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Third Trimester of Pregnancy: What to Expect, Week by Week

Third Trimester

Written by - Anupama ChadhaLast updated: Sep 14, 2026

Medically Reviewed By

Dr. Sweta Baajaj

BDS (Gold Medalist), Certified Lactation Consultant – BPNI Delhi, Maternal & Infant Nutrition Expert · 15 years experience

Third Trimester of Pregnancy: What to Expect, Week by Week

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17 min

AI-Generated Summary

Quick overview in 30 seconds

The third trimester of pregnancy spans weeks 29 to 40, where your baby rapidly grows, changes position for birth, and you prepare for the final delivery phase.
Common third trimester symptoms include backache, leaking breasts (colostrum), frequent urination, hemorrhoids, shortness of breath, swelling, Braxton-Hicks contractions, and increased vaginal discharge nearing your due date.
Stay healthy by eating protein, iron and calcium-rich foods, staying hydrated, practising gentle pregnancy yoga, monitoring weight gain, and attending frequent prenatal checkups every 2-4 weeks.
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Quick answer

The third trimester runs from week 28 to delivery. Your baby gains most of their birth weight now, and your appointments become more frequent. The single most important thing you do in these weeks is pay attention to your baby's movement pattern, and report any change the same day. Learn the difference between Braxton Hicks and real labour, and know when to go in.

Key takeaways

Your baby's movements are the most important thing to monitor. Any reduction or change in the usual pattern needs same-day assessment, at any hour. Never wait until morning.
Reduced movement is never because the baby has "run out of room." That belief delays care, and it is not correct.
Start sleeping on your side from around 28 weeks. Side sleeping is advised for the rest of the pregnancy.
Learn the labour signs now, not when they start. Regular tightening before 37 weeks means calling your hospital immediately.
Pre-eclampsia is a third trimester risk. Severe headache with visual changes, pain under the ribs, or sudden swelling of the face and hands all need urgent assessment.

What is the third trimester?

The third trimester runs from week 28 until delivery, usually somewhere between 37 and 42 weeks. It covers the seventh, eighth and ninth months.

This is when your baby gains most of their birth weight, their lungs mature, and they move into position for birth. For you, it is usually the most physically uncomfortable stage, and the one with the most medical contact, as appointments move from monthly to fortnightly to weekly.

Term is not a single date. Babies born between 37 and 38 weeks plus 6 days are early term, 39 to 40 weeks plus 6 days is full term, and 41 weeks onward is late term. Only a small number of babies arrive exactly on the estimated due date.

Week by week: what is happening

Week	Your baby	Approximate weight	What is happening for you
28	Eyes can open and close	1.1 kg	Start side sleeping. Anti-D injection if you are Rh negative. Appointments become more frequent
29	Bones fully formed but still soft	1.2 kg	Breathlessness and heartburn common
30	Laying down fat under the skin	1.4 kg	Movements strong and regular. Learn your baby's pattern
31	Rapid brain development	1.5 kg	Braxton Hicks may become noticeable
32	Practising breathing movements	1.7 kg	Growth scan may be arranged around now
33	Immune system developing	1.9 kg	Sleep becoming difficult. Pelvic pressure increasing
34	Fingernails reach the fingertips	2.1 kg	Discuss your birth plan and hospital arrangements
35	Filling out. Less room to stretch	2.4 kg	Movements should still be as frequent as before. They may feel different, not fewer
36	Head may begin to engage in the pelvis	2.6 kg	Position checked. Most airlines stop allowing travel around now
37	Early term. Lungs largely mature	2.9 kg	Hospital bag ready. Weekly appointments
38	Lanugo shedding	3.0 kg	Increased discharge, pelvic pressure
39	Full term	3.2 kg	Watch for labour signs
40	Estimated due date	3.4 kg	Only a small number of babies arrive today
41 to 42	Continued monitoring		Induction usually discussed. Extra checks on baby and fluid

Weights and sizes are approximate and vary considerably. Your baby's growth is assessed on scan and clinical examination.

Monitoring your baby's movements

This is the most important section on this page.

Your baby's movement pattern is the clearest day-to-day indicator of their wellbeing, and a change in that pattern is the symptom most often reported too late.

What to know

There is no set number of movements to count. What matters is what is normal for your baby, and whether that has changed
Get to know the pattern from around 28 weeks. Most babies have periods of activity and quiet through the day
Report any reduction or change the same day, at any hour, including at night
Movements should not reduce as you approach your due date. They may feel different as space reduces, with more stretching and rolling and less kicking, but they should not become less frequent

The three things not to do

Do not wait until morning. Maternity units are staffed 24 hours and this is exactly what they are there for.
Do not try to make the baby move first. Cold drinks, sugary food, lying down, ice on the bump and poking are all widely recommended and all simply delay assessment.
Do not accept "the baby has run out of room." Reduced movement is not caused by lack of space, and this explanation has been specifically identified as a cause of delayed presentation.

Go in however many times it takes. Repeated attendances for reduced movements are appropriate and expected. A previous normal check does not cover you for today.

