The R+F Blog

Preparing for baby’s arrival: Third Trimester

Preparing for baby’s arrival: Third Trimester

Helping you prepare for your baby’s arrival

Welcome to your third trimester! Now that you’re counting the weeks (even days!) until baby’s arrival it’s time to take care of a few things before that little one arrives.

Read below our suggestions for final preparations in your third trimester, and then use our Newborn Checklist to make sure you’ve got all the essentials on hand.

Make a birth plan

An important part of your preparation is making a birth plan with your midwife, obstetrician, doula or specialist doctor. The plan should describe your wishes for the labor, birth and any additional support you may require. A birth plan is also useful if your midwife can’t be with you during labor, as backup support will know what your wishes are.

Some things to consider when writing your plan:

  • Where you want to give birth – at home, in a birthing center or in hospital
  • Who you want with you during the birth
  • How you would like to give birth
  • What pain relief you would like, if any
  • What you would like to do with the afterbirth/placenta
  • Postpartum care

 Take a newborn care class

If you’re a first time parent, you may like to take a newborn care class to run through the basics of caring for you and baby. Such as How to Change a Diaper, swaddling, soothing and feeding.

 Schedule maternity photos or art

While the end of your pregnancy might feel like a long time coming, the final trimester will sneak up on you. You may like to organize a creative way to document your final stages of pregnancy, such as a maternity or family photoshoot, getting a cast taken of your bump, or creating a keepsake. Find more inspiration on our Pinterest board.

 Get comfortable

The third trimester of pregnancy can get pretty uncomfortable as your baby (and belly!) grows and as your body starts to prepare for childbirth. You may experience abdominal pain, lower back and hip pain, restless legs, even insomnia.

Quick tips to helping you get comfy:

  • Take a warm bath
  • Sit in chairs with good back support, or try an exercise ball
  • Get a prenatal massage
  • Try a body pillow for extra back, hip and tummy support at night

Read and print out our ultimate newborn checklist to make sure you’ve got all the essentials before the baby arrives.

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