Trimester by Trimester!
Trimester 3
Each month I’ve been writing about the pregnancy trimesters, with support and recipes from the wonderful Adam from @atdadstable. Adam shares some fab recipes to go along with my blog each month and we are focusing on pregnancy symptoms.
Check out my advice from Pregnancy Symptoms: Trimester one and Pregnancy Symptoms: Trimester two if you haven’t read them already.
Pregnancy Symptoms: Trimester 3
Pregnancy is such an interesting time – full of excitement and joy, but also for many people it can be a time when they really aren’t feeling at their best.
Some of the symptoms you might be faced with during the third trimester include:
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Back pain and achy bones
- Tiredness – trouble sleeping
- Constipation and diarrhoea
Remember that symptoms can come at any time during pregnancy, this is just a generalisation about symptoms during pregnancy, so be sure to check out the other posts and always see a GP or your midwife if you have any concerns.
However, if these specific symptoms are troubling you, check out some of the recipes we have that might help, and also some of the tips to dealing with the symptoms that I’ve listed below.
Indigestion
This is most common from 27 weeks of pregnancy and over, as baby is taking up more space in your body and causing your organs to squash somewhat, as well as your hormones creating havoc and your digestive system perhaps getting a little sluggish.
It’s likely that the pressure on the stomach could be one of the reasons for indigestion and heartburn, but also pregnancy hormones are also responsible for relaxing the lower oesophageal sphincter which may then allow food and acid to leak back up to the food pipe and cause the burning sensation.
What can help?
- Having smaller meals more frequently, rather than large meals and trying not to overeat so that you’re too full at any occasion!
- Staying away from any super spicy/fatty or acidic foods that can trigger heartburn and stick to plain foods more often. If you notice any specific triggers, avoid them completely too.
- Prop you back up on pillows when you’re eating, so you’re more likely to sit up straight.
- Avoid eating too close to bed time and choose milk and or water as your main fluids
Back Pain
This makes total sense as you body is simply carrying extra weight that it’s not used too. If you’re fairly big, it can be a lot of pressure on your spine and on your legs too, so it makes sense that you’re going to be a little less comfortable for a while.
What can help?
For this it’s about resting as much as possible and trying to take it easy. Sometimes this really isn’t realistic, but as much as possible rest while you can!
On top of this, gentle exercise can help, so make sure you carry on with some light w3alking and also do some stretching and/or exercise such as yoga and pilates which can certainly help with back pain. You might not feel like exercising at this point, but as long as it’s gentle and you do as much as you can without pushing yourself, movement can actually be really beneficial.
Tiredness
Later in pregnancy this can come as a result of not being able to sleep very well due to being uncomfortable at night.
What can you do?
Try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible and have some “chill down” in the evening away from phones, technology and try to relax as much as you can. A hot bath and a book might make you feel sleepy and some people swear by a cup of herbal tea. See my blog on herbal teas during pregnancy.
Make sure you’ve had enough food during the day, as sometimes people struggle to sleep if they are over hungry, and take some water to bed for hydration.
Lastly, try out some pregnancy cushions, which can help make you more comfortable when you’re trying to get to sleep at night.
Gentle exercise and getting rest in the day may also help too.
Constipation
Hormones produced during pregnancy often make the muscles in the bowel relax slightly, and this can cause constipation and sometimes diarrhoea in pregnant women
It also can happen due to less movement in general throughout pregnancy, especially in trimester 3. What foods you eat play a role in constipation too, so if you feel like your diet is changing or lacking in something, you might need to address it to ensure you’re bowels get back on track.
What can you do?
Three main things are likely to help you improve constipation:
- Eating more fibre – for example wholegrains and fruits and veggies – just try adding one or two more portions in a day. This could be a pear, some broccoli or a handful or two of oats
- Doing some gentle exercise – this might not only help with sleep and heartburn, but it also might help getting your digestive system working again.
- Keeping well hydrated – The NHS don’t have any recommendations on how much fluid is needed during pregnancy, they do recommend adults have around 8-10 glasses of fluid a day. Additionally, European guidelines recommend that pregnant women might need around 300mls more fluids a day, which equates to around 1-2 extra glasses of fluid each day.
You can drink lots of different fluids to make up your 9-12 glasses a day, but remember there are restrictions on caffeine for pregnant women, and it’s also good to vary the kinds of herbal teas you’re having too. Water is obviously your best choice!
Recipes
Here are some super recipes below that can be perfect for Pregnant Women during Trimester 3. I really hope you like them, do let me know if you try them!
- Scrambled eggs with cavolo nero & parmesan
- Cheese toastie
- Roasted lemon salmon on a bed of spiced chickpeas & vegetables
Check out Adam’s recipes here…https://atdadstable.com/game-face-on-trimester