As you go through the third trimester, the movements become more definite and more detectable. You are able to detect a kick from a punch as well as feel your baby flip and roll. As the baby gets bigger you start to guess what it is you see moving along your belly. Is it an elbow? Is it your babies foot?

Eventually the baby gets too big to do the flips and rolls, so he tried to stretch and play in other ways. He may start head butting you in your bladder, making you have to visit the bathroom constantly and find that nothing is coming out. He may stick out his elbow, poking you in the side as to say, “Mommy, I am here!”

If he is head down you might feel him stretching into your ribs, using his feet to push against your bones and muscles. You might feel pressure at the top of your uterus from the baby pushing on the inside. If you put your hand and push back you may feel a little ball. It makes you have to ask, is that his knee or his heel? You can start playing a game with your baby because he will probably move this body part to another position in your belly, which you can follow him and gently push back. You will be telling your baby, “I know you are there, I am here too.”

The movements of your baby are definitely the best part of pregnancy and as they get stronger in the third trimester, they make up for all the aches and pains you may have had in the first trimester from the morning sickness and fatigue you probably felt. The movements are normally the first thing a woman says that she MISSES about being pregnant, if not the only thing.

But why does it happen? Your uterus is not that big to begin with. Once the egg implants in the uterus, the uterus starts to grow and to expand in order to make room for that egg that is going to be multiplying in size rapidly to grow for the next few months. As the uterus grows it pushes down on the bladder causing the frequent urges to pee. This can be made even more frequent if you increase your water and fluid intake once you find out you are pregnant, as is recommended by your provider.

Once you get into the second trimester, the early growth of the baby and uterus slow down some, and your bladder and body readjust to the lack of as much room, the urge to go to the bathroom will probably slow down. You will feel more like your old self. But be prepared, it is only temporary.

By the time the third trimester starts, your baby’s organs and limbs are all formed. All that is left for your baby now is to get stronger and grow bigger so that they can survive outside of the womb. Most of the weight your baby will gain will be gained during the third trimester. Because of this your uterus begins to grow quickly again, putting more pressure on your bladder. The weight of the baby also puts more pressure on your bladder, causing it to scream out to you more often.

Probably one of the most frustrating parts of this is the urge to pee, without being able to go. During the third trimester you may often feel like you have to go NOW, and if you don’t get to a bathroom, that you will not be able to hold it. However, once you get to the toilet you sit there and as hard as you try, nothing comes. When something finally does come, it is just a little trickle, making you wonder why you had to race to the bathroom. After all, it has only been 10 minutes since you went the last time.

You may also find that you are waking up more often during the night again to pee, making an already uncomfortable and broken night of sleep, that much more impossible. Thankfully, pregnancy only lasts 9 months, so there is an end in site. Eventually you will be back to your old self, not visiting the bathrooms as much, and only waking because the baby is crying next to you.

The placenta is created during the first trimester but is not fully functional until the second trimester when it takes over all the nutrient production and waste management for the baby. The placenta is both genetically and biologically composed of two equal parts from the fetus and the mother. It is connected to the uterine wall and connected to the baby through the umbilical cord. It receives nutrients and oxygen and filters out any waste from the mother’s blood before delivering the blood to the baby via the umbilical cord.

Until the placenta takes over, a woman naturally produces progesterone to keep the baby viable. As soon as the placenta takes over it starts creating its own progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. After delivery of the placenta the cord is clamped near the baby and cut off permanently disconnecting the baby from the placenta. The entrance of the umbilical cord into the baby’s body later becomes the baby’s belly button.

Some cultures practice placentophagy which is the eating of the placenta. Those who do this believe that eating the placenta helps prevent postpartum depression and other complications. However, modern doctors and midwives do not believe that eating the placenta will actually help reduce the occurrence of postpartum depression.

In some pregnancies, placenta previa can occur. Placenta previa is a condition where the placenta covers at least part of the cervix, which is the opening that the baby will come through when born vaginally. This happens in about one of every 200 pregnancies. There are 3 types of placenta previa.

• Complete
  Complete placenta previa is the placenta covering the entire cervix. This can cause bleeding throughout the pregnancy, growth retardation and congenital defects in baby. It will also mean that a woman will need a c-section when it comes time to deliver her baby.
   
• Partial
  Partial placenta previa is a partial covering of cervix is covered. This can be anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 of the cervix. This can also cause bleeding and may lead to a c-section.
   
• Marginal
  Marginal placenta previa occurs when just a small portion, or just the edge of the cervix, is covered. In this case, as the pregnancy progresses, the placenta will generally move up and out of the way, allowing a clear passage for the baby to be born vaginally.

If you experience bleeding during your pregnancy, you should talk to your doctor and rule out the possibility of any bleeding being caused by placenta previa.

The fundal height is the measurement from the top of your pubic bone to the top of your fundus. Your doctor or midwife will normally start measuring this during your second trimester, possibly around the 20 week mark, or when you start showing if it is later in pregnancy.

The fundal height is used to assess your baby’s health while in the womb. Your fundal height should be equal to the number of weeks you have progresses in your pregnancy. So if you are 30 weeks pregnant, your fundal height should measure around 30 centimeters. A couple of centimeters in either direction normally isn’t much of a worry. However, if you are measuring quite a bit different it could be a sign of a problem.

If you are measuring bigger than normal, it could be a sign of a baby that is also bigger than normal, or a sign that you are having twins if it was not previously discovered. If you are measuring smaller than normal, it could be a sign that your baby is not growing properly, or has perhaps stopped growing. If either of these is the case your doctor or midwife will most likely order an ultrasound to further check the health and development of your unborn baby.

