• Here are the key takeaways you shouldn’t miss from this episode:
  
• The third trimester is a mix of excitement and anxiety; moms experience weight gain, back pain, frequent urination, swelling, and emotional shifts.
• Baby movements are a crucial sign of well-being. Mothers should track them regularly and seek help if movements reduce.
• The nesting instinct is real; many parents feel a strong urge to prepare their homes for the baby’s arrival.
• Red-flag symptoms include reduced baby movements, water breakage, unusual discharge, severe headaches, and swelling; immediate medical attention is needed.
• Antenatal classes, pelvic exercises, and perineal massages can improve stamina, promote positive mindset, and potentially ease vaginal delivery.
• Birth planning, hospital bag essentials, and pain relief options (like epidurals, TENS, and walking) are vital to discuss and prepare in advance.
• It’s safe to work during the third trimester as long as the mother feels comfortable, but maintaining balance and avoiding stress is key.
• Common myths around pregnancy, such as exercise restrictions and travel bans in the third trimester, are debunked, and staying active is encouraged.
• Enjoying this phase and staying happy is Dr. Suhasini’s biggest advice: connect with your baby, trust your body, and embrace the experience.

Dr. Suhasini Inamdar has nearly 33+ years of experience in Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Laparoscopy, and Infertility. Dr. Suhasini Inamdar is currently associated with Motherhood Hospitals, Indranagar, Bangalore

Dr. Suhasini Inamdar is an expert in dealing with High-Risk Pregnancies; Bad Obstetrics History; Infertility Problems; Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) and Hysterectomy. Dr. Suhasini Inamdar has experience in postgraduate teaching for MRCOG and DNB. She has many research papers to her name.

Dr. Suhasini Inamdar’s motivation is to help women holistically. Dr. Suhasini Inamdar wants to help them overcome difficulties during their adolescence, pregnancy, period, and Menopause and to enable them to have a cheerful adolescence, smooth happy pregnancy, and content menopause.

0:06 – Fun intro: What the third trimester feels like
0:35 – Welcome to Episode 4: Introduction to the third trimester
0:59 – Guest introduction: Dr. Suhasini Inamdar
1:40 – Emotional journey of couples in the third trimester
3:54 – Common third trimester discomforts & what’s normal
8:17 – The nesting instinct: What it is and why it happens
10:18 – Importance of monitoring baby movements
12:07 – Tests and vaccinations in the third trimester
14:03 – Red flags moms should not ignore
17:03 – Antenatal classes, perineal massage, and exercises
19:41 – Rapid-fire: Birth plans, hospital bag, pain relief options
27:47 – Myth or fact: Third trimester misconceptions
30:02 – Unusual patient questions: Sex, saffron milk, and more
31:59 – Advice for working moms: Balancing work and pregnancy
Timestamps
0:06 – Fun intro: What the third trimester feels like
0:35 – Welcome to Episode 4: Introduction to the third trimester
0:59 – Guest introduction: Dr. Suhasini Inamdar
1:40 – Emotional journey of couples in the third trimester
3:54 – Common third trimester discomforts & what’s normal
8:17 – The nesting instinct: What it is and why it happens
10:18 – Importance of monitoring baby movements
12:07 – Tests and vaccinations in the third trimester
14:03 – Red flags moms should not ignore
17:03 – Antenatal classes, perineal massage, and exercises
19:41 – Rapid-fire: Birth plans, hospital bag, pain relief options
27:47 – Myth or fact: Third trimester misconceptions
30:02 – Unusual patient questions: Sex, saffron milk, and more
31:59 – Advice for working moms: Balancing work and pregnancy
33:09 – Final advice: Copy-paste-delete, choose your own pregnancy story
34:30 – Episode wrap-up and subscription reminder – Final advice: Copy-paste-delete, choose your own pregnancy story
34:30 – Episode wrap-up and subscription reminder

(0:00) Sahiba: You know how they say, the third trimester is when the real party begins. One minute you are glowing, the next you are waddling like a penguin, craving pickles at 2 am and googling, Is this a contraction or just gas? Baby kicks turn into full-blown somersaults, sleep takes a backseat, and suddenly it’s all getting very real. The countdown is on, and so is the chaos.
