June 26, 2019

Pregnancy Stages - Third Trimester

in Post

Can’t wait to meet you!

Here’s what happens during your third trimester of pregnancy.

You’re on the home stretch! It’s your third trimester, the final stage of your pregnancy, marked from week 29 to 40 (or even week 42 or 43, if you go over!)

Anything uncomfortable that started getting niggly in the second trimester will continue, and probably get worse. You can expect a bunch of others to join the party, too! The good news is that it’s now possible for your baby to survive outside of the womb with some medical help, and every day that passes it’s getting stronger – something you’ll sure feel as it begins walloping you.

This growing little person is now taking up more space, which pushes your internal organs up into your ribs, presses on your bladder and makes digestion difficult. You may get breathless and need to pee a whole lot more often. This is totally normal and will go away almost the second the baby is born. As your due date approaches, your body also begins getting ready for birth. The baby will start sitting lower in your belly, and your cervix will begin to thin and soften, which can feel like period cramps. You may also begin to feel Braxton Hicks, which are like tiny contractions and make your whole belly go rock hard.

What happens to your body?

This is the month of big physical changes on the outside for you-you'll look really, obviously pregnant, and begin to feel heavy and slow. Sleeping may also get harder – the weight of your belly means sleeping on your back is uncomfortable (and even dangerous), while side sleeping may feel more comfortable with a pillow between your knees and another under your belly.

Here are some other things you may experience

• Swollen feet, ankles, face or fingers. If you puff up suddenly or gain weight quickly, call your doctor – it could be a sign of pre-eclampsia, which is serious.
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Tender breasts, which may begin making colostrum (pre-milk)
• A popped-out belly button
• Shortness of breath
• Heartburn
• Difficulty sleeping

What’s going on in there?

At 29 weeks, your baby is pretty much fully formed but is still busy getting everything into working order. Weighing in at about 1kg, and 38.5cm long, your baby’s soft bones are getting harder, with more calcium deposits. The brain is also fired up with neurons, gaining folds as it gets more complex.

At 33 weeks, and kicking up a storm, your baby is 1.5kg and is losing living space by the day. Your baby is gaining about 200g a week, filling in that wrinkled skin

The eyes can now open and close, but the lungs are still not quite ready yet. Even so, your baby has begun practicing breathing, by inhaling amniotic fluid.

The fine covering of hair is now beginning to fall off, but many babies are born with much of it – and it falls off completely after birth.

Your 36-week baby is counting the days until you finally get to meet. In the meantime, it’s in there packing on the pounds. The vernix, that waxy coating, is thickening and your active wee one is almost certainly pummeling you from within – you may even be able to tell whether that bump in your belly is a foot or a hand.

At 40 weeks, your baby has organs that all work on their own and is technically ready to come out – although many babies stick around for two or three weeks longer. As your due date approaches, your baby will (hopefully) move its head down, facing backward. This is the ideal (but not the only) birth position.

While you’re pregnant it can feel like a never-ending journey, and then suddenly you meet that little person you’ve been carrying for close to ten months. The range of emotions you might feel at this point is enormous – the first days with your new baby can be exhilarating, exhausting, heartbreaking and utterly wonderful all at the same time. You might suddenly see your pregnancy as a strange dream that happened to someone else!

Getting ready for a baby? Click here to view our newborn essentials checklist.

Tags: Pregnancy

March 31, 2025

Midwife or Obstetrician – Which One?

