Not sure what essentials you’ll need for your 3rd trimester of pregnancy? Find out now! You’ll be glad you did!
So, you‘ve made it to trimester three!
Baby’s due date is approaching fast.
Are you ready?!
The last three months of pregnancy tend to be the hardest because the baby has grown so much (and is still growing!).
It’s important to start preparing for the big day right around the time you enter trimester three.
And not only that, but you need to make sure you’re taking excellent care of yourself, too.
Even before the baby arrives, your motherly instincts will kick in.
You’ll find yourself staying on top of all the things the baby needs. But what about you, mama?
Here are 16 things you must get your hands on for you and baby during your third trimester.
16 Pregnancy Must-Haves In Your Third Trimester
1. Pregnancy Checklist
My guess is that your pregnancy brain has already kicked on, making it hard to remember things.
Since your plate is already full, a pregnancy checklist is essential to keeping your mind at rest. I’d rather follow a checklist any day than to try to call to memory a long list of things I have to do.
Besides, my lists are always growing!
When you’re nesting and preparing for the baby to come, even the most important things can slip through the cracks. A simple checklist is all you need to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
2. Birthing Planning Class
If you’re just entering your third trimester, labor and delivery may see like a ways away. So why think about it now?
Here’s why, there are so many benefits to early preparation. You never know when situations surrounding your pregnancy might shift without notice. Deciding what you want and how you want it is going to make you feel empowered.
If you’re high risk, there will be some definite limitations. However, there are still things you can put in place to make your baby’s arrival what you want it to be.
Remember, online birthing classes should include all of the small details starting from the time you begin labor. This could mean making arrangements for grandma and gramps to watch your other children while you’re at the hospital.
Here are some additional things to think about when you take a birthing class online:
- Where will you have your baby (at home, the hospital, a birthing center?)
- Will you be given pain medication for a vaginal birth?
- Do you want your baby to be given vaccines after you give birth?
At a minimum, you definitely want to nail down these decisions before labor.
3. Full Body Pillow
Comfort should be a priority, especially in your last trimester. What I love about full body pillows is that they can be used for different things.
You can use it to sleep comfortably now, and also use it after the baby comes for a nursing pillow.
Back pain is one of those things you need to consistently try to prevent. It’s much harder to reverse the damage than to prevent it altogether.
You won’t have to purchase a boppy for nursing support, you can simply use your pregnancy pillow!
4. Car Seat
Get your baby’s car seat ready. You don’t need to install it in your car just yet if you prefer not to. Just keep in mind that you will have to have the car seat properly installed before leaving the hospital with your baby.
Make sure you and your partner know how to safely install it. If your partner is the one who will drive you and baby home from the hospital, make sure he knows how it works ahead of time.
Before you go into labor, take a day to learn all the proper safety measures you need to keep your baby safe in a car seat.
5. Breast Pump
Do you plan on nursing? Your baby’s going to love it! Now’s the time to begin evaluating your breast pump options.
Find out whether your insurance will cover the cost of the pump. In many cases they do! Your milk won’t come in until after your baby is born. However, making sure you either have the pump or will have it by the time your baby arrives is what’s important.
You don’t want to spend the first week or so after delivery without the supplies you need to keep your stress levels down things running smoothly.
And all the more if you’ll be returning to work shortly after you give birth. My best advice is to get a head start on storing breastmilk for when you maternity leave is over.
6. Nursing Bra
I’d recommend getting just one or two nursing bras to begin with because you don’t know for sure how many you’ll need.
If you don’t plan to breastfeed, it still helps to have a couple because the first 3 days or so your breast will feel as hard as a rock!
Breast engorgement means you’ll need a larger size, and more comfortable bra.
It’s a sure enough way to facilitate breastfeeding as well.
7. Birthing Ball
A birthing ball is super beneficial if you’re giving birth vaginally. Sitting on one helps you prepare your body for labor.
