The third trimester of pregnancy can definitely seem to be the longest. By the time you are in your third trimester, you are over the initial shock and/or surprise of being pregnant. You have been through the early symptoms like morning sickness. You have just finished the “golden days” of the second trimester, where you feel the best during your pregnancy. For the third trimester, it seems like all you do is grow and grow and wait and wait. Being patient during the third trimester can be a challenge.
One of the best things that you can do to keep patient during the third trimester of pregnancy is to use stress management techniques. The fact of the matter is that those anxious and tired feelings often have much less to do with how your pregnancy is truly progressing than they do with how stressed you are. Relaxation techniques, moderate to mild exercise, and even just non-constructive down time can all help to put things into perspective. If you’re constantly stressed out, it will be very hard to be patient.
Being patient during the third trimester can be especially difficult if you are on bedrest. If you are on bedrest during your third trimester, there are some things that you can do to help to pass the time. You might catch up on some reading that you’ve been meaning to do. If you have a hobby that you can do from bed, such as knitting or crosstitch, you can certainly work on those things. If you don’t do one of those things, maybe it is time to start! You should also be willing to rely on your support system during the third trimester if you are on bedrest. Your husband, friends, and family can step in to take care of the things that you cannot take care of, and you should take advantage of it when someone asks you if they can help you out. By managing bedrest, you can be more patient during the third trimester.
It is very common for women in their third trimester to feel as though their pregnancy will never end. The good news is that, soon, your baby will indeed be born.