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Third month Pregnancy guide – What you must know

The embryo inside the pregnant woman is continually developing at a constant rate. You need to know what things you should do and what not.
In the third month of pregnancy, the embryo builds its muscles, and you may feel sleepy. The embryo starts building necessary bones, and you need to pace up with the development of your baby. Here are certain health tips for third month of pregnancy that you should know:

Third month Pregnancy guide

1. Increase your fiber intake – A 3rd month pregnancy advice is to eat more fiber-rich food items as the embryo inside your womb is busy working on building bones and cartilage at the beginning of the third month of your pregnancy. This will result in an overwhelming urge to take long naps. You shall take more of fibers in your diet to avoid constipation. The high fiber foods include black beans, lentils, flax seed, lima beans, split peas, peas, broccoli, artichokes, rasp berries, Brussels sprouts, blackberries, pears, avocados, whole-wheat pasta, bran flakes, oatmeal, pearled barley, many other fruit and dry fruits.

2. More calcium – Consuming calcium in form of dairy products helps to reduce the body weight. It strengthens our bones and prevents us from osteoporosis. Dairy products will offer you sufficient amount of calcium and minerals required for the growth of the foetus.
So, the third month of pregnancy diet shall include an increased calcium intake. Calcium can be consumed in different forms such as milk, cheese, Yogurt, Soybeans, Fortified Soymilk and Sardines. Other good sources of calcium include Dark Leafy Greens like kale, collard greens and spinach; Fortified orange juice; enriched bread, waffles and grains; Fortified cereals such as corn flakes and Raisin Bran, Dried figs, Bok Choy, Blackstrap Molasses, almonds, Sesame seeds, instant oatmeal and cheerios. Calcium is an essential element for you and your baby.

3. Your weight will increase – This is about the end of the first trimester of you pregnancy. You have gone through a lot of changes by now. You may feel a substantial increase in your body weight. But it is your baby’s weight. The third month of pregnancy belly is slightly thicker than earlier as the baby inside you is grown up to the size of a peach. The embryo has started to look like a human now, and you will feel more humanly. You have probably gained about 3-5 pounds by now.

4. Changes in your appearance – Pregnancy hormones will start to progress inside your body. This is natural. It may happen that your hair grows at a relatively faster rate than before. Your fingernails and toenails will also grow faster. Pregnancy hormones may produce more oils causing oily skin and acne on your face.

Brush your teeth daily to avoid tooth decay and floss them, you can also use a mouthwash. Good oral hygiene is important during pregnancy as to avoid gingivitis. Visit a dentist once in your pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins can be taken for calcium to make your teeth strong.
The increased blood circulation makes the gums tender like kids’. If your gums are bleeding because of pregnancy hormones and increased blood supply, use a soft toothbrush.

5. Do not fret about stretch marks – Stretch marks are common and one of the natural third month of pregnancy symptoms. They depend on your skin’s natural elasticity. Some pregnant women experience them on their breasts, abdomen, buttocks or hips, especially around navel, as well. Do not be too much worried about them. Usually, stretch marks do not completely disappear, but they may gradually fade away depending on different skin types. There are various creams and oils that may help you minimize the stretch marks of pregnancy, but there is no such surity that they will help make your marks disappear completely. Some or the other marks will always remain (but that is not true for everyone); so, try and be totally comfortable with it, its all natural!

6. Chances of nausea – There is a chance that you may catch nausea. You may feel the extreme exhaustion in your body as the baby is growing every second. Foods rich in vitamin B6 can help you to avoid nausea and tiredness. Precautions during 3rd month of pregnancy in context with nausea include adding citrus food like grapes, orange, kinnow, limejuice, lemon, mandarins, grapefruit, green vegetables and potatoes in your diet.

7. Prevent your baby from internal damages – Carbohydrate, iron, folate and meat are vital elements for the growth of your baby. Carbohydrates like bread, rice, potatoes and flour will give energy to the embryo. Cooked and fresh meat is a good source of minerals and proteins. Iron and folate will help the embryo to combat with moderate and severe mental and physical retardation. You need to know the precautions taken during 3rd month of pregnancy.

8. Do not forget your medical visit – The regular checkup with your doctor shall be helpful for you to know if there is anything wrong inside your body that may be harmful for the embryo. The regular check-up will include blood pressure, weight, urine test, the size of the uterus, embryo’s heartbeat. To check whether the embryo has down syndrome, the nuchal translucency measurement test shall be taken. Integrated prenatal screening or chorionic villus sampling can also be taken to estimate the chances of chromosomal abnormality.

9. You may experience emotional disorders – The woman may feel highly disturbed emotions in the initial months of pregnancy. It can be super excitement, exhaustion, depression, sadness, general despair, weary anger, feeling out of control or an urge to cry, sleep disturbance and a loss of sexual desire. This may disrupt the normal functioning of your body. The mood swing is a normal thing often seen in pregnant women. Do not panic if you are experiencing such changes.

