The third trimester is the last leg of your pregnancy. It comes with many changes to your body. It also comes with a number of hormonal and lifestyle changes. All these factors can lead to feeling unsettled and anxious. You may also experience moodiness and bouts of sadness. Don’t worry, all these reactions are normal to happen. All you need to do is keep yourself mentally recharged during your third trimester!
What exactly happens during the third trimester?
This is a time of many changes happening!
Both your body and the baby go through drastic changes during this trimester. Your pregnancy is now at its full peak and the fetus is fully developed. But to reach this final point, many changes happen.
- You are now fully showing. You are likely to gain weight during the third trimester, which can in turn lead to stretch marks.
- You may experience hair issues such as dry hair due to increased hormonal excitement to the hair follicles.
- Backaches, swelling of joints (edema) and leg cramps become more apparent in the third trimester.
- You may also start to experience false contractions, known as Braxton-Hicks contractions.
- You may have bouts of crying spells or mood swings due to the hormonal changes taking place.
Why am I feeling this way during my third trimester?
Pregnancy can be hard on one’s mental health
Many people think that pregnancy is just about what happens to a woman’s physical state. This is not true. Pregnancy also takes a significant toll on mental health. You face stress not only from what is happening within you, but also from what is going around you.
- Feeling conscious about your body image is very common during pregnancy. This is especially true for the third trimester.
- There is a lot of hormonal upheaval happening inside you. So you may experience mood swings such as irritation, sadness, unexplained anger and even crying spells.
- Feeling dreadful and anxious during the third trimester is also common. There is just so much happening, and you are approaching the due date too! Overthinking and overanalyzing the future is natural to happen.
- Some women experience a prolonged period of sadness during their third trimester. This can be due to prenatal depression.
- Prenatal depression comes with symptoms of insomnia, moodiness, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness. This condition is fairly common, with 13 percent of pregnant women experiencing it.
How to do mental health hygiene
Just like we take care of our body by doing personal hygiene, we can do the same for our mind. Mental health hygiene means taking out some daily time for yourself for your mental needs. This can be taking time for your hobbies or just having a ten-minute breather. We’ll tell you some easy ways you can do daily mental health hygiene.
Check if your basic needs are being met
Are you getting proper sleep?
A happy mind resides in a happy body. If you are not getting proper sleep and diet, it will reflect on your mental health. Make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep during the night. Also, pay attention to what you are eating. Fatty and greasy food is likely to make you feel bloated. They also can trigger your inflammation and worsen any depressive symptoms you are having.
Give yourself positive affirmations
Give yourself positive affirmations
Having negative thoughts during the third trimester is common. Questions such as “Will I be a good mother?” or “Will my marriage change after pregnancy?” are bound to occur. Take time to stand in front of the mirror in the mornings/before bed and just admire yourself for at least five minutes. Repeat to yourself positive affirmations, and remind yourself that you are a gorgeous, strong, and powerful woman.
Be mindful of your emotions
Spend time with yourself and your baby
You will experience a myriad of emotions during your third trimester. While it is important you don’t overthink and overanalyze them, it is also important you manage them. One way you can do this is by being mindful of them. This means when you are experiencing intense emotion, say anger, you try to focus on ‘How’, not ‘Why’. By focusing on the reactions you are having, you can manage them into healthier outlets. But if you only think of ‘why I am feeling this way’, you may end up feeling more aggravated.
Meditate, exercise, relax
Join TME’s free Yoga sessions!
You can do many simple meditation exercises to help with intrusive thoughts and overthinking. Exercise is also a good way to release happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine. You can also relax without doing meditation and exercise. Hobbies are a great way to engage your mind in productive activities. Some hobbies you can consider are: learning a new language, yoga, or starting your blog!
Some more practical tips from TME mothers and experts
- Journaling: Just get a small journal or a notepad and start detailing your days. You can also write about the things that are happening around you.
- Mandala Art: Don’t let the pictures on the internet scare you! It is actually very easy to do. TME has special classes where you can learn it as well.
- Knitting: Sounds old-fashioned, but it is great for grounding your intense emotions. You also get to make cute wearables for your soon-to-be-born baby!
- Reading good books: TME has a curated book list that you can read in your free time.
- Set a worrying time: You can assign 30 minutes of ‘worry time every day. In this time slot, you can focus on everything that makes you stressed. Outside this slot, try not to think about things that stress you outside that ‘worry time
- Get ready for the baby’s arrival: Some women feel better if they are prepared – so read, join classes, and educate yourself about pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum. Like you are doing right now by reading TME’s curated blogs!
Where do I get help from?
With TME, you get hands-on community support right through your phone!
Besides going to a counselor, you can also join a peer community. Many Indian women find themselves isolated, especially in nuclear families. By joining a peer community, you can share your experience with similar pregnant women. You will also get to learn from experienced mothers who have gone through everything you are going through. One such community is our TME community, and get 24/7 support and resources for your third trimester. It is completely free to join, with peer-to-peer and expert support
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness
https://www.beaumont.org/conditions/prenataldepression
https://www.iberdrola.com/talent/mental-hygiene
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