Third Trimester

What Is the Third Trimester?

The third trimester is the last phase of your pregnancy. It lasts from weeks 29 to 40, or months 7, 8, and 9. During this trimester, your baby grows, develops, and starts to change position to get ready for birth.

New Fetal Development

In the third trimester, your baby keeps growing. By the end, a full-term baby usually is between 19 and 21 inches long and between 6 and 9 pounds.

Your baby begins to turn itself head-down to get ready for delivery. At week 36, the baby’s head should begin to move into your pelvic area, also called lightening. It will stay in this down-facing position for the last 2 weeks of your pregnancy.

Your baby develops in other important ways in the third trimester. During this phase, it’s able to:

• Open its eyes and see
Hear
• Suck on its thumb
Cry
• Smile

Your baby’s brain continues to develop. Its lungs and kidneys mature. It gains muscle tone and about 16% body fat. The bones at the top of its skull are soft to ease delivery. Most babies have blue eyes at this stage, and they’ll stay that color until a few days or weeks after they’re born. It also has nails on its toes and reaching to the ends of its fingers. If it’s a boy, the testes have descended into the scrotum.

During the third trimester, the vernix caseosa, a protective coating, covers your fetus’ skin. Soft body hair called the lanugo falls out and is almost gone by the end of week 40.

Red Flag Symptoms

Any of these symptoms could be a sign that something is wrong with your pregnancy. Don't wait for your regular prenatal visit to talk about it. Call your doctor right away if you experience:

• Severe abdominal pain or cramps
• Severe nausea or vomiting
• Bleeding
• Severe dizziness
• Pain or burning during urination
• Rapid weight gain (more than 6.5 pounds per month) or too little weight gain

Third Trimester Tips for Twins

Expecting twins? You might want to add these things to your third trimester to- do list:

• Go stroller shopping. Side-by-side or tandem? Take a few double strollers for a test drive to see which type feels best to you. Look for one that's easy to open and maneuver.
• Get breastfeeding tips. Breastfeeding two babies is more of a challenge than one, but you can definitely do it. Ask your doctor ahead of time for tips.
• Check your iron. Ask your doctor if you need to take iron supplements. As a mom-to-be of twins, you're four times more likely to have iron-deficiency anemia.
• Know the signs of preeclampsia. Carrying twins doubles your risk of this serious condition. Tell your doctor right away if you have a headache, trouble seeing, or sudden weight gain.
• Find a support group. Start looking for groups of moms of multiples in your area. You may appreciate exchanging tips and getting support from other moms in the same boat.
• Create a schedule. Read up on how to get your twins on the same sleeping and eating schedule. Learning some tips now may save your sanity when you have two newborns.

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