Summary
The 3rd trimester of pregnancy begins with the 29th and ends with the 40th week of pregnancy. As some children remain in the womb significantly longer, the 3rd trimester of pregnancy may well extend to the 42nd week of pregnancy. However, at the end of the 42nd week of pregnancy at the latest, the initiation of childbirth should be considered.
Otherwise, a dangerous situation for the mother and/or child could possibly arise. While the organs of the unborn child continue to mature in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy it only takes some time to gain height and weight. In general, one can therefore assume that the unborn child is viable at the beginning of the 3rd trimester.
This means that the probability of survival at this time is very high, even in the case of a premature birth. Nevertheless, children born between the 29th and 37th week of pregnancy often require medical attention. Above all, independent breathing and regulation of body temperature can still be problematic for children born before the 37th week of pregnancy.
While the growth of the child in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy is in the foreground, the expectant mother may experience severe changes. In the course of the child’s growth, the abdominal girth increases rapidly. For this reason, many women develop stretch marks on their stomach and/or breast in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
In addition, back pain and a frequent urge to urinate are typical symptoms in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Above all, the increasing pressure on the bladder can become very stressful for the expectant mother. Frequent urge to urinate becomes noticeable in most women even in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, sudden increases in pressure in the abdominal cavity, for example when coughing, sneezing or laughing, can even lead to unintentional urination.
