Third month of pregnancy is one of the most crucial months of months. From now on, your baby will be called a fetus. You are about to complete your first trimester and the chances of miscarriage after the third month of pregnancy, drops significantly.

 Your Baby

 Your baby now has fingers and toes having soft nails. Mouth has 20 buds that will become “baby teeth.” At this stage, you can hear your baby’s heartbeat using a special instrument called a “doptone.” For the remaining part of the pregnancy, all body organs will mature and fetus will gain weight. By the end of this month, the fetus is 4 inches long and weighs a little over 1 ounce.  

 Your Body

In the third month of pregnancy you may still feel tired and have morning sickness. Headaches are also common at this time. Sometimes you may get lightheaded or dizzy. Your body has already started changing and your clothes may begin to feel tight around your waist and breasts. Try wearing clothes that are loose and gives you comfort to move around. You may now sport a protruding belly. The uterus is about the size of a soft ball now and stretches to just about the pubic bone. Most women report improvement or complete disappearance of morning sickness by the end of the first trimester.

In the third month of pregnancy there is a decrease in HCG levels due to which nausea and vomiting symptoms will reduce. But there will be an onset of gastrointestinal disorders like gas, constipation and occasional heartburn. An increase in progesterone levels will slow down the functioning of digestive system leading to constipation. The fetus exerts pressure on the intestine as it grows and adds on to the problem.

Other pregnancy symptoms that may continue or begin this month include –

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Nasal congestion and/or runny nose
• Tender breasts
• Headache
• Frequent urination
• Increased saliva
• Occasional dizziness or faintness.

Prenatal Care Guide

Your need for all vitamins and minerals will slightly increase this month. Eat a healthy diet and most of the vitamins and minerals needed by your body will be met. You may have gained 3 or 4 pounds by now. The pregnancy weight gain is around 25 to 35 pounds for the entire three trimesters. Go for regular walks and you try different exercises suitable during pregnancy.