A Complete Third Trimester To-Do List

Now that you’re in the third trimester, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. This third-trimester to-do list can help you get ready for your baby.

Third Trimester To-Do List

Work Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Your pelvic floor muscles can help you out a lot during labor. If they are strong, you may be able to push out your baby a lot faster. Pelvic floor exercises can strengthen them. Even if you are planning on having a c-section, you can still benefit from pelvic exercises. Strong pelvic floor muscles can improve your recovery and help you have better bladder control.

Eat the Right Number of Calories

You may be tempted to eat everything in sight. However, this isn’t good for you or your baby. Excessive weight gain can make you feel extremely uncomfortable during your third trimester. You should only be eating about 300 extra calories if you are pregnant with one baby. Try to eat whole grains, lean meat, fruit and vegetables.

Stay Active

There are all sorts of exercises that you can probably still do. Walking or lifting light weights is safe for most pregnant women. These exercises can help you deal with stiffness or muscle cramps. Just make sure that you check with your doctor first to ensure that it won’t be harmful to you or your baby.

Cook Meals That You Can Freeze

Once your baby arrives, you will probably feel too tired to cook. You can keep from eating out all of the time by making some meals now that you can put in the freezer. Things like baked chicken, lasagna and chili are great options.

Find Someone to Care for Your Other Children or Pets

You may have other children or pets that depend on you. You will need to find care for them while you are having your baby. Talk to your friends, family members or even a neighbor to see if they can provide care. Just make sure that their availability is flexible as you won’t know when you will actually go into labor. It’s also a good idea to have a back-up plan just in case the first choice falls through.

Install the Car Seat

The beginning of your third trimester is the perfect time to install your baby’s car seat. Your baby won’t be able to come home from the hospital without one. Car seats can be a little tricky to install, and you need to give yourself enough time to make sure that you are able to correctly install it into your car.

Map Out the Route to the Hospital

You probably already know where the hospital is. However, you need to map out a route to get there just in case there’s traffic or road closures. Drive from your house and your job to the hospital a few times to see exactly how long it takes. This will help you plan accordingly if you happen to go into labor abruptly.

Make Sure Everything Is Packed in Your Hospital Bag

You will most likely be in the hospital for several days after you have your baby, and you need to make sure that you have everything you need with you. Even if you’ve already packed your hospital bag, you still need to look through it to ensure that you haven’t forgotten anything. In addition to items for yourself, you need to pack items for the baby as well. While the hospital will likely provide a few things like diapers, wipes and formula during your stay, you do need to pack extras of these items as well as clothes and blankets for your baby.

You’ve finally made it to your third trimester, and you will soon be holding your little bundle of joy in your arms. Before you deliver, you need to do some things to prepare for the birth of your baby. By using the checklist of things to do above, you can ensure that you will be ready when the time comes for your little bundle of joy to arrive.