Finding the Right Maternity Carer for You Once the excitement (or surprise!) of a positive pregnancy test settles in, one of the first big decisions to make isn’t about names or nursery colours – it’s about choosing the person who’ll care for you throughout your pregnancy journey. In New Zealand, this person is called your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) – and they’ll be by your side during pregnancy, labour, birth, and the early weeks of life with your newborn.Both midwives and obstetricians can act as your LMC, and while they offer many of the same services, there are some key differences to consider. Here’s a gentle guide to help you choose the care that’s right for you and your baby. Midwife or Obstetrician – What’s the Difference? In general, midwives are the experts in normal, low-risk pregnancies, offering continuity of care and a more holistic approach to birth. Obstetricians, on the other hand, are medical doctors who specialise in pregnancy complications and are trained in surgical procedures such as caesareans. Midwife care is free in New Zealand. Obstetric care is private and typically costs between $3,000–$5,000. Obstetricians often take a more clinical approach and may perform scans at every appointment. Midwives focus on natural birth and provide emotional and physical support throughout your labour.If your pregnancy is high-risk – such as a twin pregnancy, gestational diabetes, or a known medical condition – you’ll likely be referred to an obstetrician, either privately or through your local hospital. Can I Use a Hospital-Based Midwife? Yes – if a private obstetrician or community-based midwife doesn’t feel like the right fit, you can also receive care through a hospital-based midwife. These midwives, sometimes referred to as “core midwives,” are employed by public hospitals and provide maternity care within the hospital system. Around 15% of New Zealand mothers choose this model, either from the start or as part of a shared-care arrangement. Hospital-based midwives typically step in when additional support is needed – for example, if complications arise during pregnancy, or if your community LMC is unavailable during labour. In many cases, you’ll receive antenatal care from a combination of professionals, including hospital midwives and obstetricians, with all costs covered through the public system. If you like the idea of continuity but want the reassurance of hospital-based expertise, this model offers a nice balance. It’s a great option for those wanting cost-free care, access to specialist services, and a supportive hospital environment. Things to Think About When Choosing Your LMC 1. How Often Do You Want to See Your Baby? If regular reassurance is important to you, you may prefer the more frequent ultrasounds offered by many obstetricians. Midwives track baby’s growth by feeling your bump and will refer you for routine scans at key stages. 2. Your Preferences Around Pain Relief If you’re keen on trying unmedicated birth methods like water, massage or movement, a midwife may be more aligned with your approach. Midwives often focus on natural techniques, while obstetricians are more likely to facilitate medical interventions such as epidurals. 3. What’s Your Budget? Having a baby is expensive – and private obstetric care can be a stretch for many families. If you’d rather invest in other baby essentials (like that dream pram or a few months of parental leave), midwifery care may make more sense financially. 4. Where Do You Want to Give Birth? Midwives support a range of birth settings – from hospitals to birth centres to your own home. Obstetricians generally operate within hospitals, and home births aren’t an option under their care. Keep in mind that medical pain relief (like epidurals) is only available in hospital settings. 5. Your Connection Matters Perhaps the most important thing is choosing someone you feel safe and comfortable with. Midwives often spend more time with you during labour and birth, and the relationship can feel more personal. Obstetricians may come and go during labour, sometimes arriving just in time for the final moments. In hospital births, midwives will still be involved – even if you’re under obstetric care. Listen to Your Instincts Like many parenting decisions, choosing the right carer is often about listening to your gut. Do you feel heard? Supported? Understood? That connection matters.Have open conversations early on about your hopes for birth – including where you’d like to deliver, your thoughts on interventions, and how involved you want your carer to be. Most importantly, know that you’re allowed to change your LMC if things don’t feel quite right down the track. This is your journey – and you deserve to feel safe, supported, and confident every step of the way. You can begin your search for a local midwife through Find Your Midwife.

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April 29, 2019

Pregnancy stages – First Trimester

Welcome, little bean Here’s what happens during your first trimester of pregnancy. You’re pregnant! Congrats – this is both an unbelievably special moment, and one that’s totally ordinary. It should come as a comfort to you that while this may be your first time pregnant, there are billions of women who have gone before you. The first thing to remember about pregnancies is that each is unique – our founder Jane Anne had 14 children and tells us that none of her pregnancies were the same. There are, however, some things you can predict. Most women experience similar things at similar stages, and you can expect your baby to grow and develop at predictable periods. The first trimester begins at the official date of conception, which oddly enough is counted from about two weeks before you actually conceive. That’s because doctors count from the date of your last period – you’ll have ovulated and conceived about two weeks after, but there’s no way of knowing exactly when. What happens to your body? During the first trimester, your baby’s development is at its most visibly startling, developing from a cluster of cells into something that looks pretty much human in a matter of weeks. That takes a lot of effort – and hormones – on the part of your body. While most women won’t start to show until the second trimester (and a bit earlier if this isn’t your first pregnancy), many women feel very pregnant very quickly – bloat can look a lot like a pregnancy belly. Some other symptoms you may experience are: Feeling really tired Sore and swollen breasts and nipples Morning sickness (that actually appears around the clock!) Food cravings or aversions Mood swings Constipation Needing to pee more Headaches Indigestion Weight gain or loss Such glamour! But don’t worry – this is only a short-lived period in your pregnancy. It gets easier. The best way to manage it is to stay as healthy as possible. Eat and sleep well, and get as much gentle exercise as you can manage. That means you may need to go to bed earlier, cut out foods that make you queasy, eat smaller meals more frequently, and shift away from high-impact exercises to walking, swimming, and yoga. For many women, morning sickness peaks in weeks 8 and 9 and then will begin to taper off – along with their other symptoms – as they head into the second trimester (counted from 12 weeks). What’s going on in there? Your baby is getting busy! These early weeks are when your baby is building all the components of its body. By week 12, your baby will look like a person (just with odd proportions). At four weeks, your baby is still called an embryo. At a teeny tiny 0.5cm long, your baby has already begun work on its brain, spinal cord, and heart. Four little buds have sprouted, which will eventually become legs and arms. By week eight, your baby is 2.5cm and is now officially a fetus. All major organs are under development (hello, tiny lungs) and the heart has begun to beat. Little details are underway too – fingers and toes (with minuscule nails!) sex organs and facial features. The end of the first trimester is marked by the beginning of week 12. At this point, your baby is about 7.5cm long, with nerves and muscles that work together (which is why some parents catch their little one sucking a thumb on scans!) Eyelids close and won’t open again until about week 28. If you could peer inside, you’d see that your baby looks quite a lot like… a baby! The head, however, is still a lot bigger in proportion to the body and the arms and legs are still quite short. What happens next? Read about your second trimester here.