(0:35) Sahiba: Welcome back to the fourth episode of the Care Circle, a podcast series by Motherhood Hospitals. I’m your host, Sahiba and in today’s episode, we are diving into the third trimester, the final stretch before delivery. It’s a mix of emotion, and while it’s a beautiful phase, it also comes with its own set of challenges.
(0:59) Sahiba: Today, we have with us Dr. Suhasini Inamdar, who brings with her 33 years plus of experience and is a true trailblazer in women’s health. From high-risk pregnancies to infertility issues, she has successfully handled it all. A senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Motherhood Hospitals, Indiranagar, Bangalore, she is also a passionate teacher, researcher and mentor.
(1:28) Sahiba: Her mission is to support women through every stage of life from puberty to menopause with care, compassion and a big smile. Welcome to the Care Circle, Dr. Suhasini.
(1:40) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Thank you, Sahiba, and Namaskar. I am very happy that you included me today in this session of yours. This particular phase of the pregnancy is very close to my heart because at this time of the pregnancy, I see the couple getting too much into the plan of the treatment and looking forward to the arrival of the new one. So, yes, I am very happy and thank you for having me here.
(2:09) Sahiba: The first question that pops up in my mind when I think about the third trimester is how does the third trimester look like for a couple? Are they excited or anxious about a new member coming into their family? What’s the feeling like?
(2:25) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: When I see my couple of parents coming in the third trimester, there are two types of emotions I can see in them. The first one is that they are relieved that the anomaly scan is done and everything is okay with their baby. They have ruled out gestational diabetes, hypertension, and these things.
They have done all the screenings, and the baby is healthy. But at the same time, they become very anxious because they don’t know what to look forward to, how the third trimester is going to be. The mother is a little cranky because she is putting on weight.
Her girth is becoming bigger and bigger day by day. She is not able to walk properly. She has to waddle like a duck. So, she needs a lot of emotional and physical support. So, here the husband needs to come in and give a lot of physical and emotional support. They should spend a lot of time together because bonding this time takes them a long way.
Now, in a social context, what we see here is that if the lady is pregnant for the first time, normally, she would go to her mother’s place for delivery. So, that is also a challenge. Long distance, the father needs to be there at the time of delivery.
He cannot get leave. He cannot travel. So, those are also the points that they are concerned about and thinking about how to plan the delivery time.
So, sometimes these things also come into play. But then this is a good time because nowadays they have baby showers, they have baby showers, and they can enjoy their time together and welcome the new one. So, I think for a couple, it’s like mixed feelings, tense, but very good also.
(3:54) Sahiba: Understood, doctor. And I think this is the time when things start to get real. Moms are counting down the due date, but they are also going through the physical and emotional turmoil.
There are many things that they face, like back pain, swelling and trouble sleeping. So, what should mom expect during this time? What is normal and what is not normal?
(4:18) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: See what is happening is the mother is putting on weight. So, she normally says 0.45 to 0.5 kilograms per week.
So, you can imagine how rapidly she is putting on weight. And this putting on weight makes her body unsteady. The centre of gravity has shifted elsewhere. The back muscles are working overtime. So, she’ll have back pain. The pelvis is opening up to take the baby in. So, her gait is all gone. She cannot walk properly. A lot of stress when she’s sitting, getting up, and walking.
And this is a constant feature. This is a part of the third trimester. This is not a very easy feeling, not a very easy thing to go through.
But yes, physiotherapy and antenatal classes, which we started in the second trimester, really help them. So, this is one thing that she will face. The second thing is that the head is pushing down, going to the place where it should be in the pelvic cavity.
Her bladder is getting irritated all the time. So, she feels like going to the washroom now and then. So, basically the washroom is a second house.
