You are now right in the middle of the third trimester. You are half way to the end. You have just about nine or ten weeks left. This is a very exciting time; you are nesting and making sure that everything is set for when the baby comes home. By now most pregnant women are having thoughts like they don’t want to be pregnant anymore. They want to have their baby and be happy but the pregnancy is what they can do without. It has been a long time since you have found out that you are pregnant and you want your old body back.

Now is the time, when couples discuss their plans for childbirth such as a natural birth or a C-Section. They should discuss if anyone is going to help them when the baby comes home and if there are other siblings involved, how they are going to handle the transition. If the baby’s nursery is not complete, now is the time to get it done. The nest few weeks you will need as much rest as you can. The baby’s weight is increasing as is yours, so you will be feeling tired and moody in the last months of your pregnancy.

Try some light exercises in order to keep up your energy levels; try walking or maybe some yoga will help. Do not over do it, if you start to feel tired when you are walking stop. Don’t try to push yourself and most importantly listen to your body. You will know if something goes wrong.

Baby’s Development

The baby should weigh approximately 3 pounds and will measure about 14 to 17 inches in length. You will start to notice that the baby will have a clearer sleeping pattern. The baby will start sleeping in cycles that will match their sleeping patterns after they are born. The baby has grown so big that there is very little room in the uterus. The baby will not be moving around so much and when the baby isn’t moving they could be in the sitting position. This will prepare the baby for birth.

The baby’s brain is developing at a fast rate. The brain will start training the eyes for opening and closing and the lungs are trained for breathing. The baby has fully grown eyelashes and eyebrows. The baby is still gaining baby fat to help prepare for birth. The baby has fully developed their digestive tracts and the lungs are mature.

Changes With Your Body

By now the new mom to be and the baby are growing in a positive direction. The new mom will soon start to feel the discomforts of being pregnant for so long. You will start feeling tired and more fatigues because of the weight gain. Try getting more sleep at night, this may help. You will need your rest and your strength for childbirth. Remember that pregnancy weakens the immune system so you have to do your part by getting plenty of rest and eating a balanced diet.

New mom to be may be starting to slouch as they sit due to the baby and the extra weight gain. If you catch yourself slouching remind yourself to sit up and keep your back straight. This will help prevent backaches and muscle cramping. There is a hormone in the body due to pregnancy it is called the Progesterone Hormone. This hormone will actually increase as the pregnancy progresses and the new mom to be may feel more exhausted than ever.

There are other secretions of the hormones during pregnancy that helps you to loosen up the body joints. You will start to feel more moody and more depressed. The depression comes from not wanting to be pregnant anymore. It has been a long time since you first found out you were pregnant. You may have trouble getting to sleep because it will be harder to find a comfortable place to sleep. Some women prefer to sleep sitting up or slightly reclined in a recliner chair.

What to Expect

The amniotic fluid will start to decrease, as the baby gets bigger. You will notice that you seem to run out of breath more easily than ever before. This happens when the uterus is putting pressure against the diaphragm. Don’t panic, this is only for a few weeks. By the 34th week, these symptoms will subside. The baby’s head will start to descend and prepare for childbirth. You will constantly feel like you have to go to the bathroom.

As you continue to go to your doctors’ visits, they will continue to monitor the baby through sonograms and blood and urine tests. Keep an eye out for sudden and excessive swelling on the hands and feet. This could be water retention or a sign of pre-eclampsia. Pre-Eclampsia is a condition that has to be monitored very closely, if not taken care of; it can cause pre-term delivery or other problems.

Tips/Advice

Try to make a lost of everything that has to be done. Now is the time to get them done, if you are going to help. You should be planning a baby shower or a party to await the arrival of your newborn baby. It is also important to keep all of your doctor’s appointment and make sure that if you have any questions that you ask your doctor. There is no question that is silly or trivial when it comes to your pregnancy.

Stay on track with your vitamins and continue on eating a balanced meal. Don’t put too much emphasis on your weight gain. If your doctor were concerned about it, he would have told you to be more careful. It is so important in these last months that you take care of yourself. If you are still working it may be time to start cutting back. Talk to your doctor and your boss and see what the best arrangement would be for everyone.