Third-Trimester Discomforts: Solutions for Back Pain, Swelling, and Sleep Issues

If you’ve started or you’re already in your third trimester of pregnancy, nobody has to tell you that the next few months are starting off to be quite uncomfortable. While being uncomfortable is part of going through the last three months of pregnancy, it doesn’t have to be unbearable, especially once you realize there are things you can do about it. If you’re experiencing any type of third-trimester discomforts, keep reading for some very helpful tips.

Common Discomforts During the Third Trimester

From aches and pains to sleep problems and so much more, the third trimester of pregnancy can be a real challenge. The thing is that you can help yourself feel much better if you know how, and below are a handful of pregnancy issues that can be remedied easily.

1. Hip or Back Pain

Hip or lower back pain during pregnancy is common because at this point, your body is making extra progesterone so your muscles and joints can relax enough to accommodate the uterus, which is growing quite a bit. Unfortunately, between this and the fact that your posture often changes due to your growing belly, it can cause you a lot of pain.

To relieve hip or back pain, there are two things you can do. First, you can purchase a good pregnancy support belt and wear it all the time. These belts are made for pregnant women and fit over and underneath your belly, and they are perfectly safe to wear. Second, you can place pillows under the hips whenever you sit down, or even sit on an exercise ball whenever you can.

2. Urinating More Frequently Than Usual

As if it isn’t hard enough to sleep when you’re pregnant because of the size of your tummy, you may find that you’re getting up to urinate much more frequently when you’re in your third trimester. This usually happens because the baby is often pressing down on your bladder and because the amount of fluids in your body has now doubled over what they were when you weren’t pregnant.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot that you can do about it. You have to stay hydrated, so don’t stop drinking liquids just because you’re peeing a lot. If you like, you can stop drinking liquids after a certain time in the evening, but even this doesn’t always help. This problem is usually something that pregnant women can’t make go away.

3. Edema (Swelling)

Swelling in pregnancy is worse during the third trimester and usually affects your lower extremities, such as your feet and ankles, more than the other parts of your body. Most of the swelling is caused by the extra volume of blood produced by the body, most of which pools in your lower limbs. While your hands can also swell, this isn’t as common as your legs, feet, and ankles swelling.

The best thing you can do to relieve the swelling is to make sure that you don’t remain on your feet for long periods of time. If you have a job that requires you to be on your feet a lot, try to take a break every few hours and elevate your feet for roughly ten minutes before getting back on your feet again. In fact, even if you’re not required to stand, it’s still a good idea to stay off of your feet as much as possible.

4. Reflux or Tummy Problems

Tummy problems during the third trimester of pregnancy can include feeling fuller quicker, and it’s because the bigger your uterus becomes, the more it pushes up against the stomach. In addition, the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach doesn’t work all that great when you’re pregnant, so this can cause you to feel full to the point of discomfort even if you haven’t eaten that much.

The main remedy for this is to try to eat five or six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three larger ones. Avoid acidic or spicy foods to avoid acid reflux, and don’t eat for two hours before you go to bed. If the reflux gets too bad or if you’re suffering with it constantly, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor.

5. Restless Leg Syndrome

Simply put, restless leg syndrome makes you feel like your legs need to move, which can cause even more sleep problems during pregnancy. To make it even more complicated, no one knows for sure why it happens to pregnant women so often. Having said that, there are a few things that you can do to help reduce the feeling of having to move your legs while you’re in bed.

First of all, stay hydrated. The more hydrated the muscles are, the more relaxed they’ll be and the less likely you’ll have the urge to move them. Vitamin D and calcium supplements also help, as does a brisk walk or even massaging the legs before you get into bed. Some women have also sworn by ice packs or heat packs, which you can use right before you go to bed.

Conclusion

Restless leg syndrome, swelling in the lower part of your body, pain in the hip or back area, tummy or reflux problems, and frequent urination are all very common during the third trimester of pregnancy, but with the exception of having to pee a lot, there are methods you can adopt to make the problems a little less severe. Most of all, being kind to your body and using some common sense can also help a lot.