She’s inside, outside, inside, outside. And that is not a very good, great feeling to be going to the toilet. The third thing is that she feels a lot of swelling on her feet, fingers. This is all because of hormonal changes and water retention. Her skin has gone for a toss. The pigmentation is intense. Itching comes. These are all making her miserable. So, these are the normal things, that’s all good.
But when they become pathological, which we’ll come to later on, then we have to visit the gynaecologist again and find out if things are going wrong and which way she should go. Another thing that they experience in the third trimester is strong contractions. So, these are the contractions where the uterus is trying to push the baby into the birth canal and learning how to behave in labour.
So, what the mother would feel is like an intense, stone-like feeling in the tummy because of the contractions of the uterus, but they are painless. So, it is just the tightening that she feels, but then there is no other pain, and she’s comfortable. But once she understands that these are painless, that is a good thing to be.
There are some myths surrounding even the sleeping positions and how she should turn. So, the granny’s tale is that every time you want to turn, you get up, sit and turn. And because of that stress, poor thing, she doesn’t sleep. This is not true. She can directly turn on the bed. It is not going to entangle the umbilical cord around the baby’s neck.
That’s what has been told for ages, that if you turn directly, the umbilical cord gets entangled and the baby will have suffocation, but it doesn’t happen like that. Of course, the bathroom becomes a second home for the mother because every now and then she’s going, coming out, going to the bathroom, coming out. This happens because of the irritation of the urinary bladder by the head of the baby, which is trying to come down.
So, these are things which are uncomfortable, but yes, she’s looking forward to someone coming new. She can feel the baby’s movements. She can talk to the baby, and the baby responds to her talk.
The baby responds to the song she sings. The conversation between husband and wife, what is happening, even to that, sometimes the baby responds. There is something called Garbh Sanskara in our society.
This means that during pregnancy, if you converse with the baby and instil some habits and some rituals, then the babies turn to pick them up in the womb. Similarly, in Sanatana Dharma, they say that if you teach them various things, when the baby is out, it feels at home. It doesn’t feel like it has come to an alien world.
And when you sing the same songs, the same story, when the baby is crying, if you do this, the baby will calm down. And this is a known fact. And I’ll tell you one thing, Sahiba, I’m very happy when the babies are delivered and the parents bring them to me, they respond to my voice, you know. There is a smile on their face, and that makes my day. I feel so happy.
(8:17) Sahiba: Doctor, I’m shocked and surprised that I never knew that such things even exist, right? And I feel we are sitting on a goldmine, and that goldmine is named Dr. Suhasini.
We are getting so many good insights. Another interesting thing that I’ve heard is that some women witness this famous nesting instinct when they are in their third trimester. Like I had a friend who used to get up at 2 am and start deep cleaning the kitchen cabinets and the floor. So, what is all that about, doctor?
(8:47) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: I think this is true for both the parents, you know, mother and father, would be they say it is hormonal, but I don’t think so. It is just human nature. But this doesn’t happen to everyone. Some couples have this to get everything prepped for the eventuality. The baby is coming, that’s a big day in their lives. They want everything to be perfect.
Cleaning happens, preparation for the baby happens, the nursery is made, and everything is done. Father is also equally taking part. I’ve seen many couples where the father is working overtime diligently to make that extra money for the new member, adding to the family.
They make the house baby proof, so if they’re staying on the third floor, where there’s no lift, they shift to the first floor or they shift to the apartment where the lift is. I mean, to this extent, they do these things. And I’ve seen a couple of parents of mine, the father went and bought a car, which was like a baby-friendly car where he could put a car seat and all.
It’s there. Nesting is there. Sometimes it can be because the mother is also going into labour.
This is the time when, you know, she feels, let me finish up because I’m getting tense, and I have to go to the hospital. But yes, it’s for real. It’s for real.
(10:07) Sahiba: By now, the babies are pretty active in the womb. And what should moms be looking out for when it comes to the baby’s movements?
(10:18) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Baby movement is very important to us because we do a third-trimester antenatal check, 15 days and then weekly ones. What happens with them in between our visits? So, I tell all my mothers to monitor their babies.
