Week by Week: The Third Trimester – Your Pregnancy Calendar
The 28th to 40th Pregnancy Weeks at a Glance
Welcome to the third trimester where you are approaching the finish line! Here, you learn week by week which development steps your unborn child undergoes, and what tips we have for you for each week of pregnancy.
As birth is approaching, your body is getting ready for the upcoming delivery. You might experience the following symptoms:
FALSE LABOR (BRAXTON HICKS CONTRACTIONS):
These “practice contractions” will help you prepare for the coming birth.
A FEELING OF PRESSURE, THE ABDOMEN SINKS DOWN:
From week 32 of pregnancy, the baby starts rotating into a head-down birth position.
THE CERVIX OPENS:
From around three weeks prior to the calculated date of childbirth, the cervix prepares for delivery. It opens and becomes softer.
THE AMNIOTIC SAC RUPTURES:
As long as it happens close to the projected due date, an early rupture of the membranes (with dropwise or gushing ejection of clear fluid from the vagina) is no cause for concern. The important thing is that your baby’s head rests deeply in the pelvis (your gynecologist will inform you during the prenatal visit). If that is not the case, please lie down immediately and let an ambulance take you to the hospital. Stay reclined while travelling, otherwise there might be a risk of a prolapse of the umbilical cord. However, when the head has sunk into the pelvis as it should you can let your partner or another relative take you to the hospital.
The 28th Week of Pregnancy
The growing baby stretches your belly more and more. This leads to stretch marks (striae) in many women. There are special creams to prevent that. They keep the tissue flexible and support perfusion. It would be best to talk to your gynecologist about that.
Your baby is now entering a new development stage. By now, its bone marrow can produce blood by itself. It could even happen that your baby’s blood type differs from yours. Did you know that you produce and release an increased amount of oxytocin when cuddling with your partner? Via the bloodstream, this so-called “cuddle hormone” gets also to your baby and makes it feel as happy as a clam. If you ever need one, this is a perfect excuse for a lot of cuddling or just being spoiled with an extended massage.
The 29th Week of Pregnancy
The third major prenatal visit with ultrasound is due. This is always something special as you get so see your child and can take another sonogram home with you. Meanwhile, your baby entertains itself by playing with the umbilical cord. This vital lifeline provides a constant blood exchange between you and your child. The vein transports oxygen-rich blood to your baby’s heart, while the two arteries bring the exhausted, nutrient poor blood back to the placenta.
By now, the baby weighs about 1200 grams at a length of around 38 cm. The lung is almost fully developed and getting ready to commence work during birth. In the pending ultrasound examination, once more, everything will be thoroughly checked and measured. This also includes the position of the placenta and the amount of amniotic fluid.
The 30th Week of Pregnancy
Have you already thought about the essential equipment you will need for the baby? By now, waiting for your baby to finally come might have become hardly bearable. To make best use of the time, you could acquire the first items that you will need for your baby – it’s about time.
Shopping tip: Size 56 (in Europe, 0-3m in the US and UK) is supposed to be a size for newborns, but it could become too small very quickly. Avoid buying to many items of the smallest size. Expectant parents have a tendency of buying unnecessary stuff that ends up in the basement or a storeroom without ever having been used. But with our swing2sleep spring cradle you are definitely on the safe side. It rocks your baby in the rhythm of the maternal heartbeat which soothes your newborn baby tenderly and lets it fall asleep with ease. Your baby feels taken back to the security of the womb. Our proprietary suspension frame – that is available as an accessory – gives you the freedom of placing the motorized spring cradle anywhere in your home, so that you can always have it close to you. You can just take it with you from room to room.
Slowly but surely, your baby is running out of space. That’s why it is now going into the typical fetal curl (crossed arms and tucked up legs). It can now maintain and regulate its body temperature by itself. Science has proven, that your baby has now so-called REM phases in which it experiences dreams.
The 31st Week of Pregnancy
After birth, you will want to have as much time and rest with your newborn child as possible. Therefore, it is advisable to tick off important formalities before birth. Depending on what country you live in, you might be entitled to parental allowances, parental leave or other benefits. Inform yourself about what benefits you can claim and make sure to apply for them in due time.
The size of your unborn baby is now approximately the length between your elbow to your extended fingertips. It has already developed a taste for sweet treats. However, this doesn’t mean that you should consume vast amounts of sugar. Luckily, the amniotic fluid tastes sweet by nature.
The 32nd Week of Pregnancy
From now on, there will be prenatal visits every two weeks. Your doctor will check your baby’s heart sounds and your uterine activity with a cardiotocogram (CTG).
You might have noticed that your baby’s movements have become more frequent. Especially, when you want to sleep your child seems to wake up. One possible reason is that your placenta is particularly well supplied with blood when you recline which gives your child a surge of energy. But it could also be possible that your perception is more sensitive when you are relaxed and quiet in your bed.
The 33rd Week of Pregnancy
There are still a couple of weeks to go before your child is born. Still, it is time to start thinking of what to pack into the hospital bag: Toiletries and cosmetics, bathrobe, slippers, track suit and first baby attire (rompers). Also, your ID, pregnancy passport and health insurance card. Not to forget: The father-to-be should also pack a small bag for himself.
