For many people, the third trimester of pregnancy can be an anxious time. You’re in the home stretch and excited to meet your baby. But you’re also busy making preparations for your little one while trying to stay healthy and comfortable.
Here’s a list of the main concerns you might have about the third trimester, plus tips to help you make it safely and comfortably to your delivery day.
Traveling may create additional concerns when you’re pregnant. During pregnancy, you may be more likely to experience some medical conditions, like:
- blood clot formation during prolonged sitting
- infections due to exposure to illnesses
- unexpected miscarriage
- pregnancy complications
Avoid long car trips and airplane flights, if possible. If you must travel, stretch your legs and walk around at least every 1 or 2 hours.
It’s generally safe to travel by air up to 32 to 34 weeks of pregnancy unless you’re at high risk for premature labor. Many airlines won’t let you board a flight if you appear obviously pregnant because of the possibility of an unexpected delivery on the plane.
For foreign travel, check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for recommended vaccinations or preventive medications for the area you’re visiting.
While traveling, avoid drinking unpurified water, unpasteurized milk, and inadequately cooked meat or vegetables. These can give you food poisoning or parasites and may also cause complications like dehydration that can harm your pregnancy.
Movement is an important sign that the fetus is doing well. As pregnancy progresses and the baby grows larger, the type of movement can change. Instead of punching you or doing flips, the baby may roll more or stick an arm or leg out.
Though your baby’s movements may change as they grow, you should go to the hospital immediately if you notice significant changes in movement. Some examples of movement changes include:
- less movement
- weaker movements
- unusually rapid increases in movement
These movement changes can be an early sign — sometimes the only warning sign — that your baby needs help.
If you report it promptly, there’s a window of opportunity in which the baby’s life may be saved. That’s why it’s so important to go to the hospital if you notice a lack of movement or if you feel something is wrong. Trust your instincts.
Hospitals can provide the care you and your baby need at any time. Don’t wait for your next prenatal appointment.
While you may want to let your healthcare professional know you are going to the hospital, you do not need their consent or permission to seek emergency care.
You can’t diagnose the cause and effect of decreased movements from home – you need to go to a hospital immediately. Detecting a heartbeat doesn’t necessarily mean your baby is well. Handheld monitors, dopplers, or phone apps that check your baby’s heartbeat are not enough and may just delay getting the care you need.
Do not delay by trying things like drinking cold water or eating something sugary to get your baby moving, and do not start a new kick count, even if asked by a healthcare professional. Go to the hospital and get checked right away.
Once at the hospital, you will likely remain there until you and the healthcare team are happy with your baby’s movement. Do not go home until you are reassured that your baby is OK.
Wear your lap and shoulder belts at all times when riding in a vehicle, particularly if you’re sitting in the front seat. Being an unrestrained passenger during a major automobile accident is dangerous, whether you’re pregnant or not.
Position the lap belt below your belly for the best protection for you and your unborn baby in the event of an accident. If you’re in an accident, contact your doctor or go to the ER immediately.
Generally, during the third trimester of pregnancy, you are encouraged not to sleep on your back. When you’re on your back, your heavy uterus may reduce blood flow to the uterus and fetus. It’s also usually uncomfortable to lie flat on your back during the third trimester.
The left side is considered the best choice because the uterus naturally rotates to the right during pregnancy, and lying on the left side brings it closer to the center and improves blood flow.
A pillow placed between your legs or a long body pillow to support your back may be helpful. Using a wedge-shaped pillow along your back may also help.
Most occupations are perfectly safe to continue while pregnant. However, some jobs are unsuitable during pregnancy, like those involving prolonged exposure to lead-based paints, work in a poorly ventilated setting with noxious fumes (like anesthetic gases or volatile chemicals), or unregulated radiation exposure.
Before you stop working on a potentially hazardous site, check with your supervisor about Occupational Safety and Hazards Administration (OSHA) standards for your workplace.
Pregnancy is considered a healthy state. It’s not a disability. But if you stop working without a valid statement from your doctor, worker’s compensation for disability pays only a fraction of your usual wages.
If conditions change in your pregnancy and your doctor thinks you should stop working, they will provide documentation for you.