10. Time to go shopping for loose / stretchable clothes – You have put on weight. Your clothes may not fit you or are relatively tighter than before. Special precautions during 3rd month of pregnancy include the avoidance of tight fitted clothes and inner-wears. We advise you to wear loose-fit outfits and flexible clothes to feel more comfortable during your pregnancy.

It becomes beneficial for you to wear stretchable clothes, as it shows others your growing tummy revealing that you’re pregnant, especially when you are a working woman. Do not hide your pregnancy; you should be delighted instead. When you travel in public transit, others may take care of you, they may help you in holding or lifting your bags or in offering seat to you.

There are various pregnancy support belts available in the market for women to support their body by maintaining a good posture especially “while standing, Keep your chest forward and shoulder blades back”, “Keep your knees straight, but not locked” and “Avoid sitting or standing in same position for a long time”. Do read the guidelines carefully about how to wear these pregnancy belts.

11. Breast tenderness and frequent urination – You may feel the heaviness in your breasts. The breast size may increase; the areolas darken and increase. Urinating frequently is another symptom of pregnancy. You may suddenly start to discharge heavily in the form of excessive urination.

12. Avoid traveling and carrying heavy bags – In the third month of pregnancy, avoid traveling. Traveling by two or three wheelers is also not preferable. If possible, do not go outside alone. Go outside with someone you are comfortable with. Do not carry heavy bags either. Take someone with you who can assist you with heavy bags.

13. Medication should be handled with care – Before taking any medicine or drug, talk to your doctor first. Avoid taking baking soda and Pepto Bismol for heartburn. Taking Aspirin, Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen shall be avoided. Do not take Laxatives and Diuretics. Do not use mineral oil. You can apply home treatments for common illness.
You should avoid X-rays and microwaves also. Thinners and fumes from paints should also be avoided.

14. Make a do-not-consume-these list – Do not take alcohol and do not smoke, including passive smoking. Intake of alcohol may result in various birth defects. Smoking increases the chances of respiratory problems, birth defects and sudden infant death syndrome. Try and ignore eating papaya and pineapple because they can cause abortion or miscarriage as these fruits result in an early labor.

Avoid non-pasteurized milk products because they can cause infections like listeria. Non-food items like chalk, clay should be avoided as they are dangerous for your baby. Caffeine shall not be taken as it can increase the chances of miscarriage. Avoid viral vaccines like mumps and measles. Avoid excessive butter and cheese. Avoid white flour. Raw, uncooked, smoked, frozen and high-mercury seafood like fish, oysters should be avoided. These foods should be eliminated from the diet plan in third month of pregnancy.

15. Tobacco is dangerous for fetus – Tobacco consumption during the third-month pregnancy can be hazardous for you and your baby. Smoking habits may cause pregnancy complications. It can also result in premature birth, slow down the growth of utero, deformities such as postnatal colic, cleft lip, and palate. It will be really harmful to your baby’s development. We would suggest you to quit smoking. You can take the help of aids available to control smoking habits.

16. Make time for yourself – This is the time you may start feeling fragile and weak. This is because a lot of changes like increased blood supply, your mood swings, and increased appetite are occurring inside your body. To keep pace with these changes, you need to rest. A sufficient amount of rest is advisable. Do not work too much or out of your capacities. Do not exert pressure on your body. Talk to your spouse about your pregnancy so that he can understand you better and assist you in your normal, routine workings.

17. Sexual intimacy – It would be ideal, if you have checked in advance with your doctor, is it 100% safe in my case to have sexual intercourse with my partner? After sexual intercourse, you may have spotting or streaking. It is due to increased blood supply in the pelvic region and rupturing of some of the tiny blood vessels in that region. However, if there is bleeding, especially heavy, consult your doctor immediately.
It may happen that the sexual desires may decrease during first three months of pregnancy.

18. Pelvic floor – Your pelvic floor stretches from your pubic bone at the front of your body to the bottom of your spine at the back. This pelvic floor supports bowel, bladder and womb. You may feel the difficulty with a weak pelvic floor in squeezing the muscles and sphincters at the base of your bladder. Therefore, it becomes necessary to have a strong pelvic floor. We recommend you to do pelvic floor exercises under the supervision of your health care provider to curb bladder weakness or prolapse symptoms and reduce the pregnancy complications in the near future.

Have patience. Your pregnancy has just begun. You may feel many ups and downs in your mood and physical appearance. Do not lose hope if you are facing slight problems. Follow your doctor’s advice. You can consult your doctor about the food to be taken during 3rd month of pregnancy. Stay positive and all the best!!!

Disclaimer: Make sure that this generic advice is good for you in all manners. All the suggestions, diet plans, and tests must be cross-checked with your doctor as they may vary based on your medical history or health conditions. Hence, it is advisable to consult a doctor before adhering to any of them.

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Myra Guran
Myra Guran
Most importantly, I am a mum of two beautiful babies. And I read and discuss a lot about pregnancy and kids and sometimes write about them. I hope my monthly pregnancy guides or digests are helpful for pregnant ladies.
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