Things to Prepare in the Third Trimester

Yay—you’re at the last stage of pregnancy and your due date is fast approaching! Feels like a blink of an eye, doesn’t it? We totally know how that feels! What felt so long and far a few months ago now almost feels like it’s coming at you at the speed of light. Fret not, if you need to make a quick check of what else should you prepare at this point, this blog is written for you! But let’s see what should we do for the first 2 trimester first!

First Trimester

The first trimester is the earliest stage of your pregnancy. And did you know that it starts way before you’re pregnant? The first trimester actually begins on the first day of your last period, and it lasts until the end of the 13th week of pregnancy. Now let’s look at some of the earliest signs you can get prepared for:

Tender Breasts

Sore and swollen breasts are one of the first pregnancy symptoms you’ll experience. As your body starts getting your milk ducts ready to produce breast milk for your baby, this breast discomfort is caused by hormonal changes. Generally, the soreness will reduce after a few weeks, but for some women, it may continue throughout the first trimester.

How to Feel Better:

If you wear underwire bras, it’s time to replace them with more comfortable wireless bras. Also, you should avoid wearing bras that are too tight. If needed, you can consider getting a bigger bra size too for further comfort.

Frequent Urination

Not exactly the most convenient pregnancy symptom to have, especially when you have a tight daily schedule, but yes, you are likely to make more bathroom trips. This is resulted from your uterus growing and adding pressure on your bladder. Furthermore, as your blood flow increases to support your growing baby, it also causes your kidneys to process additional fluid that is transferred to your bladder.

How to Feel Better:

Looking for ways to stop going to the bathroom so often is not the healthy solution here. As inconvenient as it may sound, this is a normal biological process that your body has to go through to support your well-being and the healthy growth of your baby. So stay hydrated, and head to the bathroom as soon as you can when nature calls.

Second Trimester

Your second trimester of pregnancy happens around the 14th to 27th week, and many mothers-to-be see it as the most enjoyable stage of pregnancy – your body has starting to get used to the discomforts in the first trimester, and your baby is not big and heavy enough to make you feel too uncomfortable yet. Even though you may be feeling better now, major changes are still happening in your body, and here are some of the symptoms that come with it.

Backache and Leg Cramps

As your baby continues to grow bigger, the extra weight you gain will start to add pressure on your back. Along with it, you might start experiencing leg cramps more frequently at night. Leg cramps during pregnancy may be caused by your expanding uterus pressing on certain veins and nerves in your legs. They might be also due to dehydration, or lack of certain nutrients like calcium and magnesium.

How to Feel Better:

If your work requires you to sit down for long hours, make sure your chair provides good back support, and avoid carrying anything heavy. Wearing comfortable flats can help provide better support for your back when you walk too. On the other hand, staying hydrated and doing daily stretching helps with leg cramps. You can also consider getting prenatal massage or pregnancy massage to help ease backaches, leg cramps and water retention around your body.

Stuffy Nose and Nosebleeds

Changes in hormone levels in your body during pregnancy may cause the mucus membrane in your nose to swell, leading to stuffiness and snoring at night. This nasal discomfort may also cause nosebleeds. When a nosebleed happens, don’t tilt your head back, keep it up straight, and apply slight pressure to the nostrils for a few minutes until it stops bleeding.

How to Feel Better:

Keep the air moist in the room by using an air humidifier. Before using any topical treatments like saline drops or decongestant, it’s better to check with your doctor on whether they are safe for your pregnancy.

Third Trimester

Hang in there! You’ve now reached the last stretch of your pregnancy, which starts from the 28th week to childbirth. This last trimester of your pregnancy can be especially challenging, both physically and emotionally, but it will all be worth it once you finally meet your baby! Meanwhile, here are some of the symptoms you can expect:

Braxton Hicks Contractions

As you get closer to your EDD, you’ll feel more frequent mild contractions around your abdomen. This symptom is called the braxton hicks contractions, and it’s a normal sign of your uterus preparing for labour. If you find the contractions getting too frequent or even painful, consult your doctor immediately.

How to Feel Better:

When the contraction happens, switching your position or the activity you’re doing may help. For instance, take a small walk if you’ve been sitting for long hours. Also, staying hydrated may help to ease the contraction, so remember to drink enough water throughout the day!

Heartburn

To make space for your growing baby, your uterus will expand outwards and upwards as the week goes. Two types of hormones called progesterone and relaxin will signal your body muscles to loosen. Eventually, loosened muscles at the top of your stomach might cause stomach acid to flow to your throat, causing heartburn and reflux.

How to Feel Better:

Having certain foods is likely to aggravate heartburn during pregnancy. Generally, you should avoid acidic and spicy foods, as they tend to create more stomach acid compared to other foods. Moreover, having fried or fatty foods can also slow down your digestion and increase likelihood of pregnancy heartburn. Having smaller and more frequent meals may help to prevent heartburn too.
Pregnancy is a beautiful journey in life where you can learn not only how to take care of yourself, but also learn how to do something for your baby and how to handle every situation that comes along your way.