You are the obstetrician of yourself in my absence. So, you monitor the counts. Generally, there are two ways of counting the movements where we can feel that the baby is good. So, the total count of movements should be 15 plus around that time. And she can count the entire day, or she can select three different hours, and each hour should be five movements per hour count. The baby sleeps in the daytime, like how we sleep.
Sleep pattern is three hours roughly in 12 hours. So, if three hours after mother doesn’t feel any movements, that’s fine. No problem. But if she doesn’t feel anything for more than three hours, she should have a cup of coffee. Coffee is allowed during pregnancy. This is again a myth that you should not have coffee and tea.
One cup of coffee and one cup of tea are good enough to have, and she should eat something. Despite that, if she doesn’t feel any movements, then come to the hospital. In the third trimester, there are many, many visits which will be false alarms.
But it’s always worth it to be on the right side rather than on the wrong side. Because yes, when you are checked and you are all okay, be happy and go home.
This is one thing about the foetal movements. Sometimes they can feel tiny movements which are because of the hiccups of the baby or because of the blood vessels getting pulsatile. Mother’s blood vessels basically.
And sometimes, there is pulsation if the mother is very lean and can be felt. So, these are about the movements of the baby in the third trimester.
(12:01) Sahiba: Understood, doctor. And what are those tests and important vaccines that the mother has to go for during this time?
(12:07) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, in the third trimester, there are some labs that we do. Lab workup is where we see the renal function test, liver function test and general CBC to understand our haemoglobin values. We do a random sugar test, and we rule out any infections in the urine by doing a urine test.
If need be, we even do a vaginal swab culture. If it is not required, then we do not do it. Another test will be sonology, which is done as a growth scan and an interval growth scan.
So, a growth scan is normally done around 28 weeks, and an interval growth scan comes at about 36 weeks. If needed to see the amniotic fluid level, again, AFI scans are done. But that is an individual case-based test.
We do not routinely do it. Then, to monitor as I spoke earlier that if the movements are less, then we do a test called NST. NST basically is a non-stress test, and if required, we repeat it every week or 10 days, depending on other clinical aspects, what we see in the would-be mother.
So, NST is nothing. We tie a belt around the mother’s belly and she is given a probe where she marks the movements of the baby, and this is basically like a trace of how we take a CCG of the baby, we take and we compare this with the movement chart. So, this gives us sort of reassurance that everything is good with the baby.
So, these are the tests that we do in the third trimester. Vaccinations are only one which will be left for the third trimester, which is the DTaP vaccine which is for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, and if the mother is R-negative, would-be father is positive, then we give anti-D1 injection at about 30-32 weeks. So, this is about the vaccination and the test during the third trimester.
(13:54) Sahiba: Now, let’s talk about red flags. What are some signs moms-to-be shouldn’t ignore and should bring up with their doctors right away?
(14:03) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, this is very important. As we have previously spoken about the movements, that’s a very important thing.
What I tell all my patients is, if, when you come for your check, I am your obstetrician, I check the well-being of the foetus, of the baby, how it is doing, but other times, you are your own obstetrician. So, keep a good tab on the number of movements. So, if she is having 15 movements in a day, counting either throughout the day or hourly basis, it should be 15.
So, if the movements are less or she doesn’t feel any movements, this is one of the biggest signs she should run to the hospital. If she breaks her water, then she should come to the hospital. It is easy to understand that it is a breakage of water and not urinary leakage because this water doesn’t stop.
Urine you can hold, you can control the flow, but this you cannot. The third thing is that if any discharge, which is blood-stained or mucus, she should come to the hospital. Other symptoms like headache, blurring of vision, and feeling dizzy are other symptoms which you should look into.
Sudden swelling over the body again is not good. These are signs which tell us the mother is going towards getting PIH or Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension. If she is a GDM, Gestational Diabetic, then she should check her sugars also if she is feeling dizzy, because her sugars may be they have dropped and she is feeling dizzy because of that.
