Third-trimester nausea
If nausea and/or vomiting frequently occurs during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, this can usually be associated with the steady growth of the unborn child. As the space in the abdominal cavity is limited despite the increase in abdominal girth, the internal organs are increasingly displaced towards the ribcage. For this reason, the gastrointestinal tract of the expectant mother is increasingly compressed.
Especially after eating, this can lead to severe nausea and even vomiting. To counteract the nausea, it is advisable to eat several small meals spread over the day. Especially if the stomach is overfilled, nausea can be observed in expectant mothers in the 3rd trimester.
The development of the child‘s internal organs is usually completed before the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy. In the course of the 3rd trimester, the unborn child only needs to increase in size and weight further. For this reason, it is assumed that a child is viable at the beginning of the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
This means that the chances of survival in the case of a premature birth are now very high. Nevertheless, every additional day in the womb is considered a gain for the development of the unborn child. The reason for this is the fact that especially in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy there are extensive maturation processes of the fetal immune system.
In addition, a newborn child with a sufficient body weight can regulate its body temperature demonstrably better. For this reason, children born before the 37th week of pregnancy often have to be placed in a so-called warm bed for days. With the beginning of the 3rd trimester of pregnancy the fetal movements become more and more obvious.
In most cases it is even possible to see the kicks of the unborn child through the abdominal wall during the 3rd trimester. However, as the baby gains in size and weight very quickly in the 3rd trimester, the space in the uterus becomes less and less from week to week. For this reason, the infant’s movements also decrease significantly at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy. By the 40th week of pregnancy the unborn children have an average height of 50 to 51 centimetres with a weight of about 3,500 grams.
Third trimester screening
A regular screening, the so-called third trimester screening, is also carried out in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. This screening is mainly used to monitor the child’s growth and to detect possible problems early on. In addition to the vaginal examination with assessment of the external cervix, ultrasound also plays a decisive role in the course of third-trimester screening.
If early shortening or opening of the cervix is suspected, a transvaginal ultrasound scan should be performed during screening. In this way, the actual length of the inner cervix can be determined and, if necessary, treatment can be initiated early. Furthermore, an abdominal ultrasound (i.e. an ultrasound examination through the abdominal wall) is performed during screening in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
During this part of the screening in the 3rd trimester, the growth and development of the unborn child is assessed in particular. In addition, placental function and the position of the placenta should be determined again during screening in the last trimester of pregnancy. Under certain circumstances, testing the blood flow of the maternal (especially the uterine vessels) and fetal (especially the umbilical cord vessels) vessels may be useful during the examination.
The vessels are usually examined using Doppler ultrasound. In addition, the screening in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy includes the renewed examination of the organs of the unborn child. If there are any abnormalities at this time of pregnancy, a suitable maternity clinic can be sought early on. Screening in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy therefore serves as a last check-up before the forthcoming birth.
