3rd Trimester Guide
Hurray you are nearing the end! Congrats on making it this far- that is a huge accomplishment! This trimester is all about settling in and preparing for babe.
Exercise: continue moderate exercise for as long as you possibly can. Sometimes the joints become swollen and it becomes challenging to do your “normal” activity. Swimming is a great weightless exercise and also has the benefit of allowing baby lots of time to get into position for birth or a prenatal yoga class will help you with positions that accommodate your growing belly.
Spinning Babies- this is a resource you will need to be familiar with. Spend time each week Belly mapping and trying to get a feel for where your baby is in your uterus. We really aren’t concerned about baby being head down till around 36 weeks or so; but the exercises given here can help facilitate optimal fetal positioning. From 36 weeks on- you want to spend at least 20 minutes each day on hands and knees or swimming- again this weightless activity gives your baby lots of time to get in optimal positioning.
Relaxation- whether or not you plan to use relaxation in your birth this is a great time to start practicing daily. Put on a CD or find a youtube script that will help you relax. Don’t just practice before bed time- as labor may be in the middle of the day; practice with your support person as well in multiple scenarios.
Evening Primrose Oil/ Red Raspberry Tea: These are both anecdotal and not to be given as medical adviceRed Raspberry Leaf tea helps to tone the uterus and should be taken daily. Evening primrose oil is a capsule that can help to soften the cervix. Some studies have shown little to no result however some providers still encourage it in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Some providers suggest taking it orally from 36 weeks and then vaginally at 38 weeks- like anything please make sure you are checking with your provider before using these suggestions.
Acupuncture- if you have never used acupuncture this is a great time to start! There are many wonderful benefits to acupuncture- for a list of trusted providers- check out our resource page. * If you know you will be facing an induction for medical reasons we suggest starting acupuncture as soon as you can to help prepare the body for induction.
Birth Plan- finish up all those final tweaks and thoughts around your birth plan. Make sure you have a copy stuck in your birth bag and that you have had an honest conversation with your provider about what you are expecting. (If you are finding your provider is not 100% on board- it is never too late to find a provider who aligns more with your wishes and desires!)
Surround yourself with positive people- everyone wants to tell you their horror stories or all of their negative ideas around birth and parenting. Make sure that you are surrounding yourself with people who will encourage you in what you want and desire around your birth. You can even politely tell someone- “unless this will encourage me, I’d like to hear this story after the baby is born.” There are so many amazing stories, blogs, videos of powerful and wonderful birth experiences!
Important tests:
Between 28 and 30 weeks your provider will want to run another blood test to ensure your blood volume is adequately increasing as your baby grows. This is a blood draw and you will have results within a few days
36 weeks: GBS test (Group Beta Strep test) this is a vaginal swab that is done around 36 weeks. GBS is a normal bacteria that lives in all of us at any given time. It can come and go and usually does no harm. However, if you are GBS positive at birth the GBS can cause serious issues for baby and you will be given IV antibiotics in labor to knock out the GBS prior to delivery. You have the right to ask to be tested again if you are positive and don’t want to take antibiotics. There are many wives tales and natural remedies designed to “get rid” of GBS however, if it is actually living in your vaginal canal it can cause harm to your baby.
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/
(As a side note- this test is often done at the same time as a vaginal exam- I highly recommend doing no vaginal exams until labor and even then limiting them to 1-2 times for the whole length of labor, if you do not want an exam then make sure you have made that clear when they ask for your GBS test).
Additional ultrasounds to check for growth and weight: (if there is a true abnormality that needs to monitored than of course an exception can be made here.) But I do not recommend any additional ultrasounds outside of the 20 week scan unless you are measuring small/large (more than 2 cm in either direction, multiple times) as more often than not “routine” ultrasounds cause misdiagnosis and fear. For more on ultrasounds please see:
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Big-Babies-Handout.pdf
