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Don’t Miss:2,200-Calorie Healthy-Pregnancy Meal Plan
What’s Going On in Your Body
What Cramping During Your Third Trimester May Mean
Important Nutrients
Recipe to Try:Cocoa-Chia Pudding with Raspberries
Iron:Found in meat, poultry, seafood, beans and dark leafy greens.
Omega-3 fatty acids:Found in fatty fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds and fortified foods.
“Babies store up most of the iron they’ll need for the first few months after birth during the last trimester, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough iron from food and supplements (only as prescribed),” says Tolbert. “You’ll find iron in foods like leafy greens, beans, meat and poultry. When you can, pair your iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C to enhance absorption,” she said. Red bell peppers, kale, oranges and strawberries are packed with vitamin C.
Can You Induce Labor with Food?
Recipe to Try:Almond-Stuffed Dates
If you are past the 40-week mark, odds are you are searching for any way to induce labor. “Every family and culture has its own traditions and folklore around labor-inducing foods-but there’s no hard proof any of them work,” says Tolbert. However, “consider adding dates to your diet in your last trimester,” she says. “There’s some research suggesting they help ripen your cervix, which might speed up labor once it’s underway.” Studies have shown that eating dates in the last two to four weeks before delivery increases cervical ripening. However, in one study, women had to consume six dates per day for this effect. Check with your doctor before going this route, especially if you have gestational diabetes, as one date delivers 18 grams of carbohydrate.
Exercise During the Third Trimester
Exercise might be the last thing on your mind in this trimester as you feel you can barely walk, let alone go to a Spinning class or lift weights. Listen to your body and do what feels best. “Foam rolling, stretching and prenatal yoga can help alleviate pains and aches,” saysKayla Mehr, a NASM- and pre- and postnatal-certified personal trainer in Boston. Stay away from tennis, skiing or anything that could take a hit at your belly. Walking is perfect for low-impact cardio.
Most importantly, “Take each day as its own day and move your body because it feels great and gives you energy, not because you are trying out for the Olympics,” says Tara Mazanec, a personal trainer in Boston. “That said, planks, foam rolling and Half Pigeon [pose] definitely helped if my hips started to get cranky.”
Recipe:Chia Seed Pudding
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