Third trimester worries

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We've booked a holiday and I'll be 30 weeks pregnant. Will I be able to fly?

My bump is so big I can’t get comfortable at night. How can I get some sleep?

My fingers hurt and keep going numb. Why is this?

I run regularly but I’m 29 weeks now. Is it safe to carry on?

I'm worried about meeting my baby. What if I don't love them? 

From going on holidays to running in pregnancy, we answer some common concerns about the third trimester.

We've booked a holiday and I'll be 30 weeks pregnant. Will I be able to fly?

If you have a healthy pregnancy, it should be safe to fly at 30 weeks, though you’ll need to take some precautions first.

Most airlines won’t let you fly after 37 weeks, or 32 weeks if you’re having twins or triplets. You should always check with your particular airline, as they all have their own rules.

If you are over 28 weeks, some airlines will ask you for a letter from your midwife or doctor confirming your due date and saying that they are happy for you to fly.

If you’re flying out of the country, you must check that you are covered by travel and medical insurance. Check that your insurance will cover you for pregnancy and baby care throughout the whole of your holiday. This is important – if you went into labour early, maternity care and the care and transport home of a premature baby could cost thousands of pounds.

Talk your travel plans through with your midwife before you book particularly if you have had any complications during your pregnancy. If you need immunisations to visit a particular country, you need to check whether they are safe in pregnancy.

Download or take your antenatal notes with you. During the flight, it’s even more important than usual to avoid coffee, tea and alcohol. Be sure to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

You are at higher risk of developing a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) in pregnancy. If your flight is more than four hours long:

• Wear loose clothes and comfortable shoes, plus graduated elastic compression stockings. Ask your midwife for advice, as these are different from normal flight socks.
• Keep moving your feet and get up to walk around as often as you can. Try to get an aisle seat to make this easier if you can.
• Drink water throughout the flight.

Planning a babymoon? See our top 5 tips.

My bump is so big I can’t get comfortable at night. How can I get some sleep?

It can be hard to get to sleep when you’re so big and uncomfortable. It doesn’t help that some babies are more active at night, which could also keep you awake. Then, when you do finally drop off, you may find yourself needing the loo several times a night, too.

Use as many pillows as you need around your bump. You can also try putting pillows between your knees – do whatever feels comfortable for you.  

Pelvic pain can make it hard to get comfortable on your side.  Pelvic pain conditions are common in pregnancy. If you’re finding it difficult to sleep on your side, check out more about pelvic pain symptoms and treatment.

Avoid lying on your back in the third trimester, as the weight from your baby can put pressure on a major blood vessel. This is not good for your baby. Once you have a bump, you’ll probably find that you naturally avoid lying on your back as it’s not comfortable.

If you wake up on your back, don’t panic. Just turn over onto your side before going back to sleep. Read more about why sleeping on your side is best for your baby.

If you still can’t sleep, try gently massaging your tummy and practising your breathing and relaxation techniques from your antenatal classes. Doing some gentle exercise, such as pregnancy yoga, during the day may also help you sleep better at night.  

Your mental and emotional wellbeing can also affect your sleep. Find out more about how to manage mental health and wellbeing in pregnancy.

See our guide to getting more sleep in pregnancy.

My fingers hurt and keep going numb. Why is this?

Even your fingers can be affected by pregnancy! If you find your fingers, hand or arm are becoming numb, painful or weak, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. This often affects people whose job involves repetitive hand movements, such as working on a keyboard, and pregnancy increases the risk.

Carpal tunnel symptoms typically come on slowly, and often feel worse at night. It usually gets better on its own within a few months, but there are a few things you can try in the meantime:

• Try to cut down on activities that make the pain worse, such as typing or other repetitive hand movements.
• Ask your local pharmacist about a wrist splint.
• If the pain is affecting your daily life, ask your midwife about taking paracetamol.
• Give your hands a shake to help relieve pain at night.
• Try these simple hand exercises from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
• If you’re struggling to cope with the pain, talk to your doctor or midwife.

See more common pregnancy health problems and how to deal with them.

I run regularly but I’m 29 weeks now. Is it safe to carry on?

As you’re used to running, it’s safe and healthy for you to carry on in pregnancy as long as you feel comfortable. Just try to avoid your heart rate getting so high that you can’t hold a conversation while you run.

It’s also important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Warm up before you run and cool down afterwards.  

As your bump grows, your centre of gravity changes, and running may become uncomfortable. The hormone Relaxin loosens your ligaments, which means there is less support for your knees, ankles and back when you’re running. These could both make you more at risk of injury. 

Running in pregnancy will also put pressure on your pelvic floor muscles so it’s important to do your pelvic floor exercises all through your pregnancy and beyond. Your breasts may be tender and uncomfortable when you run so you should wear a good sports bra that supports them.

Your bump will be growing fast now, and you may find that fairly soon you might prefer to switch to low-impact exercise, such as walking or swimming. See how you’re feeling and talk to your midwife about what is right for you.

Learn more about running and other types of exercise in pregnancy.

I'm worried about meeting my baby. What if I don't love them?

It can be very hard to imagine loving someone you haven’t met yet! However, there are some lovely ways to bond with your baby in the third trimester.

Just as you can feel your baby turning, kicking and even hiccupping inside you during these last few months, your baby can hear your voice and feel your touch. Try gently stroking your tummy, plus talking, reading or even singing to your bump.

Some new parents feel an intense love for their babies when they are born. For many others, it takes a few weeks or even months to adjust and grow into loving their baby. Either way, it’s entirely normal. It doesn’t have to be love at first sight for you to be a great parent.

If you’re worried about how you feel now or after the birth, talk to your doctor, midwife or health visitor.

The weeks after the birth can be an intensely emotional time, so it’s good to plan ahead. It’s especially useful to arrange for someone to help mind your baby and allow you to get enough sleep to recover from the birth.

Learn more about bonding with your baby, or check out our pregnancy and post-birth wellbeing plan.

Learn more about the third trimester.