The final phase

Your spouse has now entered the third trimester of her pregnancy. These final months are likely to be physically and emotionally stressful for her. By now, the baby will have grown to a size that will make it difficult for her to move about, or even relax comfortably.

These are some of the symptoms that she will experience over the next couple of months:

• Her weight may now be almost 30 pounds more than what it was before pregnancy.
  
  


• Breathlessness will occur as the growing baby reduces the room inside her chest for her lungs to expand freely.
  
  


• Heartburn may develop as the expanding uterus pushes against the stomach.
  
  


• Her breasts will grow even bigger and start oozing colostrum, the yellowish milky fluid that will form your baby’s food for the first few days following birth.
  
  


• The growing baby will exert pressure on the back leading to backache.
  
  


• Swellings, especially on the legs and feet, will be common.
  
  


• Dilated blood vessels may cause puffiness on the face.
  
  


• Stretch marks caused by the skin stretching to accommodate the growing abdomen may cause itching and rashes.
  
  


• Spider veins and hemorrhoids will be another common because of the increased blood flow in her body.
  
  


• The increasing pressure on the bladder may cause small amounts of urine to leak involuntarily.
  
  


• With the delivery date approaching, your spouse may experience frequent mood changes ranging from anxiety to exhilaration.