Braxton Hicks or real labour?

	Braxton Hicks	Labour contractions
Pattern	Irregular, unpredictable	Come in a rhythm
Over time	Stay the same or fade	Get stronger, longer and closer together
Position change	Usually settle with rest, movement or water	Do not settle
Pain	Usually tightening rather than pain	Increasingly painful
Where	Usually felt at the front	Often start in the back and wrap round

🚩 Before 37 weeks, regular tightening or pain that comes and goes is a medical emergency until proven otherwise. Call your hospital rather than waiting to see whether it settles. Back-dominant preterm labour is frequently mistaken for ordinary backache, which our back pain guide covers in more detail.

Signs that labour is starting

Regular, strengthening contractions that do not settle with rest or position change
Waters breaking, as a gush or a slow trickle. Note the time, colour and smell, and call your hospital. Green or brown fluid needs immediate attention
A show, the mucus plug coming away, sometimes streaked with blood. This can happen days before labour
Persistent low backache coming in waves
Loose stools or nausea as labour approaches
A feeling that the baby has dropped lower, with easier breathing but more pelvic pressure

On bleeding. A blood-streaked mucus show is common and usually normal. Fresh bleeding, or bleeding that soaks a pad, is not, and needs immediate assessment at any stage. Do not assume bleeding is simply a sign of labour approaching.

Scans, tests and appointments

What	When	Why
Antenatal visits	Usually fortnightly from 28 to 36 weeks, then weekly	Blood pressure, urine, growth, baby's position and heartbeat
Anti-D injection	Around 28 weeks, and after delivery if needed	For Rh negative women. Important, and sometimes missed
Tdap or Td vaccination	Commonly 27 to 36 weeks	Discuss the schedule your hospital follows
Growth scan	Often around 32 to 36 weeks	Assesses your baby's growth, amniotic fluid and the placenta
Repeat haemoglobin	Third trimester	Anaemia is very common in Indian pregnancies and is treatable before delivery
Position check	From around 36 weeks	If your baby is breech, turning the baby (ECV) may be offered around 36 to 37 weeks
Blood pressure and urine	Every visit	Screens for pre-eclampsia
Additional monitoring	If indicated	Non-stress test, Doppler or fluid assessment, particularly after 40 weeks or in high-risk pregnancies

Ask at every visit: how the baby is growing, what position they are in, and whether anything has changed in the plan for your delivery.

Common third trimester symptoms

Symptom	Why it happens	What helps
Backache and pelvic pain	Weight, posture and softer joints	Pelvic tilts, side sleeping with a pillow between the knees, supportive footwear
Breathlessness	The uterus pressing up against the diaphragm	Sit upright, sleep propped. Breathlessness at rest or with chest pain is urgent
Heartburn	Stomach compressed and the valve relaxed	Small meals, avoid lying down after eating, ask about safe antacids
Frequent urination	Baby's head pressing on the bladder	Do not reduce fluids. Burning or fever needs same-day care
Swelling of feet and ankles	Fluid retention, worse in heat and by evening	Elevate legs. Sudden swelling of face or hands is urgent
Piles and constipation	Pressure and slower digestion	Fluids, fibre, treat constipation early
Leg cramps	Common at night	Stretch the calf. Get haemoglobin and calcium checked
Leaking colostrum	Normal from the second trimester	Nursing pads. Bloody discharge or a lump needs checking
Increased discharge	Normal if thin, clear or milky	Any fluid that soaks through needs assessment
Trouble sleeping	Discomfort, urination, restless legs	Side sleeping with pillows. Mention restless legs, which often means low iron
Itchy skin over the bump	Stretching skin	Moisturise. Intense itching on palms and soles needs a blood test
Braxton Hicks	Practice tightening	Irregular and settling. See the table above

Our guide to the more awkward pregnancy symptoms covers several of these, including which ones are not just uncomfortable.

Staying well in the third trimester

Area	Guidance
Sleep position	Side sleeping from around 28 weeks. Pillow between the knees, one under the bump, one behind the back. If you wake on your back, just turn over
Exercise	Continue gentle activity in an uncomplicated pregnancy. Walking, swimming, prenatal yoga. Stop for bleeding, fluid leak, contractions, dizziness or calf pain
Nutrition	Energy needs rise further this trimester. Protein at every meal, plus iron and calcium as prescribed. Take iron and calcium at different times of day
Weight gain	Depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI, and Indian guidance uses lower cut-offs than Western charts. Ask your obstetrician what range applies to you. Report sudden rapid gain with swelling
Travel	Not forbidden, but plan carefully. Most airlines restrict flying from around 36 weeks, and earlier for multiples. Discuss any journey with your doctor, move regularly, and carry your antenatal records
Work	Discuss timing of leave, and any heavy lifting, long standing or night shifts
Sex	Safe in an uncomplicated pregnancy unless your doctor has advised otherwise
Medication	Nothing new without your doctor. Avoid NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, including pain balms and sprays
Dental care	Still safe. Sitting back may be less comfortable now, so mention it

