Welcome to the third trimester – the final stretch! ;)
During the third trimester, weeks 28 – 40+, baby and parents try to stay comfortable and prepare for birth! If you’re a list person, check out Mother Rising’s third trimester checklist.
For those on bedrest or taking it easy, I have a great list of 40 at-home activities for pregnancy and a few books to read in the third trimester. Another thing to consider is taking a babymoon or a third trimester vacation.
Planning for a natural birth? I’ve got you covered! From birthing tools to pain management, learn all about labor with Mother Rising’s tips and advice for a natural birth.
One of the best ways to prepare for birth is to take a childbirth class with other expecting parents. In a class you’ll learn about the stages of labor, the hormones of birth, how to make decisions in labor, and more!
When is the best time to take a birthing class? Ideally a class that ends somewhere in the middle of the third trimester. If you’re planning for a hospital birth, sign up for the hospital tour to help prepare for birth. Once you see where you’ll be giving birth, it’s much easier to visualize and mentally prepare for what’s to come.
Stepping into the unknown of childbirth can feel daunting! One way to feel more courageous is to read others’ stories – hospital births, home births – all of it. If they did it, I can do it too, you know? Positive birth stories shared between women can encourage those on the cusp of giving birth. We’re in this together.
Third trimester mamas sometimes read birth affirmations to help prepare for birth. Saying positive and encouraging words to yourself is extremely helpful to counter the negativity that comes from others and within. On the other hand, if traditional birth affirmations aren’t your thing, I’ve got some funny birth affirmations for the third trimester. They make me giggle.
Wondering what contractions feel like? Wondering about the difference between braxton hicks and regular contractions? Want to know when to go to the hospital so you don’t have a car baby? LOL!
Learn about the signs of labor, how to navigate prodromal labor, mucus plug 101, everything about your water breaking and more with Mother Rising’s tips and advice for the third trimester of pregnancy.
Labor Induction
If your hospital bag for birth is packed, your lactation cookies have been baked, but labor hasn’t started, you may start to wonder about ways to induce labor on your own at home. Believe it or not, the average first time mom gives birth during her 41st week of pregnancy. That’s why its best to not get so fixated on a due date, but rather a due month.
Nevertheless, some parents try natural ways to induce labor at home, like caster oil and pineapple juice. (Psst – one of those works and one doesn’t. Any guesses as to which one works?)
It’s SO HARD to not know when or how labor will unfold. The unknown is so uncomfortable. One way parents try to understand (or predict!) what’s to come is to ask for a vaginal or cervical exam to know how dilated their cervix is. If your cervix is 0 cm, 3 cm, or 5 cm dilated, most parents are tempted to use that information to predict the future.
None of these statements are true! The thing is, vaginal exams don’t predict the future, they just show us what the body has already done.
Remember – your vagina is not a crystal ball!
If you found that to be amusing, yet helpful, check these out too:
Your Vagina is Not a Steel Pipe
Your Vagina is Not a Three Ring Circus
Latest Posts on the Third Trimester
Want more? Here are Mother Rising’s latest posts on the third trimester.
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