After 28 weeks of pregnancy, you’ve made it to the third trimester, or the home stretch as I like to call it. You’re probably feeling about ready to be done, but I wanted to assure you that this trimester has many things for you to look forward to. Now that you’re getting closer to your due date, you’ll be seeing your OB much more frequently to check on the health of you and your baby.

Perks:
 Baby moving more: Throughout this trimester, you’ll be feeling the baby move more regularly and getting more acquainted with the strong kicks and karate chops of your baby. Sometimes if you tap on your belly, the baby might kick or poke back in the same spot, which is really neat. This is a fun time for you to help your partner and family members to feel the baby’s kicks as well.

 Getting ready for baby: The third trimester may also be the time when you start baby-proofing your house, setting up a nursery, and enjoying your baby shower with friends and family. Baby showers can be really fun so if you have any creative ideas that you’d like to share, send them in and I’ll pass them along.

 Packing your hospital bag: During this time you might also start to think about packing your hospital bag so everything is all ready for when you go into labor.

 You should make sure to pack whatever will help you relax. Whether than be your own pillow, your favorite magazine, anything to help keep stress levels down and pass the time so you aren’t focusing too much on the early stages of labor.

 Labor can be long so you also might want lip balm in case you get chapped.

 You’ll also want to make sure to pack for your baby, and this can be the fun part. You’ve been waiting nine months for the baby to be here and soon he or she finally will be. You will definitely want to bring a receiving blanket, even though the hospital may have their own, it might make you more comfortable to bring your own to swaddle the baby. You’ll also want to bring comfortable, easy-to-put- on going home outfits, not only for youbut your baby too. And it’ll be cold outside the womb, so you’ll want to make sure you bring socks, booties, and even a sweater.

 You might also want to pack some snacks for your partner and for you. Labor-friendly suggestions are sugarless candies or lollipops to keep your mouth moist during all that breathing. Any healthy picks to fuel your partner like trail mix, dried fruits and nuts, especially because they have no smell which is awesome. Before you know it, your baby will be here, so make sure to enjoy those last strong kicks throughout your third trimester.

Pains:
 Swelling/Increased size: By now you’re probably familiar with different aches and pains, having swollen feet, and having to go pee constantly. You may feel huge and are having trouble putting on clothes. You probably have stretch marks and are having trouble sleeping but soon enough you’ll be giving birth to your beautiful baby. We’d love to hear your pregnancy stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, so please send them in and we’ll
share them with other moms-to-be.

Thanks so much for joining us on Health in Heels today! I hope this video was useful. For more information about the health and services we offer, go to OceanOasisDaySpa.com and until next time, this is Dr. Lisa reminding you to be well and be fabulous!