The third trimester is weeks 28 to 40. By now the fun announcements and the novelty of a growing bump have settled into something more physical: you are big, you are tired in a different way than the first trimester, and the end is close enough to be simultaneously exciting and terrifying.
Here is what the third trimester actually feels like for most women, and what to expect.
Physical Reality
Your centre of gravity has shifted forward. Your lower back is working harder than it ever has. Round ligament pain, a sharp or aching pain in the lower abdomen and groin as the ligaments supporting the uterus stretch, is very common and uncomfortable but not dangerous.
Shortness of breath happens because the uterus is now pressing upward against the diaphragm. Sleep becomes difficult not just because of discomfort but because of heartburn, leg cramps, frequent urination, and the general impossibility of finding a comfortable position with a large bump.
Braxton Hicks contractions, practice contractions where the uterus tightens and releases, become more noticeable in the third trimester. They are usually irregular, not painful, and stop when you change position or drink water. True labour contractions are regular, increase in frequency and intensity, and do not stop.
The Baby’s Position
From around 36 weeks, your midwife will check the baby’s position. Most babies settle head-down (cephalic) before this, but some are still breech (bottom or feet first). If your baby is breech at 36 weeks, you will be offered options including ECV (external cephalic version, a procedure to manually turn the baby), elective caesarean, or waiting to see if the baby turns spontaneously (some do, even late).
The Emotional Reality
Anxiety in late pregnancy is extremely common and very understandable. You are about to go through something physically intense and life-changing. Fear of labour pain, fear of something going wrong, fear of not knowing how to be a parent, all of it makes sense. Naming it helps. Talking to your midwife, your partner, or other women who have been through it helps. Trying to suppress it or thinking you should feel only joy does not.
Nesting instinct is also real. Many women experience a sudden and powerful drive to organise, clean, and prepare in the weeks before birth. This is fine; act on it if it is productive, and try not to let it become perfectionism that adds stress.
What to Prepare Before 37 Weeks
Write your birth preferences. Pack your hospital bag. Install the car seat. Stock the fridge. These are the practical items. But also: talk to your partner about what you need in the birth room, how you want to handle pain relief decisions, and how the first days at home will work. These conversations are much easier before the baby arrives than after.
Signs of Labour
The show (a plug of mucus tinged with blood), waters breaking, and regular contractions are the main signs of established labour. Not all of these happen in the same order or at the same time. Your hospital or midwifery team will have guidance on when to call them. Generally: if contractions are regular, around 5 minutes apart, lasting about 1 minute, and have been doing so for about 1 hour, it is time to call.
If you are at all concerned about your baby’s movements, call immediately. Movement checks are not something to wait on.
