Overview of that week

Are you happy to know that your baby is gaining weight rapidly these weeks? Or are the rapid changes in your body causing you pain and swelling? The third trimester is when the pregnancy symptoms are the most painful.

It will be common in the coming months for you to feel a lot of tenderness. With the extra body weight, performing the normal daily task might start to become more daunting. Involve your partner in your pregnancy and ask them to help whenever required. 

Baby development

Your baby now has a complete resemblance of what it will look like during birth, only thinner. Right now your baby is about 1300 grams in weight and more than 15 inches in height. The bones are slowly absorbing calcium and becoming harder and stronger.

This point forward, the baby will be gaining weight rapidly, preparing for labor. So, it is time for you to start preparing for the labor which is about 10 weeks away. 

Body changes in mother

Sleep Problems

Sleep is important for anyone to rest and get their energy back. But when you are pregnant, the importance of a good night’s sleep is exemplified. However, there are alot of reasons why you might not be able to sleep through the night. Such as: the size of your belly might be making it difficult for you to move in your sleep, your baby might be awake in the belly and kicking you while you are trying to sleep, or you might be anxious and worried about the delivery. 

Hair and Nails

There will be some changes in the growth or hair and nails during the pregnancy. For some women, they report that their nails become stronger whereas for some women it becomes brittle and breaks easily. Due to hormonal reasons, your hair cycle is also lengthened and the duration that your hair doesn’t fall. This means that there is more hair on your head and it is thicker.

Back pain

The increased weight on the belly puts more pressure on your nerves and muscles on the back and the legs. As a result, backaches and leg pain become more common. You might also have sprains often on your legs. 

Nosebleeds

You might experience an increase in nosebleeds due to an imbalance in hormones. The lining of your nasal passage is thinned out because of a higher amount of estrogen and progesterone. Your nose can also remain dry and stuffed like it would when you have a sinus infection. Even if you are someone who doesn’t get sinus infection often, now it might be more frequent.

What should you do and don’t

• Drink enough water to keep your body hydrated. Even though you might need to go and pee more often, don’t stop your water intake as it is required to keep you body healthy.
• Start to think of your maternity leaves and how you are going to manage work during that period. Plan whether your husband is getting paternity leave and who is going to be there for you to provide support.
• Try to relax your body by taking a warm shower and get massages to help with any tenderness in the muscles. 
• Make sure to visit all the scheduled doctor appointments. If there are any concerns, get advice from professionals during the visits or call your OB/GYN. 
• With the help of a panty liner you can keep yourself dry if you are suffering from urinary incontinence.