Getting ready for birth

From around 34 weeks:

Discuss your birth preferences with your obstetrician, including pain relief options and what happens if a caesarean becomes necessary
Confirm where you will deliver, and the route and travel time at different times of day
Agree who will take you, and a backup
Ask what to do if labour starts at night, and save the labour ward number

From around 36 weeks, keep ready:

Your antenatal records and file, which should travel with you everywhere
ID, insurance or scheme documents, and any hospital paperwork
Clothes and toiletries for you, and clothes and nappies for your baby
Maternity pads, comfortable underwear, a feeding-friendly top
Phone charger, snacks, and a water bottle

Also worth arranging before delivery: who will help at home in the first weeks, and whether a lactation consultation is available if feeding is difficult. Early feeding support is far more effective than help sought after weeks of struggle.

Warning signs: when to call a doctor

Go to hospital immediately, at any hour, for:

Reduced or changed baby movements. Do not wait until morning
Any vaginal bleeding
Leaking of fluid, gush or trickle. Green or brown fluid is urgent
Regular contractions before 37 weeks
Severe headache with blurred vision, flashing lights or spots
Pain under the ribs or upper right abdomen
Sudden swelling of the face, around the eyes, or of the hands
A fit or seizure
Severe abdominal pain, or a hard, constantly tight abdomen
Chest pain, breathlessness at rest, or coughing blood
Pain, swelling, warmth or redness in one calf
Fever
Fainting or collapse
Any fall or blow to the abdomen, even if you feel fine

The pre-eclampsia combination to memorise: severe headache, visual changes, pain under the ribs, and sudden swelling of the face or hands.

Call the same day for: intense itching on the palms and soles without a rash, burning urination, foul-smelling discharge, persistent vomiting, or repeated dizziness.

Our full guide to pregnancy warning signs sorted by urgency covers all of these.

What if you go past your due date?

Being at 40 or 41 weeks with nothing happening is normal. Only a small proportion of babies arrive on the estimated due date.

Your doctor will usually monitor you more closely after 40 weeks, checking your baby's growth, movements, heart rate and amniotic fluid. If labour has not started by around 41 to 42 weeks, induction is usually discussed, because risks rise beyond that point.

Have that conversation rather than trying home methods. Castor oil, nipple stimulation and herbal preparations all carry real risks, particularly after a previous caesarean. Our guide to exercises and labour explains what the evidence does and does not support.

Frequently asked questions

When does the third trimester start?
At week 28, and it continues until delivery, usually between 37 and 42 weeks.

How often should I feel my baby move?
There is no set number. What matters is your baby's own pattern and whether it has changed. Report any reduction the same day.

Do babies move less near the due date?
No. Movements may feel different as space reduces, but they should not become less frequent. Reduced movement is never explained by lack of room.

How do I know if it is Braxton Hicks or labour?
Braxton Hicks are irregular and settle with rest or a position change. Labour contractions come in a rhythm and get stronger and closer together. Before 37 weeks, rhythmic tightening should be checked immediately.

Which sleeping position is best now?
On your side, from around 28 weeks, with a pillow between your knees. If you wake on your back, simply turn over.

Can I travel in the third trimester?
Usually, with planning. Most airlines restrict flying from around 36 weeks. Discuss any journey with your doctor, move regularly on long trips, and carry your antenatal records.

How much weight should I gain?
It depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI, and Indian guidance uses lower cut-offs than Western charts. Ask your obstetrician what applies to you, and report sudden rapid gain with swelling.

Is some bleeding normal near the end of pregnancy?
A blood-streaked mucus show is common. Fresh bleeding or anything that soaks a pad is not, and needs immediate assessment.

When should my hospital bag be ready?
By around 36 weeks, and keep your antenatal records with you at all times from then.

What happens if I go past 40 weeks?
You will usually be monitored more closely, and induction is generally discussed around 41 to 42 weeks. Do not attempt home induction methods.

The bottom line

The third trimester is physically the hardest and medically the most closely watched, and one thing matters more than everything else on this page: your baby's movement pattern. Learn it from 28 weeks, and report any change the same day without trying to wake the baby first and without waiting until morning. Beyond that, sleep on your side, learn the difference between Braxton Hicks and labour, keep your records with you from 36 weeks, and memorise the pre-eclampsia combination of headache, visual changes, rib pain and sudden swelling.

Sources

World Health Organization, recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience, and induction of labour at or beyond term
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, reduced fetal movements, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and external cephalic version
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, third trimester care, preeclampsia, preterm labour, and definition of term pregnancy
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, antenatal care, inducing labour, and hypertension in pregnancy
NHS, your pregnancy week by week, and signs that labour has begun
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urgent maternal warning signs
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, maternal health guidance, anti-D prophylaxis and Anemia Mukt Bharat
Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, good clinical practice recommendations

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Seek care immediately for reduced baby movements, bleeding, fluid leakage, contractions before 37 weeks, severe headache with visual changes, or sudden swelling of the face and hands.

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