Describe changes in pregnant women who are nearing the end of the third trimester.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

By the end of the third trimester, most women are ready to birth their babies. Many second trimester symptoms continue into the third. Additionally, women begin to feel achy or tired because of the pressure and weight of the growing fetus. Pressure symptoms include varicose veins, hemorrhoids, swelling in the legs and ankles, leg cramps, backaches, and shortness of the breath as the large fetus pushes against women's diaphragm. Many women experience Braxton-Hicks contractions, which are likened to a dress rehearsal for the big day. These contractions can be quite uncomfortable but rarely do anything to enhance the labor process.
Emotionally, women begin to feel tired of being pregnant. As their due date approaches, they become more anxious and apprehensive about the baby's health and the processes of labor and delivery. It is also common for women and their partners to be nervous about their parenting skills.
Typical weight gain in the third trimester is about 1 pound per week. Total weight gain for a pregnancy should be approximately 25 to 35 pounds depending on a woman's prepregnancy weight.