Sharing the best third trimester must haves and self care tips for pregnancy in 2023!
Our baby boy has arrived! We are all doing great and are so in love with him. I can’t believe he is finally here! I’ll share his birth story and more of an update soon! Also make sure to check out his nursery design if you missed it! For now, I’m rounding out my top pregnancy must-haves by sharing 10 third trimester must-haves and tips!
The items I’m sharing below really helped me stay as comfortable as possible during the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy. I’m also sharing a few experiences and self-care ideas that were super helpful and relaxing!
Also, kind of related … how cute are these maternity dresses?! They are options I ordered for my baby shower and I really liked all of them! I’ll link them below in case you are also looking for a cute and affordable baby shower dress –
SHOP BABY SHOWER MATERNITY DRESSES HERE:
Third Trimester Must-Haves for Pregnancy in 2023
1. Exercise Ball
A large exercise ball makes a great seat during your third trimester! I used one as my computer desk chair when I worked in an office during my first two pregnancies, and use one when I’m sitting around the house as well. I find that they help with my posture, back and hip pain, and are more comfortable to sit on than a hard chair. They are also great for labor prep and helping baby move into a good position, and can be used during labor as well! Bonus – my kids love to play with it too so I can pass it along to them after I have the baby 🙂
2. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
My midwife recommended drinking 1-3 cups of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea daily starting around 36 weeks (check with your doctor first before starting). Red raspberry leaf tea is often claimed to help decrease labor time, strengthen the uterus, and improve labor outcomes. It also has benefits postpartum, like regulating your hormones and cycle, and increasing milk supply.
3. Evening Primrose Oil
Evening Primrose Oil was another recommendation from my midwife to prep for labor. It is often recommended as a natural way to induce labor by softening and thinning out the cervix. There is no real way to know for sure if it helped, but I took this at the end of my last pregnancy and this pregnancy and both of my labors were very quick! Again make sure to talk to your doctor or midwife before starting.
4. Maternity Belly Band
With all three of my pregnancies, I’ve had a very round “basketball shaped” belly that sits low and sticks wayyyy out, haha. Towards the end of my third trimester, the weight of my belly was causing me so much pain in my lower back and hips. Using a maternity belly band really helped take some pressure off of my back. There are a lot of affordable options on Amazon so it is definitely something worth trying if you are having back or hip pain, or lots of round ligament pain.
5. Comfortable Slip-On Shoes
It becomes really hard and uncomfortable to bend over to put shoes on towards the end of my pregnancies, so some comfortable slip-on shoes were a must! I really love the Birkenstock clogs for the arch support (or Birkenstock sandals if the weather is warmer) and they kept my feet warm too.
6. Acupressure Mat
I been really loving my acupressure mat since getting it last year! There are a ton of benefits, including neck, back, and foot pain relief, stress relief, chronic headache relief, and boosting energy levels. I use mine right before bed often to help me relax. I notice after using the acupressure mat I fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep (which is really helpful when dealing with pregnancy insomnia). I also love that it is a natural way to relieve headaches and back pain during pregnancy. Here is a less expensive option as well.
Self-Care Tips for the 3rd Trimester
7. Work on a Project for Baby
This is kind of random, but I have crocheted a baby blanket for all three of my babies while I was pregnant with them. My two older sons still sleep with their’s and I hope our new baby boy will love his too! It’s something special from me to them that I hope they’ll have forever, and I love working on it while I’m pregnant, imagining who the baby inside my belly will turn into. I find crocheting really relaxing too, and it is something I enjoy working on at night while I’m watching a show or listening to a podcast. It can look complicated but it is really easy to learn (look on you tube for tutorials)! Here is the pattern that I used for baby boy #3’s checkered baby blanket (I did make it slightly bigger and used a different yarn).
8. Foot Reflexology
Similar to the acupressure mat, foot reflexology really helped me relax during my third trimester. It can also help you sleep, and is a great way to combat any swelling in your legs, ankles and feet during pregnancy. I highly recommend finding an acupressure massage location near you and trying it out (they are everywhere but do some research and read reviews to find a good, clean one). I love that I can go for a quick 30 minute massage, and it is very inexpensive (I pay about $30 for 30 mins and it is so worth it!). A lot of the time I’ll bring my iPad with me and will get some work done during the massage – perfect passive multi-tasking opportunity!
9. Massage
If you have a little more time on your hands, treat yourself to a full body prenatal massage. Again it will help you get a better night of sleep, helps with any muscle or joint pain and swelling, and will relax you which helps your body prep for labor. The prenatal massage pillows they use are so comfortable too 🙂
10. Float Therapy
I love taking epsom salt baths, and recently tried Float Therapy for the first time and loved it! The sensory deprivation is kind of a strange experience (time seemed to go by so fast) but it was very grounding and calming. I noticed my back pain go away about 5 minutes after starting my float and I slept great that night. Another random plus was my hair felt great for the next week, haha. Here are some other benefits of float therapy while pregnant –
- Dopamine and Endorphin release
- Meditation, calmness, relaxation and rest
- Weightlessness to relieve heaviness, aching joints, muscles and varicosities
- Reduces swelling and lowering blood pressure
- Promotes bonding “the mirror effect” of you and your baby floating in similar environments
I hope these Third Trimester Must-Haves and self care tips help you relax and find some comfort during the end of your pregnancy! Please leave a comment below if you have any additional tips that helped you that I left out!
SHOP THIRD TRIMESTER MUST-HAVES HERE:
Make sure to check out my First Trimester Must-Haves and Second Trimester Must-Haves posts as well!
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