So, these are things we should see, and if anything is out of the way, she feels, she should come to the hospital.
(12:07) Sahiba: That’s so important to know, doctor, even if it feels minor, better to be safe than sorry. So, doctor, what are the tests and important vaccines a mother has to go for?
(15:47) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, in the third trimester, there is some lab work that we do and some scans. So, in the lab, we do the CBC to understand how the haemoglobin level is, and if it needs intense correction, we give some IV ion injections. We see a routine random blood sugar, we see renal function test, liver function test, we see a urine routine and culture and sometimes we do a vaginal swab to rule out vaginal infection if any if required. As far as the scans are concerned, we do a growth scan at about 28 weeks, which can be 28 to 32 weeks and an interval growth scan at about 36 weeks.
In between, we may need to do AFI Dopplers if the fluid levels and the blood flow to the uterus are not okay. If they are okay, there is no need to do these two tests. Now, the second thing Saiba as far as the vaccination is concerned, we are done with two vaccinations till date in the third trimester, only one, which is Tdap, which is tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccination, is required, and that is done.
If the mother is Rh negative and the would-be father is positive, then we give an anti-D injection at about 30 to 32 weeks. So, this is about the tests and the vaccination in the third trimester.
(17:03) Sahiba: Doctor, let’s talk about antenatal classes, perineal massage and pelvic exercises. Sounds intense, but I know a few of the mothers who have said that it’s like a game-changer for them. So, what is it that is effective, and when should the mom start?
(17:21) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, this is a very good question. There are so many ifs and buts about all the antenatal exercises and classes, but the reason why a mother should go for these ones is the bonding that she has with other women who are of the same gestational age. She goes with her husband as a couple; if they go, there is a bonding between both of them. The third thing is that she increases her stamina. She always has a positive outlook when she’s going to the classes.
Whether she’ll go for a vaginal delivery if she’s exercising, that is the query. Maybe she’ll have a good vaginal delivery, maybe she will not. But stamina and a positive outlook is very, very important.
Breathing also teaches you how to tackle the pain during labour. So, that is equally important. Now, the perineal massage is a very good point that you raised, Sahiba, because in Asian women, generally it is seen, it is not by rule, but it is seen that the perineum of Asian women is much shorter than the perineum of the Western counterpart.
So, the test, the requirement of a physiotomy, and the requirement of instrumental deliveries are always higher in Asian women. It is an observation. So, if they do perineal massage, they are making their perineum quite lax and stretchable and that helps for the vaginal delivery.
A physiotomy, we feel, should be given as a routine because then we can really, really prevent unwanted tears, which involves the urethra and the rectum. So, a physiotomy is a must, but perineal massages will help them to bear down nicely. It is very easy to do.
The mother herself can do it, or the partner can do it. They have to just lubricate their fingers and start from the centre of the vagina and go from 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock position and this helps them. So, 3 to 4 sittings in a day, every day, maybe repetitions of 15 to 20 will help them.
So, this is about the perineal massage. And walking, jogging, swimming, if they can, yes, definitely, it will be really good. Girls who are into yoga should continue their yoga. Maybe the reps can go down, but it should not be stopped because they are in the third trimester. So, this is all about the exercise part of it.
(19:41) Sahiba: All right, doctor. Now, it’s time for a quick and fun rapid-fire round to help moms feel fully prepared for the big day. Are you ready, doctor?
(19:50) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Yeah, yeah, very much.
(19:52) Sahiba: So, doctor, the first one is finalising your birth plan. Why should moms do this?
(19:57) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, it is not a must, Sahiba, that every couple or mother would have to finalise the birth plan, but it’s always better to be well-informed. So, what does a birth plan mean? It is a discussion between your obstetrician and yourself to understand whether you’re going to go for a natural birth or a c-section. A natural birth wherein we don’t give you anything to support or alleviate your pain or anything.
