
The final weeks of pregnancy can be extremely exciting. The impending arrival of your long awaited baby can be overwhelming as you get all the last minute things sorted: you may be finishing up at work, packing bags ready for the hospital, putting the final touches to the nursery and hosting a baby shower or baby blessing.
The common physical complaints in the final trimester (weeks 28-40) are usually due to the size of the baby and the increased pressure on the mother’s pelvis, digestion and circulatory system.
Frequent urination, is unfortunately, inevitable. It is due to the uterus putting pressure on your bladder, creating a frequent urge. The important thing to remember is to not reduce your water intake! This will not solve the problem and will put extra strain on your kidneys.
Incontinence is also due to the expanding uterus applying pressure on the bladder and weakening the pelvic floor muscles.
Swollen feet and ankles and puffy legs are common in the last trimester. This is due to increased total circulating blood causing an increased venous pressure. It is most common during the day when in an upright posture. At night while sleeping, the extra fluid is reabsorbed and venous return improves. This can also result in frequent urination at night due to an increase in renal output.
Remedies:
Increased pressure from the enlarged uterus gradually obstructs venous return and may result in varicose veins.
Remedies:
Restless sleep and insomnia can be quite debilitating at this stage of pregnancy when your energy levels may already be naturally low. Perhaps, it is nature’s way to get you prepared for the regular wake up calls when bub arrives and needs to be fed every couple of hours. However, you still need to rest as much as you can in order to prepare for the fast approaching labour.
Remedies:
References available on request