Third Trimester

By the third trimester you will feel like you have been pregnant for a long time and will be getting impatient. You concentration might also go out the window and you may find it hard to get things done.

During this trimester your body will expand rapidly. It is during this time that your baby puts on most of his or her weight and you will feel breathless and tired as your womb expands and presses against your diaphragm to accommodate your baby.

Gentle exercise such as walking or swimming can help and is perfectly safe to do. Do not overdo it or tackle difficult jobs such as heavy lifting, especially if you are on your own.


You may feel your abdomen tighten for about 30 seconds several times a day during this trimester. These are Braxton-Hicks contractions and mean that your womb is practising for labour. They don’t mean you are in or about to go into labour. Real labour contractions are very different; they are regular, usually more powerful and painful and do not go away.

You may suffer swelling of your fingers, hands and ankles towards the end of your pregnancy. You may want to remove your rings until after your baby is born.