$Unique_ID{PAR00431}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Pregnancy:  The Seventh Month:  Your Changing Body}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Ellis, Jeffrey W
Ellis, Maria}
$Subject{Seventh Month Changing Body discomfort hormone hormones placenta
uterus amniotic fluid large heavy mood swings discomforts varicose veins
Hemorrhoids constipated constipation painful bowel movements burning itching
rectal pain swelling feet ankles legs groin vagina hips ligaments round
ligament pain progesterone joint loosening joints pelvis}
$Log{
Your Changing Body (Seventh Month)*0043101.tif
29-30 Week Fetus, female*0060213.tif
31-Week Fetus, male*0060214.tif}

Miracle of Birth


The Seventh Month:  Your Changing Body


     The seventh month marks the start of your last trimester of pregnancy.
This is usually considered to be the time of greatest physical discomfort
during pregnancy.  But this is understandable, since the production of
hormones by the placenta is at its highest level, and your uterus--containing
baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid--has become quite large and heavy.  In
addition, the mood swings that you may have experienced earlier in pregnancy
have now resumed.  With all of this going on, you maybe quite ready for your
baby to be born.
     The new discomforts that you will experience this month are caused mainly
by the increasing size and weight of your uterus.  Remember that by the
seventh month of your pregnancy, you have probably gained at least 15 pounds
and your baby now weighs about two-and-a-half to three pounds.  This added
weight is bound to cause discomfort.
     Many women develop varicose veins during the third trimester.  As is the
case with stretch marks, you are more likely to have varicose veins if your
mother or sisters had them during their pregnancies.  Varicose veins arise as
a result of your uterus pressing against the large blood vessels in your
pelvis and abdomen.  Since these are the same blood vessels that carry blood
from your legs back up to your heart, pressure on them will cause the blood to
flow more slowly.  As a result, the veins in your legs will become overfilled
with blood.  As the veins enlarge, they'll be clearly visible through your
skin, especially after you have been standing for a long time.  The walls of
the veins maybe stretched to the point here they will never go back to normal,
and you may develop permanent varicose veins.
     Hemorrhoids also commonly develop at this stage of pregnancy.
Hemorrhoids are enlarged, blood-filled veins in your rectum that, like
varicose veins in the legs, result from the pressure of the uterus on blood
vessels in the pelvis.  In addition, hemorrhoids may develop as a result of
irritation caused by straining when you are constipated.  Symptoms of
hemorrhoids include painful bowel movements and burning, itching, or pain in
the rectal area.
     Another change that you may be noticing is swelling of your feet, ankles,
and legs.  Like hemorrhoids and varicose veins, this swelling results from
the uterus pressing on blood vessels in the abdomen and pelvis.  In this case,
however, the swelling is caused by fluid that is forced out of your blood
vessels and into the tissues of the legs.  Swelling is especially noticeable
after you have been standing or sitting for long periods.
     During your seventh month, it is also common to develop an aching pain in
the groin, vagina, and hips, especially after standing.  This, too, may be
caused by the uterus pressing on blood vessels in the abdomen and pelvis.
Another factor is the stretching of certain bands of tissue, called ligaments,
that hold the uterus in place; this so-called "round ligament pain" is often
felt in the groin and vagina.  In addition, the hormone progesterone causes a
loosening of the joints in the pelvis and this may cause pain in the groin and
hips.