We just let it be whatever is happening, and we are always there if things go very wrong to deliver the baby. In assisted, we make sure that you are comfortable throughout the journey of the labour and you deliver nicely. C-section is, of course, you know, it is not a normal birth, vaginal birth, but it is not abnormal.
Our caesarean section is never to be considered abnormal. Now, what are the indications where we choose caesarean sections? There are various indications. Some are real indications, and some are not so real. Not so real, I should talk first because normally, what I’ve seen the trend is this is a good day. This is a good time. This is not Rahu Kalam.,this is not this kalam, and I want a moortam delivery. So, this is not a necessary indication, but yes, if the couple wants it and they are very sure about it, then we will do it. What are our indications as obstetricians? It can be the mother’s indication or the baby’s indication.
Suppose if the baby is not growing well in the womb, the growth has gone down, the fluid levels have gone down, then we have to deliver the baby and bring the baby out to a safer environment where the mother can take care of the baby in a better way. In a mother’s case, if the sugars are not under control or she’s a GDM even under control, or she’s having severe PIH where the BP is not under control, then we only tell them to get a caesarean done. We can also give them the option of induction of labour, where we put some medicines and induce labour.
So, that choice we leave to the mother, but if it is necessary that we have to go for a caesarean, we explain them very well and go ahead with that. So, these things are discussed in the birth plan, and it’s always better if the couple comes and discusses this with the obstetrician.
(22:14) Sahiba: Those are some really good insights, doctor. Okay, my next question, doctor, is what should go into the hospital bag?
(22:22) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Oh, that’s a lovely question. First, of course, whatever clothes you are comfortable in. Your change of clothes, your comfortable slippers, because during labour, we normally ask you to move around.
Until and unless you are in good active labour, we don’t shift you to the labour room. You are in the comfort of your room, and you’re moving around. Nice, comfortable clothes.
Though we have everything available in the hospital, those clothes are on you, or I mean what I should say is your own. You are very comfortable in that. So, that is important to have.
Then get a book which you are reading or you like to read, some music which you are very fond of. These are all the things which will calm you down when you are in your first stage of labour, you know, which is sometimes very prolonged and very boring. So, these things will help you to take care of yourself during that time.
Then, of course, the baby things are also important to come in the bag. So, in our society, some people want old clothes for the baby. They don’t want to get new clothes.
There is again a myth that you don’t prepare unnecessarily. Let the baby come and then you do whatever you want to do for the baby. So, if you are getting older clothes, they should be nicely washed and ironed so that they are almost sterilised and they don’t do any harm to the newborn.
So, keep those things ready in your bag. Then, of course, whatever your sanitary requirements are, all these things are available in the hospital. So, these two components which I am telling, if you are ready with those, it’s great, good enough.
(23:50) Sahiba: And the comfort zone is really important for the mother.
(23:52) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Exactly.
(23:53) Sahiba: Next one is what are the top pain relief options during labour?
(23:58) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: This is a good question, and many people opt for a caesarean because they think labour is very painful. Labour is painful, but it is not something that we cannot endure. It is okay to have pain because it comes and goes. So, there are various options.
We can give them some injections which are synthetic narcotics which make you sleepy, and because of that sensation, and because of their nature as pain-relieving chemicals and they are safe. These are safe for mother and baby. So, the pain is gone, but the use is periodic.
It is not a continuous thing which we give. So, when the mother complains of intense pain, we give it. She is relieved.
She gets dilated also by the time, and that’s how she is comfortable. The second thing is TENS. TENS is a thing which is transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, which we have electrodes in here. We put it on the mother’s back and with a small battery, the mother can only press the probe, and the stimulus is released and which gives quite a pain relief during the first stage of labour. So, she can use this. Some girls are very happy.
Some are not happy. So, the sensation differs, but the most important pain relief component comes with epidural analgesia during labour. So, this is given in the mother’s spine.
Anesthesiologists are the doctors who give this and with this, the pain is almost nil, and the mother is very comfortable during the entire labour stage. The only thing is that sometimes she is too numb to push out the baby. So, in that case, we have to just use a vacuum or forceps to bring out the baby.
