Pregnancy Checklist Third trimester (A Guide for Expectant Nigerian Mothers)

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Keeping a pregnancy checklist serves as a reminder all through the three trimesters. This article will help you plan and track your antenatal appointments, do your baby shopping on a budget, shop for everything you need, take some memorable maternity photo shoots with your pregnancy, choose your baby names, plan your baby’s naming ceremony and birthdays. You can even keep a reminder as to when to pack your hospital bag for delivery. Read on

Third Trimester (Week 29- 32)

Here in Nigeria some people see it as a taboo to announce their pregnancy probably because they feel something may go wrong (miscarriage)if they do but It’s still ok if you choose to be quiet about it, pregnancy announces itself as it progresses.

Most women end up having unexpected labour at 6 – 8 month and end up having pre-term babies. If you are a working mother ensure you consult your HR department to fix your maternity leave and also find out if you will be paid or not. Always be prepared, find out who will cover for you when you go on maternity leave. Get your assignments done, avoid left overs. 

Look for a good Day cay center for your baby or a baby sitter to help you out when your leave expires and you are going back to work.

Create a chart of some basic food such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, sweet potatoes, yogurt, beans etc. Learn to drink enough water up to 8 glasses per day and eat healthy to add additional calories daily for yourself and your growing baby. 

As your pregnancy progresses, you gain more weight and your fingers begin to swell. At this stage, it will be best if take off your wedding ring before they get stuck on your finger. Ensure the weight gained during pregnancy is healthy and proportionate to your pregnancy stage. 

Give yourself a memorable treat; hire a professional photographer to capture this beautiful moment  on camera. Take some lovely maternity photo shoot alone and some with your spouse. Spend quality time with your spouse before your baby arrives, stroll out in the evenings. Make out time to put down some of your pregnancy experiences.

Start learning how to care for a newborn baby like how to bath a newborn baby,  how to change diaper for  a newborn baby and Breastfeeding Tips. 

Pack your bag ready for the hospital, find out the essential things to take along. See our list of What to Pack in My Hospital Bag in Preparation For Labour & Delivery (Nigerian Women)  and learn more about coping with labour pain and stages of labour , expecially for first time mothers.

Start preparing your home for your baby’s arrival, do some clean ups of your house and assemble your baby gear e.g Cribs, nursery, monitor and buy additional rechargeable batteries e.t.c

Infants are sensitive and easily irritated; ensure to wash your baby’s clothes with gentle detergent.

Stock up on household supplies: To avoid going to the market with your newborn, consider, stocking up your freezer with some cooked food and frozen food. If you wish to shop for toiletries, extra underwear, tissue paper and essential baby items from an online stores in Nigeria like baby soap, clothing, blankets, bottles, nursing pads and bras, diapers and wipes and more.

At the later stage of pregnancy, some unusual signs will begin to surface. Make a plan and find out from your doctor or mid wife on how to go about the following signs:

• Labour and contraction signs or premature labour signs 
• How to manage labour before reaching the hospital,
• Who to call on emergency labour sets in or in case of any complication
• What to do when your due date is past

RELATED: Pregnancy Checklist 1st and 2nd Trimesters

Conclusion: Now you have an idea what to do within this timeline all through the three trimesters.

With this pregnancy to do list, you are prepared to before your delivery day.

Did you find this article is helpful? Please leave us a comment. Read more on what to expect the first year