Physical Changes and Discomforts to Expect During Pregnancy - Nausea, Third Trimester
The final trimester-week 28 and onward.
The end is in sight.
But some real challenges still lie ahead for most pregnant women.
The first trimester can be difficult for the many women who suffer from morning sickness, but the second three months of pregnancy are a wonderful time for many expectant mothers.
Nausea and vomiting usually dissipate for these months, and the changes and growth they start to feel taking place within are exciting and enjoyable for most pregnant women in their second trimester.
But this joy and contentment start to give way to a variety of new physical and emotional discomforts-along with a few return ones, like nausea and vomiting, for quite a few women-during the third trimester.
The size of the growing baby places increasing strain on all parts of the body.
Backaches are common, along with other kinds of joint problems, as hormones cue the pelvic joints to start loosening in preparation for delivery.
Woman can develop shortness of breath as the fetus and uterus take up more of the space in the abdominal cavity, crowding even the lungs.
By the 29th week of pregnancy, the volume of blood in the mother's body has doubled, which can lead to the development of varicose veins and hemorrhoids as well as cosmetically displeasing spider veins on the face, neck and hands.
Stretch marks are uncomfortable.
The breasts should be significantly enlarged, which many woman find uncomfortable, and may even start leaking.
Bladder leakage can also occur; some women need to urinate as often as every 10 minutes due to the uterus's pressure on the bladder.
All of these discomforts contribute to a rising level of fatigue.
Many women felt a boost of energy during the second trimester, which is part of what can make that part of pregnancy so pleasurable.
But as the fetus continues to grow, it is an ever-heavier load to carry that can be exhausting for even extremely fit women.
To make matters worse, the baby's size makes rest and sleep difficult-not only is it difficult to find a comfortable position in bed, lying down can contribute to heartburn and nausea.
Many women find they have to get up and go to the bathroom several times each night.
The recurrence of nausea at this stage is particularly disconcerting for many women.
Morning sickness is so strongly associated with the early signs of pregnancy that many women are not aware that it can continue throughout pregnancy or make a return appearance in the final weeks.
In early pregnancy, hormones are most often considered responsible for nausea and vomiting.
But in the third trimester, there may be more pressing physical causes.
As the baby grows, the expanding uterus pushes on and into the stomach.
Stomach acid and other contents can be forced upwards, resulting in heartburn and/or nausea.
For women whose gastric systems are generally susceptible to nausea when they are not pregnant, fatigue can also be an important contributing factor in late pregnancy nausea.
Fatigue, backaches, varicose veins-all these are par for the course in late pregnancy and don't require medical attention.
But though nausea and vomiting are not all that rare in the third trimester, women are nonetheless strongly advised to inform their doctors if these particular symptoms do arise.
If they are severe, they could lead to dehydration and a shortage of the nutrients that are particularly important for fetal development at this time.
Late term nausea and vomiting are also associated with a handful of unusual but serious complications that should be assessed by a medical expert whenever these symptoms arise.
The end is in sight.
But some real challenges still lie ahead for most pregnant women.
The first trimester can be difficult for the many women who suffer from morning sickness, but the second three months of pregnancy are a wonderful time for many expectant mothers.
Nausea and vomiting usually dissipate for these months, and the changes and growth they start to feel taking place within are exciting and enjoyable for most pregnant women in their second trimester.
But this joy and contentment start to give way to a variety of new physical and emotional discomforts-along with a few return ones, like nausea and vomiting, for quite a few women-during the third trimester.
The size of the growing baby places increasing strain on all parts of the body.
Backaches are common, along with other kinds of joint problems, as hormones cue the pelvic joints to start loosening in preparation for delivery.
Woman can develop shortness of breath as the fetus and uterus take up more of the space in the abdominal cavity, crowding even the lungs.
By the 29th week of pregnancy, the volume of blood in the mother's body has doubled, which can lead to the development of varicose veins and hemorrhoids as well as cosmetically displeasing spider veins on the face, neck and hands.
Stretch marks are uncomfortable.
The breasts should be significantly enlarged, which many woman find uncomfortable, and may even start leaking.
Bladder leakage can also occur; some women need to urinate as often as every 10 minutes due to the uterus's pressure on the bladder.
All of these discomforts contribute to a rising level of fatigue.
Many women felt a boost of energy during the second trimester, which is part of what can make that part of pregnancy so pleasurable.
But as the fetus continues to grow, it is an ever-heavier load to carry that can be exhausting for even extremely fit women.
To make matters worse, the baby's size makes rest and sleep difficult-not only is it difficult to find a comfortable position in bed, lying down can contribute to heartburn and nausea.
Many women find they have to get up and go to the bathroom several times each night.
The recurrence of nausea at this stage is particularly disconcerting for many women.
Morning sickness is so strongly associated with the early signs of pregnancy that many women are not aware that it can continue throughout pregnancy or make a return appearance in the final weeks.
In early pregnancy, hormones are most often considered responsible for nausea and vomiting.
But in the third trimester, there may be more pressing physical causes.
As the baby grows, the expanding uterus pushes on and into the stomach.
Stomach acid and other contents can be forced upwards, resulting in heartburn and/or nausea.
For women whose gastric systems are generally susceptible to nausea when they are not pregnant, fatigue can also be an important contributing factor in late pregnancy nausea.
Fatigue, backaches, varicose veins-all these are par for the course in late pregnancy and don't require medical attention.
But though nausea and vomiting are not all that rare in the third trimester, women are nonetheless strongly advised to inform their doctors if these particular symptoms do arise.
If they are severe, they could lead to dehydration and a shortage of the nutrients that are particularly important for fetal development at this time.
Late term nausea and vomiting are also associated with a handful of unusual but serious complications that should be assessed by a medical expert whenever these symptoms arise.
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