Inside Your Body
As you enter your 3rd trimester, most of your baby’s organs and organ systems are not only formed, but are also functioning. Your baby is now no longer measured from crown to rump, he/she will be measured from head to toe from now on and is about 38cm tall and is over 1kg. His/her face is fully formed with eyelids opening and closing at intervals and eyes completely developed. His/her head is in proportion to the rest of the body and has fine hairs. Your baby’s brain is fully functional and all reflexes are in place. And guess what, your baby may be experiencing dreams! This is also the time when your baby is mature and responsive to external stimuli. For example, if you tap your belly, your baby will move its feet, which you feel as a little kick.His/her lungs are fully matured. If your baby is born now, he/she will cope with external surrounding with lesser breathing issues.
Your Signs And Symptoms
As your baby grows, unfortunately your symptoms will also grow: constipation, heartburn, backache, leg cramps, swelling in your feet and ankles, varicose veins, vaginal discharge, indigestion, abdominal pains, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, swelling breasts, and you may even experience leaks in your nipples called colostrum that can be embarrassing, so take care in what you wear. Frequent urination may also be back because your uterus is big and is pushing against your bladder.
What Tests To Expect
You are likely to start visiting your gynaecologist on a fortnightly basis until you get closer to your due date. As your visits to your doctor gets more frequent, you will become more and more familiar with the routine tests: blood pressure, urinalysis, weight gain, ultrasound, fundal height measurement for size of uterus, and swelling of your feet and hands. These tests are important and done frequently to ensure early detection of pre-eclampsia, diabetes, haemorrhoids, etc. Your doctor will also start monitoring the position of your baby.