As you reach the end of your pregnancy, the fundal height can become less accurate. As your baby grows and fills out your uterus, his position can change and the measurement of your fundal height can change as well. If your doctor or midwife shows no concern over your fundal height, it isn’t something that should concern you either.

There is no set rule as to when you will first feel your baby move. The first movements that a woman can feel are generally referred to as fluttering. Some women say it feels like butterflies in their stomach. Others say it feels like gas. In reality it can be hard to tell if this fluttering is in fact your baby moving.

Some women claim that they can feel this fluttering as early as 12 weeks. Other women don’t feel anything until 20 weeks or even later. There are many reasons for this wide timespan.

Women who are very thin, or have had previous pregnancies, often start to feel their baby earlier than women in their first pregnancy. If a woman is overweight, the extra pounds around her belly could shield some of the movements as well.

Another thing to consider is the position of the placenta. If the placenta is positioned in the front of her uterus, it functions as a pad as the baby kicks. It will take longer for the mother to feel her baby kick. The baby will have to get bigger and stronger in order for his movements to penetrate through the placenta.

If you haven’t felt your baby move, do not worry. As long as your doctor says all is fine at your appointments, and you hear the heartbeat, you know all is ok. By the time you get to the third trimester the baby will be moving, kicking, tossing and turning so much that it may sometimes be painful, and you will be asking him to settle down and go to sleep!

As your breasts get bigger, your nipples naturally get bigger as well. The darkening of the nipples is caused by a temporary increase of melanin, the natural pigment that your body produces that gives your hair, skin and eyes their color. For most women, within a few months of having their baby, the nipples will return to their normal color and size. If a woman is breastfeeding, the nipples may not return to their normal size until after she weans her baby.

Another change in the nipples that a woman may discover once she gets pregnant are the Montgomery’s tubercles (glands or little bumps surrounding the nipples) getting bigger, elevating and becoming more prominent. Not all women experience this, and some may not experience it till the second or third trimester.

If you do not believe you are pregnant, there are other things that can cause these changes in your nipples. Weight gain can cause your breasts to enlarge, therefore causing your nipples to enlarge. If you like to tan, your nipples may become darker. A hormone imbalance may cause your nipples to get darker, or left over melanin from a previous pregnancy may cause this darkening. If you are not sure what is going on with your body, be sure to ask your doctor.

Why is being so tired so common in the first trimester? When a woman first gets pregnant, and the egg implants in the uterus, the body starts working twice as hard. The egg is multiplying in size daily, the uterus is growing, the breasts are growing, and the body is left feeling tired and worn out. Because pregnancy is a huge change for a woman’s body, feeling tired is expected.

During the second trimester however a woman generally gets a break. At this point, the baby’s organs and limbs are formed, and the heart is beating, so the body doesn’t have to work quite as hard to sustain the pregnancy. A woman gets her energy back and doesn’t feel as tired anymore. It is definitely a stage of pregnancy a woman should enjoy.

With the third trimester in full force, a woman starts to feel tired again. By this point the baby is just growing and the uterus starts growing more rapidly, putting a lot of strain on the woman’s body. Normal everyday activities can leave a woman feeling tired, as well as the extra last minute preparations and shopping she will be doing as the baby gets closer to its due date. She will find that she is back to taking naps daily, or at least wanting to take naps daily, as well as going to bed earlier, and sleeping in later.

It gets worse! If you think you are tired now, just wait until after the baby arrives! Try to rest as much as you can before the baby is born, because sleep may become a distant memory for the first few months of a baby’s life.

If you feel extremely tired and do not believe you are pregnant, there are other reasons why you may feel fatigued. Stress and depression can cause a woman to feel like she wants to sleep all the time. Physical exhaustion can also be a cause. If you are sick, or are getting a cold, you might find that you are more tired as well. If you are unsure, contact your doctor.

Lower backaches in the first trimester often happen when the egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, and your uterus starts growing in order to support the new pregnancy. The extra pressure can cause the muscles in your lower back to ache. Throughout the second trimester this pain may increase as your belly, while low, starts to get bigger.

By the third trimester, the backache may include your upper back, or may only be in your upper back. By the time you come to the end of your pregnancy, your breasts have grown and weigh approximately 5 pounds more than they did before you got pregnant. Your upper back muscles are working twice as hard to support the extra weight.

If you are in the last days of your pregnancy and suddenly begin experiencing lower back pain, it could be a sign of early labor. Many women have back labor, where the contractions are felt mainly in their backs, rather than the abdomen, causing pain and discomfort. If the contractions radiate from the back to the front, they are most likely true labor contractions. Braxton Hicks contractions generally stay in just the front of a woman’s belly.

Headaches can happen throughout pregnancy, although many women are never affected by them. When a woman gets pregnant, her blood volume increases in order to help sustain the pregnancy. This extra blood can increase pressure in the head and cause headaches. Some women, who have never had a bad headache before, begin experiencing migraines once they get pregnant. If you start getting bad headaches, be sure to check with your doctor to find out what medications are safe to take while you are pregnant.

By the end of pregnancy, a woman might find that her headaches are becoming more frequent. Some women will begin to get them every day, which can complicate other late pregnancy complaints like not being able to sleep.

If you just think you might be pregnant, there are other reasons why you may be experiencing backaches and headaches. If your period is coming, if you are stressed, if you have another back problem, or if you pull a muscle you may find that your back aches more than normal. Impending menstruation, stress, eye strain and dehydration can also cause headaches. When in doubt, always call your doctor.