In this final period of pregnancy, the woman’s body and the baby itself are intensively “preparing” for childbirth. All organs of the child are already well developed, but their functional activity is not yet complete. In the third trimester, the child’s lungs intensively develop and a special substance is produced - surfactant, which is vital for normal breathing.
A fetus born even at the very beginning of the third trimester is successfully nursed in modern conditions. Most children born before 33 weeks of pregnancy require intensive care, breathing support with the help of special equipment, intravenous infusions of nutritional solutions and the use of medications. If the pregnancy ends with childbirth after 33 weeks, then there is a high probability that the child will be able to emerge without respiratory support and serious medications.
In the third trimester, significant changes occur in the female body. Often, an expectant mother has to be hospitalized in a hospital due to accumulated pregnancy problems (swelling, increased blood pressure, anemia, poor urine tests, too much weight gain, etc.).
How to notice the approach of labor? In the later stages of pregnancy, when childbirth will happen very soon, expectant mothers note a drooping abdomen, a feeling of some relief when breathing, a slight weight loss, and a decrease in appetite. Another symptom of approaching labor is the release of a mucous plug from the vagina. However, such discharge can occur both a few days before birth and on the day of birth itself.