So, these are the three components of pain relief which we can medically do. Then we have wall exercises, which we ask them to do in the labour room. Walking itself is a very good pain relief.
They can sit in a hot tub of water if they are going for natural birthing, and keeping on changing the position, not lying down continuously on the bed, also helps for pain relief during labour.
(25:52) Sahiba: So, Doctor, can we also say that painless labour is possible?
(25:55) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: I would say, Sahiba, it is less painful labour, not painless. So, the pain is less, and contractions are happening.
Mother is very comfortable with that small quantity of niggly niggly sweet pain and the journey is a very very happy journey for her during the labour.
(26:13) Sahiba: So, Doctor, the next question is, what if my water breaks but contractions don’t start?
(26:18) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Nature has made a uterus like that. By and large, what happens when the water breaks? Generally, the pain would start in 6 to 10 hours.
But if that doesn’t happen and when a lady comes to us with the water leakage, we send for some tests, and those tests are indicating towards infection or raise CRPs or anything, then we induce labour. So, we give some medicine with which the contraction starts, and with the contraction, the head will come down, the cervix will dilate, and the mother will deliver easily. But if the head is not fixed, if she is not and despite taking the medicine, she is not dilating, then we have other options of delivering by going for a caesarean section.
(27:01) Sahiba: So, the next one is Doctor, can I eat during labour?
(27:05) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, when the pains are periodic and coming frequently and strong, we tell them not to eat because with each pain, you feel like vomiting and if you vomit and gag it, then it goes into your trachea and lungs, which is not a good thing to be. So, normally, if a lady is in active labour, then we say take only a liquid diet. We tell them not to have solids and liquids, also should be clear liquids, which are tender coconut water, some clear soups or juices like that, which are clear, not very pulpy, which are easily digestible, and they don’t regurgitate. So, this is how we tell them to take.
(27:47) Sahiba: So, our next segment is also one of the favourite segments, that is the rapid fire myth or fact. So, are you ready for that, doctor?
(27:56) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Yes.
(27:57) Sahiba: So, the first myth is doctor, it’s not safe to travel in the third trimester.
(28:02) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: I would say it’s a myth because it depends on the would-be mother, if everything is okay with her and she is travelling a short distance, and it is a good mode of transport, why not, she can. But long distance and very fag end of third trimester, better avoid because you never know when you will go in labour. So, avoid that time. But it’s a myth that you cannot travel.
(28:23) Sahiba: The Second one is that you can predict labour by looking at your belly drop.
(28:28) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: No, no, no, no, not at all. It’s a myth.
(28:31) Sahiba: The Third one is spicy food can induce labour.
(28:35) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So, this is, I would say myth or a fact, both in between. I’ll give 50-50% to this. So, what happens with spicy food or apna, there’s a custom of giving ghee and milk to the pregnant woman in the third trimester.
And why is that done? Because it increases the bowel movement, the bowel is cleared, and the nerve supply to the bowel and the uterus is the same. So, in the third trimester, when this is happening, the uterus is also getting stimulated a bit. The same thing is true for spicy food.
So, if she’s taking that, both the nerves are getting stimulated, and she may go into labour. So, that is the science, so-called granny science behind this, which is like very intelligent. And yes, 50-50 to both.
(29:19) Sahiba: Next one is doctor, you should stop exercising for the last month.
(29:22) Dr .Suhasini Inamdar: No, no, it’s an absolute myth. Do everything till you come to the labour room. Go to the office, go do your housework, do your exercises, do your suryasanas, whatever you can do, please do it.
(29:34) Sahiba: I’ve even seen, doctor, many mom-to-be’s do that headstand during pregnancy.
(29:41) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: That, yes, if there is nothing wrong with the BP and sugars and all, yes, can do that.
(29:46) Sahiba: They can do that !
(29:46) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Yeah, yeah.
(29:47) Sahiba: Okay, the last one, doctor, once you reach full term, labour can start any time.
