Possible Physical Changes
Same as Months 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6. Itchy belly, increased breast tenderness and fetal activity, tingling, pain or numbness in hands, leg cramps.
Possible Emotional Changes
Decreasing moodiness and absentmindedness, growing interest in learning about pregnancy, childbirth and babies (your pregnancy books are becoming well-worn), increasing pride in swelling abdomen.
Possible Appetite Changes
Hearty appetite, queasiness.
Tests During Your 3rd Trimester
The Inside Story
Fetus is 13 inches long, the size of a kitten, weighs 1 3/4 pounds and is covered with thin, shiny skin. Finger and toe prints have formed, eyelids are parted. Fetus could survive outside the womb in an ICU, with high risk of complications.
Sleep/Stamina Irregularities
See Months 5 and 6. Disrupted sleep because of difficulty finding comfortable positions. Leg cramps can be a problem, try flexing the foot up to stretch out calves.
Rx for Stress
Read The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin, FT. (Harvard Common Press, 1989), talk with mothers about their experiences, sign up for childbirth classes. Ask your doctor for referrals.
Special Risks
See Month 6. Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), “incompetent cervix” (cervix has “silently” dilated and may require a suture to close and/or bed rest), early labor.
Symptoms That Say “Call Your Doctor”
See Month 6. Extreme swelling, incompetent cervix can cause spotting, often detected only during vaginal exam, steady, painful contractions may signal early labor.