A birthing ball is recommended if you’re having a vaginal birth because it helps your body to work with you during the process.
8. Stroller
As you’re healing, doing light forms of exercise will help you feel more refreshed and energetic rather than exhausted.
A stroller will make it easier to get outdoors with a baby. If you’re like me you’ll enjoy the stroller more than a carrier since you’ve had to carry your baby already for the past nine months! 🙂
If you are pregnant with twins, check out the stroller I used and absolutely loved when my twins were babies.
9. Have Your Baby’s Items Ready
Don’t wait until the last week to check your list two or even three times just to make sure you have everything you need for your baby to come home.
During your final stages of pregnancy, your mind is already going to be at work thinking about so many different things.
Also, if there are any tools or supplies which will help you care for yourself or baby more efficiently, add it to your list.
What tools will save you time in the kitchen? What items will help you stay organized? You might love to cook now, but you need to simplify the meals process as much as possible for your first six weeks postpartum.
10. Stretch Mark Cream
If by your third trimester, you’ve managed to have no stretch marks, it’s a miracle! But keep in mind, they still might try to creep up. Your baby grows the most during the last month of pregnancy.
Apply stretch mark cream daily to help keep them under control. Even if you don’t have any now, it’s all the more reason to use cream to prevent it!
Once you get stretch marks, that’s it! There’s no turning back.
11. Water Bottle
Drinking plenty of water each day should be a regular habit. But even more when you’re pregnant!
But hey, it’s one thing we just don’t do even though we know we should. Soda tastes better, and so does juice. And coffee!
Stay motivated by having your water bottle nearby, mama. Water cleanses your body and can prevent you from having low levels of amniotic fluid, which is a risk to your baby.
12. Pregnancy Journal
Journaling is a great way to document your pregnancy journey. It doesn’t have to be fancy. If you find it hard to think of what to say, get out your journal writing prompts. This is something I wish I’d done more of when I was prego.
Looking back, I can hardly remember so many of the small details. You’ll enjoy going back to read your pregnancy journal later on.
13. Baby Hand and Footprint Kit
You already know you absolutely must capture all of your abby’s precious moments because they go so fast. Once the first weeks and months have passed, you won’t be able to get that time back.
Baby keepsakes are one of those things you’ll hold onto for the rest of your life.
Life changes drastically when you’re postpartum. You’re very busy! By setting aside your kit now, all you have to do is pull it from the shelf when you have the time. 🙂
14. Stool Softener
Are you experiencing mild to severe constipation? You absolutely need to have stool softener on standby. If you’re prone to periods of constipation, consider taking stool softener in your final weeks of pregnancy as a preventative measure.
You do not want to go into labor (especially vaginal) while you’re constipated.
Be sure to check with your doctor before taking stool softener, even if it’s over the counter.
15. Waterproof Mattress
Your water’s going to break somewhere! And it may be more than a trickle. In which case, you want to protect your bed by covering it with a waterproof pad.
This type of mattress cover is always useful when you have children in the home also.
16. Pregnancy Self Care App
How often do you check in with…you, mama? Are you taking time each day for yourself?
Self care means choosing to love yourself enough to do the small things that you’ll soon be doing for your baby.
You love your baby. That love is expressed through feeding and bathing. This might sound funny, but here’s a great place to start loving yourself:
- Take your refreshing showers in the morning and maintain your beautiful appearance
- Take 20 minutes the one things you feel you need everyday (this could be sketching, reading a book, or writing in your journal)
- Doing mental exercises that help you to regulate your thoughts
If you struggle to make time for yourself because there are so many other things to do, check out these self care apps. They’ll help you!
To Sum Up
Having all the things you need on hand for you and baby will ease your stress.
Your third trimester is going to fly by quickly. Early preparation and lots of self love and care are going to take you through healthily until the end.
Have you found this list helpful? What are your 3rd trimester must-haves? Let me know in the comments.
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