My Third Trimester Must Haves
Okay we have made it to the third trimester and in the final stretch! Third trimester for me means I feel massive, more and more uncomfortable as the trimester pushes on, my back aches, my feet start to swell and I begin to worry about labour. During my third trimester I still rely on on my second trimester must haves like my exercise ball, prenatal yoga, heating pad and pregnancy pillow!
In the third trimester I start drinking red raspberry leaf tea at first in small quantities and only increasing the volume closer to babies due date. This was recommended to me by health care professionals as a way to get the uterus ready for labour and you should follow the directions of your health care team when consuming any supplements during pregnancy. Similarly evening primrose oil can be added in late in the third trimester to help prepare the cervix for birth. But always check with your health care team if they recommend adding this into your routine. In late third trimester I also started eating dates and pineapple which may or may not help your body get ready for birth but they are tasty so I decided why not!
Back pain and swelling of the feet are other common symptoms of third trimester. In the beginning of third trimester I started wearing running shoes everywhere to help keep my feet supported and comfortable. Compressions socks can also really help keep swelling down in your feet and legs during third trimester especially if your work has you up on your feet all day. I found wearing supportive house slippers during third trimester very helpful for both my feet and helps with back pain as well. If your feet do get to the point of being quite swollen grabbing a size up of slide sandals is super helpful and I also brought mine to the hospital. I am so glad that I did since all the IV fluids made my feet and legs super swollen for a couple days postpartum. As far as back pain goes you can try a pregnancy support belt to relieve some of the weight and pressure thats put on your back from your growing bump. If your bump is feeling really heavy belly support tape can help hold up and support you in those final months.
Third Trimester Must Haves:
pineapple