3. third of the pregnancy | Course of a pregnancy

3. third of the pregnancy

From the third trimester onwards, premature birth is already viable. Thus, the survival probability of the fetus before the beginning of the 26th week is about 50%, while it is already about 80% in the 28th week. Increasing water retention leads to increasing weight gain in the pregnant woman.

This leads to complaints such as back pain and additionally, due to the pressure of the uterus, to shortness of breath and hemorrhoids. Anemia occurs almost regularly in the expectant mother. 7th month: The eyelids begin to open again and the fetus now weighs around 1000g with a length of about 35 cm.

In the expectant mother, secretions (colostrum) may leak from the nipples. 8th month: The weight of the uterus can cause bladder weakness. The hormone-induced increased pH-value (decreasing acidity) of the vagina reduces the germ defence and can lead to bacterial and fungal infections.

Now the first contractions can also occur, which manifest themselves by periodic contractions of the uterus. This process is usually painless and can only be noticed by a hardening of the abdominal wall. In the fetus, the organ development is completed with the exception of the lungs.

The average weight is now up to 2000 g and the body length is about 40 cm. 9. month: In the 36th week, the foetus should ideally be turned in the cranial position (correct birth position: head down), as this is only possible to a limited extent after that. The child’s head then enters the woman’s pelvis at the end of the month.

The lung maturity is considered to be complete from the 35th week, which means that the child could breathe independently from now on in the event of premature birth. The fetus now weighs just under 3000g and is about 45 cm tall. End of the pregnancy: The mother has gained an average of 10-15 kg until birth.

Since the fetus is now completely developed, it now mainly gains weight. The average birth weight is 3000 to 4000 g and the body length is between 47 and 55 cm. The head diameter amounts to approximately 100 mm.