(29:52) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Yes, in the third trimester, labour can start any time. So, that is one of the fears of all the mothers, whether they are going to go for a preterm labour or they are going to go for a preterm rupture of the membranes. So this is the truth. Yeah, it is not a myth.
(30:02) Sahiba: I’m a bit curious. What are some of those unusual or unexpected questions your patients often ask you?
(30:10) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Sahiba and then few couples have come up with a unique question. Should they or should they not have intercourse in the third trimester? So the science behind it is very, very nice and intelligent.
So what happens when they have intercourse the semen is deposited into the vagina and semen is very very rich in prostaglandins and prostaglandin is one of the chemical which induces labour. So yes, this is a prep of the cervix to soften to start opening up, and that’s why intercourse is going to help them in labour, but it should be done. Suppose, say, if by choice, by say 34 weeks onwards, not earlier than that, and sometimes it is known.
I don’t know, like how we spoke about the perineal massage. It’s known to ease out the tension in the perineal muscles also because it increases circulation, following every episode of intercourse. So, yes, in a way, it helps pregnant women to go into labour. So another thing which girls would ask me is that my mother-in-law has told me to have a glass of milk with saffron. So, which saffron should I use?
So my answer to them is see saffron, all saffrons are good, whichever you want, you can have, but imagine why mother said that or mother-in-law said that is because it is coming from generations, and what was the implication that time that time we used to have joint families.
The pregnant women wouldn’t get much to eat and drink, so at least a glass of milk. She would get in the name of saffron, saffron as such doesn’t do anything, but yes, a glass of milk gives a required amount of a little bit of calcium and some protein. So yes, you should have a glass of milk with saffron, with that saffron doesn’t matter.
(31:59) Sahiba: Another important question that popped up in my mind is, Doctor. What about the working moms? How can this slide into maternity mode smoothly?
(32:10) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: So nowadays, what I am seeing is many of the ladies are either working from home or they have hybrid work.
So I think this, they can carry on till they can carry on. We never say to stop working because you are in the third trimester or you have to pray for the labour. Everything should go hand in hand. But of course, the lady should not get overwhelmed with everything around her, work, house, and herself, so make a good balance between what you can do and what you can avoid. So, if you feel that every day getting up, preparing the lunch boxes, taking the cab, and going to the office is a chore, then don’t do it. Take off from work or take a permission where we write down a letter and give it to work from home. And if you feel working from home is also like a big, I mean, hassle, then please be off work, it doesn’t matter. But be active, that is what I would say. But by and large, no stopping work. Why? No. Don’t.
(33:09) Sahiba: Moms should take that note. So, before we sign off, what’s your number one piece of advice for moms in the third trimester, doctor?
(33:15) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: I would say be happy because when you are happy, you, you, everything is positive about you, about yourself, about the things which are going to come, the baby and all.
Don’t get carried away with, my friend had this, my sister had this, my mom is saying this, my mom-in-law is saying that. These are all the things which will happen. It is a family. It’s a friend circle. So, okay, I think all of us should learn to do copy, paste and delete, get the info, copy and paste what we like, what we should do, and delete what we don’t want.
And this will be the, I’m telling you, this time is not going to come again till you have another pregnancy. So just enjoy, enjoy talking to the baby, enjoy the kicks, what you’re feeling inside. And it’s bliss, I’m telling you. So enjoy this phase of your pregnancy and be happy. And all the best to all the mothers and fathers who are listening to this podcast. Enjoy and be happy.
(34:15) Sahiba: Thank you, doctor. That was such warm and fun advice. And to all the moms listening, hang in there. You are doing amazing. You are just weeks away from meeting your baby. Thank you so much, doctor, for being a part of this podcast.
(34:27) Dr. Suhasini Inamdar: Thank you, Sahiba. It was a pleasure. Thank you very much.
(34:30) Sahiba: If today’s episode helped you feel more confident about what’s ahead, be sure to follow The Care Circle, your very own expert-led safe space by Motherhood Hospitals. Follow us on social media for more tips and updates.
Until next time, stay healthy and take care.