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May 28, 2019

Pregnancy Stages - Second Trimester

Hello in there! Here’s what happens during your second trimester of pregnancy. The second trimester, marked from weeks 13 to 28, is often when pregnant women feel at their best. The major developments in your baby’s growth have slowed, which means the hormones (and all the horrible symptoms!) tend to ease now, too. Your baby bump will be popped out – so people stop wondering if you’ve just been eating too much cake – and you can also begin to feel a bit more reassured that your pregnancy will be viable. It’s extremely unusual to miscarry after week 12, which is why many parents wait until the second trimester to announce their impending addition to the family. Your baby is busy refining the developments made in the first trimester, which means you’ll still feel reasonably light and mobile. The second trimester is arguably the most exciting period in pregnancy. On top of feeling a lot better, you’ll also begin to see obvious signs of life. Some women feel movement as early as 13 weeks, but some don’t feel those first flutters until closer to 25 weeks. It all depends on your baby’s positioning, and where your placenta is. It’s in the second trimester that you’ll have scans that will tell you your baby is growing as it should, and, if you like, what sex it is. While the external sex organs are more clearly male or female now, scans can get it wrong – it’s not unheard of for parents to take home a little girl when they were expecting a boy (and vice versa!) What happens to your body? While your body is saving up all the really big changes until the third trimester, you’ll still notice a big shift. Here are some symptoms you may experience: Feeling achy in your back, tummy, groin, or thighs Stretch marks on your tummy, breasts, thighs, or bum Darkening of the areola (skin around your nipple) Development of the linea nigra – a line on your skin running from belly button to pubic hairline Patches of darker skin on your cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip Numb or tingly hands Itchy tummy, palms or bottoms of the feet. If this is combined with fatigue, nausea and yellowed skin, call the doctor – it could be your liver. Swollen feet, ankles, face or fingers. If you puff up suddenly or gain weight quickly, call your doctor – it could be a sign of pre-eclampsia, which is serious. The good news is that this is the trimester for the famous pregnancy glow. If you’re lucky, you might notice your hair getting lush and shiny, your nails growing faster, and your skin looking radiant. Not too bad right? Remember to treat yourself kindly – lots of good food, sleep and gentle exercise. You may notice feeling a little slower, or short of breath now, too – this is normal. Listen to what your body is telling you and try not to push yourself too hard. What’s going on in there? At 16 weeks, your baby is about 11.5 cm long and weighs a hefty 85 grams. This trimester is all about putting the finishing touches on its little work of art. The bones and muscles are still forming and the skin appears – it’s nearly transparent. Your baby will also be making its first poo! This is called meconium and develops in your baby's intestinal tract. The sucking reflex is working overtime, practising for the breast or bottle. Whether or not you can feel it, your baby is also getting frisky in there, kicking arms and legs, and swimming around in that still-roomy sack. At 20 weeks, the way your baby is measured changes. Before, your baby was measured from head to bum – it’s hard to measure those tiny legs when they’re all tucked up. At 20 weeks, people generally begin measuring foetuses from head to heel – so it can seem your baby has stretched from 15cm in week 19 to 25cm in week 20. Your baby’s skin is now covered by fine, feathery hair, called lanugo, and a waxy protective coating called vernix. Other hair comes in too – eyebrows, lashes and the first tufts up on top. Your baby can swallow, and also has working ears – you may notice your baby’s movements respond to sound. By 24 weeks, your baby is over halfway done – and babies born at this stage have even been known to survive, with a lot of medical help. There’s still plenty more left to do, though. Your baby needs to fatten up, and still has important elements developing: bone marrow begins to make blood cells, taste buds, footprints and fingerprints form, and sex organs are all present and accounted for. Your baby’s lungs are formed, but still don’t work. What happens next? Read about your third trimester.

