Physical Changes in the Third Month of Pregnancy
Your continually rising hormones and your growing baby continue to make their presence felt. Nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and constipation often continue during the third month of pregnancy but typically begin to subside by the end of this month. In addition to these familiar discomforts, you may have some new physical experiences.
Abdominal Discomfort
Even though you don’t yet show, you will begin to feel that something important is going on in your pelvis in the third month of pregnancy. You may feel a fullness in your lower abdomen. You may also notice mild stabbing pains when you suddenly change positions. These pains occur when going from lying to sitting or sitting to standing.
As your uterus grows, it stretches its supporting ligaments, causing these twitches of pain on both sides of your waist. Gradually easing into changes of position lessens the sudden stretching of these ligaments and the accompanying pains.
During the first trimester, uterine ligament discomfort tends to be sporadic. Uterine ligament discomfort is mild and more of a nuisance or discomfort than truly painful. In the second and third trimester, the enlarging uterus may further stretch these ligaments, causing these pains to intensify.
As your pregnancy progresses, you will learn which is the best position to assume to relieve these pains.
Between Clothing Sizes
From the third month of pregnancy to the fifth month, you may find nothing fits. Your regular clothing and underwear feel too tight, but you look silly in maternity clothes. Buy some comfortable non-maternity pants and skirts one-size larger and with elastic waistbands. You’ll wear them again after the baby is born.
Hearing Life
By the 12th week, you and your doctor may be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat using an ultrasound device (called a Doptone) to detect your baby’s heartbeat. Baby’s heartbeat is about twice as fast as yours and sounds like rapid-fire “swoosh, swoosh.” You may have expected to hear a faint twittering and not the loud booming sounds that the ultrasound will reveal. You will be amazed at how strong your baby’s heart sounds. Remember, it’s magnified many times.
Breast Changes During Third Month of Pregnancy
Your breasts are continuing to gear themselves up to feed your baby after birth. By the end of the third month of pregnancy, your nipples will probably have enlarged considerably. As the milk ducts enlarge, the pigmented area around your nipple may seem to take up half your breast.
Getting used to the different feel and look of your breasts and realizing the importance of these changes will prepare you for the more pregnant look that is soon to come to the rest of you. If you are anxious about adjusting to your new body image and don’t look forward to that fuller look, now is a good time to work through those feelings.
For more information on pregnancy, see The Healthy Pregnancy Book: Month by Month, Everything You Need to Know from America’s Baby Experts