Some obstetrical conditions require bed rest during pregnancy, such as:
- preterm labor
- incompetent cervix
- placenta previa
- preeclampsia
If you have any of these conditions, your doctor may complete disability forms for you so that you can take time off from work.
There’s no medical reason to prohibit working up until delivery, and most people can. Some employers allow time off before your due date.
Most employers allow 6 weeks of maternity leave after a vaginal delivery and 8 weeks following a cesarean delivery. If you want more time, you may need to use vacation time or take time off without pay.
In recent years, several commercial companies have advertised a service that stores leftover umbilical cord blood after birth for potential use by the baby or other family members in the event of a possible future illness that could require stem cell transplantation.
There are two types of cord blood banks: public and private. Public banks make stem cells available to anyone who matches and needs them, while private banks store cord blood for individuals or families.
If a family has a specific set of medical conditions that tend to be passed on, then cord blood collection may be an option. Plus, scientists may discover future uses for cord blood that aren’t yet available.
X-rays in moderation and with appropriate lead shielding over the abdomen are quite safe during pregnancy.
Many serious conditions can develop or worsen during pregnancy if healthcare professionals don’t use X-rays to help diagnose them. These may include pneumonia, tuberculosis, or broken bones.
Sometimes, you may need X-rays of the pelvis and baby to determine whether you can safely deliver the baby (for example, if the baby is in a breech position).
Some babies need multiple X-rays immediately after birth to assess their health. It’s sometimes necessary for a baby to have X-rays to help diagnose a condition or disease.
Epidural anesthesia is an excellent option for pain management. But it’s usually not available for a home birth or at a birth center. Pain management in these settings may include Lamaze techniques, sensate focusing, hypnosis, or mild narcotics or sedatives.
If pain management is important to you, labor and delivery in a hospital gives you access to epidural anesthesia. Most doctors decide when you should receive epidural anesthesia on an individual basis. Some doctors don’t place an epidural anesthetic until you’re at least 4 centimeters dilated.
Talk with your doctor about your wishes and your doctor’s epidural preferences as your due date approaches. Complications of epidural anesthesia are rare but include headache, bleeding, and infection.
There have been reports of back problems after epidurals. It’s also possible for the birthing parent to be paralyzed after an epidural.
Epidurals may affect the
This type of pain management doesn’t cross into the bloodstream of the baby. Other types of pain medications do cross the bloodstream and may potentially make the baby sleepy at birth.
The third trimester is a good time to consider whether you want to nurse or formula-feed your baby.
Doctors generally recommend that you nurse your baby for at least the
Exceptions are women with HIV, active tuberculosis, as well as some forms of hepatitis. Talk with your doctor if you have any concerns about being able to nurse.
Nursing has benefits for you, including:
- uterus and stomach return to prepregnancy size faster
- return to prepregnancy weight faster
- no bottles to wash or carry and no formula to prepare or carry
- no money spent on formula
- decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer
- decreased chance of getting pregnant (nursing suppresses ovulation)
- decreased risk of osteoporosis
Nursing also has
- immunoglobulins that prevent illness and infections
- decreased risk of allergies
- easy to digest
- decreased risk of diarrhea and constipation
- always ready and at the right temperature
- decreased risk of obesity and diabetes later in life
- bonding time with the nursing parent
Although nursing has many benefits, it’s always a choice. If you can’t or prefer not to nurse, feeding your baby with formula is fine and will provide the nutrition your baby needs.
Call the labor and delivery department or the nursery at your hospital. Most hospitals let you tour the facilities before your labor and delivery.
In addition to calling your healthcare professional, call your health insurance company. Each insurance company has its own rules about this. Talk with your insurance company early in your pregnancy about their requirements.
Most companies allow you to notify them within 24 hours of admission. Many birth facilities will notify the insurance companies for you.
You, your doctor, and your health insurance company decide what’s best for you. If there’s a medical reason for you to stay in the hospital, your health insurance should allow it.
Many insurance companies encourage people who have given birth to leave the hospital 24 hours after delivery. For some, this is safe and appropriate.
But it’s not appropriate for everyone. If your doctor feels that you need to stay in the hospital longer than your insurance company allows, the healthcare facility will help you negotiate more time.
Most health insurance companies cover the cost of a semiprivate room postpartum. Check with your hospital to see if you can upgrade to a private room and what the difference in cost is.
