At the very end of pregnancy, your baby and uterus will have got so big that it will be difficult to move around. You will hardly be able to tie your shoelaces, or wipe yourself after going to the bathroom, or keep your balance when you walk down the stairs. But those are not the only things; you might have had trouble sleeping from the second trimester onwards, but at the very end of pregnancy your uterine size alone will be enough to keep you awake. When your tummy is that big, it can be Mission Impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
In the last few weeks of pregnancy, your ever growing uterus will become the main obstacle when it comes to getting some good quality shut-eye. It is not at all unusual to actually experience a decrease in the number of pregnancy symptoms you have as you approach your estimated due date (EDD). Perhaps, frequent episodes of heartburn are no longer troubling you, and you generally feel good. But still, the majority of women find that getting a full night’s sleep is not an easy task in this stage of pregnancy. Perhaps it is a preparation for after your baby is born?
Your baby, meanwhile, is fully formed but is still gaining weight – as much as 25 grams every day! During these final weeks before the birth of your baby, his or her head will descend into your pelvis, something that will give more space to your internal organs and will change the shape of your tummy. Once that happens, you might feel a bit more comfortable, but it is still likely that you will wake up frequently during the night. Once your baby “drops”, your bladder will once again be put under a lot of stress and you will need to pee more often.