Meanwhile, the baby has reached a weight of approximately 2000 grams and a length of 44 cm. It can now survive outside the womb. Week by week, it works on building a layer of fat. This is supposed to warm the child, but also serves as an energy reserve, as it will take a bit for the maternal milk flow to get going.
The 34th Week of Pregnancy
Some countries have Maternal Protection Laws in place that grant mothers or fathers paid leave from work to take care of the child. If you are living in one of these countries, your maternal leave might have already begun. The last couple of weeks have been exhausting enough as working with a huge baby belly is anything but practical. You can use the time off from work for running the remaining important errands and preparing for birth.
Your baby is now ready to be born. It might not have reached its full birth size yet, but it will be able to leave its mom’s belly without major complications and will, in most cases, survive without external life support. All organs are now fully developed, especially the lungs, which are vital for providing the child with oxygen once it is born.
The 35th Week of Pregnancy
You might have already wondered if there is a way to avoid an episotomy or perineal rupture during birth. Unfortunately, there is no panacea for this issue. What you can do, however, is to make the area between vagina and anus a bit softer and more flexible. This can be achieved with a daily massage. Use natural oils like almond oil or olive oil and massage this area with your fingers.
The subcutaneous fat is forming which means that your baby is massively gaining weight. Meanwhile, it measures about 46.5 cm at a weight of around 2500 grams. Its hands have developed a firm grip which it keeps practicing in the womb. And it has now a fully functional immune system. This means, that its body produces antibodies to recognize and destroy foreign microbes that enter the body.
The 36th Week of Pregnancy
The next couple of days will allow you to take a deep breath – literally! The head of the baby starts to sink into your pelvis. In consequence, breathing will become easier again and your stomach has more space too. In order to help your child taking this position, your womb undergoes contractions as part of so-called prodromal labor. You might not even perceive them. But if you do, it could feel like a slight dragging sensation in your back and abdomen as well as general indisposition.
At this point your child is ready to go. It has stocked up enough fat to get through the first time after birth. There is not much space left in the womb. That’s why kicks that go into the direction of the lungs or ribs can feel really nasty and take your breath away. Your baby also swallows around 3 liters of amniotic fluid per day. This serves as preparation for its start into life. It even digests particles that are present in the amniotic fluid to practice digestion in the bowels. The lungs are ready to be used.
The 37th Week of Pregnancy
Will your child be born via C-Section? Maybe you are expecting twins or your baby is breech. Or the placenta is blocking the cervix. In such cases, a C-section is mostly unavoidable. But no worries! These days, this is just a routine procedure. Often, your appointment for the C-Section will be two weeks before your original due date. Usually, general anesthesia is only used when there is no time to lose. So, you can get the child on your chest immediately after birth and witness everything that is happening during the process.
The tiny hairs that covered your baby completely since the earlier stages of pregnancy to protect it against the amniotic fluid have fallen off. The vernix caseosa that served the same purpose has disappeared too. Tiny fingernails are protruding over the fingertips.
The 38th Week of Pregnancy
It can happen anytime now. Beginning labor pains mark the onset of the birth process. The contractions do not come as an attack, but slowly increase in frequency, regularity and intensity. Mostly, the rupture of the membranes does not happen as a gush but as slight dripping. Yet, when amniotic fluid is discharged it always means that birth is about to start. You should go to the hospital/birthing center or notify your midwife. Bleedings might occur after the mucus plug has come off and the cervix has widened. Normally, this is accompanied by initial labor pains.
Your baby has now a length of approximately 50 cm and a weight of 3200 grams. If your child decides to come out now, it is no longer counted as a premature birth. It can happen, that there is less movement of the baby now. But when there is, the activity can be pretty intense. The head is now resting deeply in your pelvis.
The 39th Week of Pregnancy
Do you feel a dragging sensation in your back that radiates down into your legs and is your belly getting rock hard in regular intervals? Are you sure that this is true labor and you and your partner should depart for the maternity clinic? Tip: If the contractions are not yet capturing your full attention and you are still able to relax on your cozy sofa, chances are that you can stay at home for now. When you feel unsure, call your midwife. If you don’t have an own midwife, you can call the hospital’s midwife on duty.
Prodromal labor is starting. These contractions push the baby from its already deep position in the pelvis even further towards the cervix. The amniotic fluid acts as a buffer to protect the baby’s head when being squeezed through the tight passage.
The 40th Week of Pregnancy
You are in the 40th pregnancy week and you feel like you cannot wait much longer before you finally have your baby in your arms. You might ponder giving things a little push. Actually, there are a couple of simple tricks that might help: long walks, relaxed sex, a hot bath or a reflexology massage. Before trying anything, however, you should discuss it with your attending gynecologist or your midwife.
Your baby is ready. All its organs and systems are fully developed. It has enough fat tissue in case the production of breast milk takes a while to get going. But you don’t need to be overly concerned when there is still no indication of an imminent birth. The calculated due date is always just an estimate. Only four percent of babies arrive exactly when they are due. Around 30 percent of the babies come before that date and 60 percent only in the 10 days after it.
We at swing2sleep are very happy that we could accompany you in this exciting time of pregnancy and tell you about the different development steps your child was going through. With all our hearts, we wish you all the best for the delivery.
