The home stretch! The third trimester brings the heaviest weeks of pregnancy and the most exciting — every day brings you closer to meeting your baby. Here is how to navigate weeks 28 to 40 with confidence.
Your Baby’s Final Preparations
From week 28, your baby mainly gains weight and matures the lungs — the last organs to be ready. By week 32, most babies turn head-down. By week 36, they “drop” lower into the pelvis (you will suddenly breathe easier but visit the bathroom even more). At 39 weeks your baby is officially full term, with an average Indian birth weight between 2.8 and 3.2 kg.
Common Third Trimester Discomforts
Backache, heartburn, swollen feet, breathlessness and disturbed sleep are near-universal. Practical relief: sleep on your left with a pillow between the knees and one under the bump; eat small meals and avoid lying down right after eating; raise your feet whenever sitting; and keep up gentle walks — motion is lotion for an aching back. Braxton Hicks “practice” contractions are irregular and fade with rest; real labour contractions get stronger, longer and closer together.
Count the Kicks
From week 28, track movements daily — ten movements within two hours during baby’s active time is a common benchmark. Reduced movement is the one symptom you should never wait on: go to the hospital the same day. It is always better to be checked than to worry at home.
Get Birth-Ready
Pack the hospital bag by week 36: documents and scans, comfortable clothes, maternity pads, baby clothes in two sizes, a going-home outfit, and snacks for your birth partner. Install the car seat if you have one. Discuss your birth preferences with your doctor — pain relief, who cuts the cord, immediate skin-to-skin. Finalise the practical things: hospital route, who watches older kids, and who calls whom.
Signs Labour Has Begun
Head to the hospital for regular contractions five minutes apart for an hour, your water breaking (even a slow trickle), or any bleeding. First labours usually give you plenty of time — breathe, smile, and go meet your baby.