Learn more

June 26, 2019

Pregnancy Stages - Third Trimester

Can’t wait to meet you! Here’s what happens during your third trimester of pregnancy. You’re on the home stretch! It’s your third trimester, the final stage of your pregnancy, marked from week 29 to 40 (or even week 42 or 43, if you go over!) Anything uncomfortable that started getting niggly in the second trimester will continue, and probably get worse. You can expect a bunch of others to join the party, too! The good news is that it’s now possible for your baby to survive outside of the womb with some medical help, and every day that passes it’s getting stronger – something you’ll sure feel as it begins walloping you. This growing little person is now taking up more space, which pushes your internal organs up into your ribs, presses on your bladder and makes digestion difficult. You may get breathless and need to pee a whole lot more often. This is totally normal and will go away almost the second the baby is born. As your due date approaches, your body also begins getting ready for birth. The baby will start sitting lower in your belly, and your cervix will begin to thin and soften, which can feel like period cramps. You may also begin to feel Braxton Hicks, which are like tiny contractions and make your whole belly go rock hard. What happens to your body? This is the month of big physical changes on the outside for you-you'll look really, obviously pregnant, and begin to feel heavy and slow. Sleeping may also get harder – the weight of your belly means sleeping on your back is uncomfortable (and even dangerous), while side sleeping may feel more comfortable with a pillow between your knees and another under your belly. Here are some other things you may experience • Swollen feet, ankles, face or fingers. If you puff up suddenly or gain weight quickly, call your doctor – it could be a sign of pre-eclampsia, which is serious. • Constipation • Hemorrhoids • Tender breasts, which may begin making colostrum (pre-milk) • A popped-out belly button • Shortness of breath • Heartburn • Difficulty sleeping What’s going on in there? At 29 weeks, your baby is pretty much fully formed but is still busy getting everything into working order. Weighing in at about 1kg, and 38.5cm long, your baby’s soft bones are getting harder, with more calcium deposits. The brain is also fired up with neurons, gaining folds as it gets more complex. At 33 weeks, and kicking up a storm, your baby is 1.5kg and is losing living space by the day. Your baby is gaining about 200g a week, filling in that wrinkled skin The eyes can now open and close, but the lungs are still not quite ready yet. Even so, your baby has begun practicing breathing, by inhaling amniotic fluid. The fine covering of hair is now beginning to fall off, but many babies are born with much of it – and it falls off completely after birth. Your 36-week baby is counting the days until you finally get to meet. In the meantime, it’s in there packing on the pounds. The vernix, that waxy coating, is thickening and your active wee one is almost certainly pummeling you from within – you may even be able to tell whether that bump in your belly is a foot or a hand. At 40 weeks, your baby has organs that all work on their own and is technically ready to come out – although many babies stick around for two or three weeks longer. As your due date approaches, your baby will (hopefully) move its head down, facing backward. This is the ideal (but not the only) birth position. While you’re pregnant it can feel like a never-ending journey, and then suddenly you meet that little person you’ve been carrying for close to ten months. The range of emotions you might feel at this point is enormous – the first days with your new baby can be exhilarating, exhausting, heartbreaking and utterly wonderful all at the same time. You might suddenly see your pregnancy as a strange dream that happened to someone else! Getting ready for a baby? Click here to view our newborn essentials checklist.

Learn more

Pineapple Lemon & Lime Hydration & Electrolytes

$59.00

Welcome to our new Pregnancy and Postpartum Range, a range to support a mother and her needs, and suitable to take throughout motherhood, from conception, to pregnancy, to breastfeeding, postpartum and beyond.

Born out of our struggles, and our desire to help all mums with theirs, no matter what time of the day, no matter how you look, no matter what stage of motherhood you are at, we want to help you feel like you are doing your best for your family.

Say hello to our Watermelon Mango Crush Hydration Electrolyte Drink (with Verisol Collagen)

Introducing our own hydration electrolyte drink endorsed by midwives.

It's hard work being a mamma! We've got to get you hydrated to keep you going through the main things in life, growing baby, birthing baby, feeding baby. That's why we're here to hydrate you so you can keep going.

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Say goodbye to yellow pee, this drink will have you happily hydrated to keep your mind, and body flowing.