful stage of pregnancy. As the fetus goes through the final stages of development, a new set of symptoms and side-effects will likely crop up. Mums-to-be often have to bear with¹:

• feeling hot
• fatigue
• irritability or mood swings
• sleeping problems
• swollen hands and feet
• varicose veins
• haemorrhoids
• stretch marks
• indigestion and heartburn
• pains on the sides of the tummy due to the expanding womb

On top of the symptoms from previous trimesters – the list can go on and on.

Despite these difficulties, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staying healthy is integral to your pregnancy, and it can manage or alleviate many of the symptoms above.

Keep These Things In Mind:

1^st Stage of Labour

• The first few contractions you’ll experience prepare the cervix for dilation. There’s no need to rush to the hospital at this stage. You can stay at home, rest, and keep to light activities as per usual, while you monitor your contractions.
• Call your healthcare provider once your contractions become regular (about 3 every 10 minutes), or if your water breaks.
• You can go to the hospital or your preferred birthing centre once contractions last at least 60 seconds and come every 5 minutes.⁶
• The first stage of labour usually lasts 8 to 12 hours for a first-time mum.

2^nd Stage of Labour

• The second stage of labour begins once regular contractions have made the cervix fully dilated.
• You should be all set up at the hospital or your birthing location by now, ready to start pushing. Your childbirth providers can tell you when to push.
• With the cervix fully dilated, the baby will start to move down the birth canal and to the entrance of the vagina.
• The second stage of labour ends once the baby is born. This stage of labour should last no more than 3 hours for a first-time mum, though cases may vary.

1^st Stage of Labour

• The first few contractions you’ll experience prepare the cervix for dilation. There’s no need to rush to the hospital at this stage. You can stay at home, rest, and keep to light activities as per usual, while you monitor your contractions.
• Call your healthcare provider once your contractions become regular (about 3 every 10 minutes), or if your water breaks.
• You can go to the hospital or your preferred birthing centre once contractions last at least 60 seconds and come every 5 minutes.⁶
• The first stage of labour usually lasts 8 to 12 hours for a first-time mum.

It’s best to make a birth plan to be as prepared as you can be for the big day.

A birth plan is a summary of your preferences during labour and delivery, which your doctor or childbirth provider can use as a reference. This summary includes things like⁷:

• Where you want to give birth
• Your preferred type of delivery
• Your preferred options for pain relief
• Special instructions for your room
• How you want to feed your baby after birth

What Happens After Birth

As you recover, your newborn baby undergoes a physical exam and a handful of important health assessments.

References:
¹ Week by week guide to pregnancy – NHS. Accessed December 23, 2021.
² What is gestational diabetes mellitus? – Hopkins Medicine. Accessed December 23, 2021.
³ What to expect in the third trimester – Our Health Service. Accessed December 23, 2021.
⁴ Antenatal classes – Our Health Service. Accessed December 23, 2021.
⁵ The stages of labour and birth – NHS. Accessed December 23, 2021.
⁶ Timing your contractions – when to go to the hospital – Our Health Service. Accessed December 23, 2021.
⁷ How to make a birth plan – NHS. Accessed December 23, 2021.
⁸ Newborn Care in the Delivery Room – March of Dimes. Accessed December 23, 2021.

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