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag

This is an important element of your hospital stay – you’re not leaving and coming home without this! Everything that you may need before, during, and after labour will be packed in this, so it is best to stay prepared and make a list of the necessities. The earlier you start, the better.
First, make different lists for yourself and your soon-to-arrive newborn. As the early stage of labour can take very long hours, your spouse may want to come up with their own list as well so they can feed themselves or keep themselves busy while keeping you company.
Among the items you’d want to make sure you’ll have in the bag are the important documents, charges for your devices, maternity pads, toiletries, and breastfeeding-friendly clothes. For a more detailed list, check out our Ultimate Hospital Bag Checklist & More Before Your EDD!

Planning for the Arrival of Your Baby

Somehow, time seems to fly and you’re already halfway through your third trimester. Or is it? Either way, you’re definitely closer to the end and it’s best that you know exactly what’s coming your way. Preparations are always made in such a way to ensure that you and your baby have everything that they need for the most comfortable and safe journey. However, like any normal human being, pregnancy poses a challenge for even the best planner.

Don’t panic and sort everything out one by one. You can start by listing down everything on your hands and discussing it with your partner. At this point, some things you wouldn’t want to miss out on are matters like your newborn’s nursery, bedding, and clothes, legal matters, and preparations for yourself as a to-be breastfeeding mom.

Tips for Caring for Yourself and Your Baby After Birth

After birth, both self-care and newborn care are equally important. You’ll be in the crucial stage of postnatal recovery and your newborn is in their first few days and weeks after birth. This is why the confinement period, which usually lasts for approximately a month after birth, is known as the golden period. During this time, rest is important for you to ensure smooth postpartum recovery. You would also have to stabilise breast milk so that your infant is well-fed at all times.

If you are a first-time parent with no experienced family members around, it’s worth looking into a confinement nanny agency such as PEM to find out what kind of services would you need at this stage. What can a confinement nanny do for you?

At PEM confinement nanny agency, for example, our nannies are professionally trained to prepare daily confinement meals, herbal tonics and red dates, and confinement baths for mothers. Their duties revolve around both mom and baby, so they would also help with newborn care duties such as bathing, burping, and taking over the nighttime feeding. Our confinement nanny will also guide a mother on breastfeeding and support her extensively, including sharing tips on how to relieve engorgement.

Breastfeeding Tips and Tricks

Do you plan on breastfeeding? If you do, you’d have to equip yourself with nursing skills and knowledge so you’ll at least know what to expect when the time comes. You can join any local breastfeeding support group where mothers often share tips and tricks that work for them. Different things work for different people, so don’t get discouraged when the first few things don’t work for you. Keep trying and you’ll soon find your solution!

In Singapore, the common help breastfeeding mothers would go for are confinement nanny, lactation massage therapist, and lactation consultant. Depending on your preference, you can approach any of these services to make breastfeeding better and easier for yourself.

Finances and Insurance for New Parents in Singapore

The first few months of your child’s life can be pretty expensive. On top of the new insurance and other legal matters, this is the time when you’ll know which sizes of clothes fit your baby, and which bottle and formula milk would be accepted by them. It can take several tries of different brands and if you child completely rejects one thing after another, there will likely be minor wastage here and there.

The good news is, Singapore offers various financial aid for parents to help reduce your burden as you plan to welcome your new family member. For instance, you can check out the Child Development Account (CDA) under the Baby Bonus Scheme. For any amount you put into your child’s account, the government will match every single dollar and add to it! There are also different aids available for single parents to make sure that raising a child can be less financially taxing for them.

Keeping Postpartum Depression at Bay

Did you know that the effects of postpartum depression could last for years after you give birth? It can affect not only yourself but also the people around you including your growing child. If left untreated, your child can potentially end up growing in a broken household. This is why it’s especially crucial to draw the link when things get overwhelming and get help as soon as possible when you feel that you are getting consumed by it. Whether it’s the first child or the second, postpartum depression remains a big problem and should be taken seriously.
According to research, 25% of women get postpartum depression after the first birth. Most women have mild to moderate depression after giving birth. Some, unfortunately, have severe postpartum depression. To know what to expect, ask for a postpartum depression test. Ask your doctor to check for PPD if you’ve ever had anxiety or depression in the past.

It is normal to cry at night and get teary when things aren’t going your way. But if you are crying for no apparent reason, please seek professional help right away. Having a support system can go a long way too.

Conclusion

Hopefully this could help you prepare for labour, delivery, and the postpartum period. With so much to do, the third trimester can seem overwhelming for a lot of us! When uncertain what to do, make sure to ask for help or advice from those are skilled and experienced in postpartum and newborn care. Having a confinement nanny Singapore mothers would usually have as companions would be especially helpful as well.

If you are looking for trusted support to guide you into motherhood, PEM confinement nannies Singapore service is here for you. Our Singapore confinement lady is well-trained to support you with confinement care and newborn care during the day and night. Being an award-winning confinement nanny agent service, PEM is trusted by over 15,000 mothers and counting.

Learn more about our confinement nannies Singapore service by clicking on the “Enquire Now” button on the top right corner of your screen now!