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Third Trimester: Getting Ready for Birth

Common discomforts, baby movement counting and practical preparations for the final weeks.

Before you use this guide: This is general educational information, not an individual medical assessment. We do not identify a clinician reviewer on this page, so please confirm personal health decisions with your doctor, midwife or paediatrician.

The third trimester runs from about week 28 until birth. Your baby gains weight quickly, and you may feel more tired and uncomfortable as your due date approaches. It is also the time to prepare for labour and for life with a newborn.

How your baby grows

• Your baby gains fat, and the lungs, brain and other organs keep maturing. By 28 weeks, a baby weighs roughly 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz).
• Movements change as space gets tight. You may feel fewer big rolls and more kicks, jabs and stretches, but the overall pattern should stay regular.
• By around week 36, most babies settle head-down in the pelvis. If your baby is breech (bottom or feet first), your team will talk about options.
• By full term at 37 to 40 weeks, an average baby weighs around 3 to 3.5 kg (6.5 to 7.5 lb), though healthy babies vary a lot.

Common discomforts

• Shortness of breath and heartburn as your baby grows. Eat small meals and sleep propped up.
• Needing to pass urine often, and leaking a little when you cough or sneeze
• Braxton Hicks contractions, which are irregular and usually painless. See how they differ from real contractions.
• Trouble sleeping, leg cramps and restless legs
• Swollen ankles and feet. Rest with your feet up, and keep drinking water.
• Backache and pelvic pain. A support belt, warm packs, gentle stretches and a physiotherapist referral can help.
• Piles (haemorrhoids) and constipation. Eat fibre and drink plenty of fluids.
• Feeling clumsy, forgetful or emotional

Know your baby's movements

Get to know your baby's usual pattern of movement. There is no set number of kicks you should feel, but you should notice a regular pattern from about 28 weeks. Babies do not slow down towards the end of pregnancy. If you notice that movements have reduced, changed or stopped, contact your midwife or hospital straight away, at any time of day or night. Do not wait until the next day, and do not use a home Doppler for reassurance. See our guide to baby movements.

Appointments in the last weeks

• Visits are usually more frequent: about every two weeks from around 28 to 36 weeks, then weekly in many places
• Blood pressure and urine checks, which look for signs of pre-eclampsia. See our pre-eclampsia guide.
• Measuring your bump, and checking your baby's position at around 36 weeks
• A swab for group B streptococcus at around 36 to 37 weeks in some countries, such as the US
• A conversation about your birth plan, pain relief and feeding. See how to write a birth plan.
• Recommended vaccines, such as whooping cough, flu and RSV, if offered where you live

Getting ready for birth

• Pack your hospital bag by about week 36 and keep your notes handy. See our hospital bag checklist.
• Install the car seat and practise fitting it. See our car seat safety guide.
• Plan your route to the hospital, a backup plan, and who will look after other children or pets
• Attend antenatal classes if they are available, and learn about the stages of labour and pain relief options
• Talk with your birth partner about how they can help. See our birth partner guide.
• Stock up on essentials for the baby, and prepare some meals for the freezer
• Choose a paediatrician or find out who will see your baby

Know the signs of labour

Learn the early signs, such as regular contractions that get stronger, a show, or your waters breaking, and when to call your maternity unit. Our guide to labour signs and when to go explains what to do. If you think you may be in labour before 37 weeks, call straight away.

If your baby is overdue

Many first babies arrive after the due date. Your team will usually offer monitoring and discuss induction if you pass 41 weeks or so. See our guide to induction of labour.

Looking after your wellbeing

• Rest when you can, and keep gently active with walking or swimming
• Sleep on your side, with pillows between your knees and under your bump
• Talk about your feelings. It is normal to feel anxious about birth and parenthood. See our guide to mental health in pregnancy.
• Accept help, and plan for support after the birth

Call your doctor or maternity unit if you have

• Reduced or changed baby movements
• Vaginal bleeding, or fluid leaking from the vagina
• Regular painful contractions before 37 weeks
• A severe headache, blurred vision, flashing lights, sudden swelling or pain under the ribs
• Severe itching, especially on the palms and soles
• Constant, severe belly pain, or a fever of 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher

In an emergency, call 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK and Ireland, or 000 in Australia. See our guide to pregnancy warning signs.

Where to check current advice

Schedules and screening differ between countries, so follow your own provider's plan and check the latest advice from the NHS in the UK, the HSE in Ireland, ACOG in the US, the SOGC in Canada and RANZCOG in Australia.

This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.