Contrary to popular belief, the physiology of labor actually starts around the third trimester; right around 28 weeks… not at full term.  When it comes to what we can change, if you want to get labor started naturally, the wellness choices you make between 20-30 weeks will make the most impact.

If we lead a nourished and balanced life, we don’t have to think about what to do to thrive in the third trimester; it simply happens and most of the time all goes well.  A nutrient-dense, traditional diet of organ meats, fish, leafy greens and colorful fresh plants and wild foods, the movement to obtain these, and the support of a loving community are the powerhouses behind the physiologic changes that need to occur during these final months, and beyond.

As you move out of the middle phase of pregnancy, your blood volume should have expanded.  There is little you can do in the third trimester to overcome anemia or insufficient blood health.  Your body and baby are going to use so much iron and other nutrients at this point that supplements may only help to mitigate complications, not create optimal health.  Your body and baby will use its mid-pregnancy nutrient stores and peaceability to create necessary changes at the cellular level.

With adequate nourishment and metabolic function, progesterone should have increased in early pregnancy so that cervical collagen fibers became a tightly woven bird’s nest, helping to prevent preterm labor.  Collagen [being made up of all the major nutrients including amino

acids (protein), Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, Zinc, Calcium, DHA, and EPA] creates strength and resiliency of the cervix.  If nourishment has been inadequate, preterm labor threatens with changes that begin around 28 weeks.

At the beginning of the third trimester, these collagen fibers suspend in fluid (hyaluronic acid and prostaglandins), allowing the smooth muscle of the cervix to become very stretchy.  Research in this area is just beginning, but it’s confirmed that a nutrient-dense diet is needed for balanced uterine changes. This not only allows cervical ripening, effacement, and dilation to occur for spontaneous childbirth, but also encourages the increase of relaxin.  The hormone relaxin rises and begins to make the ligaments around your pelvis stretchy. This allows your sacrum to open and your pelvis to move and twist so baby’s head, size, and positioning during labor can be accommodated.

In addition to nutrients, emotional well-being is vital.  A healthy increase in cortisol levels through a bit of physical work and service to others each day is necessary to create resiliency in your mind and your uterus.  Cortisol levels begin to rise, peaking at the beginning of the third trimester.  This cortisol breaks down Type I Collagen, which held the cervix tightly together.  On the other hand, too much stress (cortisol) breaks down progesterone receptors causing the cervix to dilate too early.  Furthermore, not enough rest and joy decreases overall oxytocin levels, reducing the likelihood of spontaneous labor

at full term.  And still, a peace-filled environment can’t overcome a body that does not consume enough protein or other vital nutrients; nutrient density is needed to be able to make the oxytocin and other hormones needed for labor.

Balance is always important.  What occurs here is the next step after a whole series of steps taken in the earlier phases.  If one step is missing, we fumble over the rest, and a gentle birth formula at 36 weeks won’t miraculously create a healthy scenario for birth, regardless of if it causes contractions.

In the third trimester is when we really start to feel the effects of all our prior choices.  We no longer have the amped-up energy of the second trimester.  Our immune system is on overdrive with inflammatory increases needed for birth.  Skip a snack or glass of water, and you’ll soon start having headaches, swelling, or changes in blood pressure.  Miss an afternoon walk or avoid stretches and exercises and your aches and pains will start groaning as your baby’s weight and position pull on your muscles and ligaments in an imbalanced way.

This time is not for congratulations of making it to this point.  It is for checklists of dietary needs, balanced schedules for adequate work and sleep, reminders for movement and hydration, and nightly massages with gentle words.  In our modern world, our body needs more intention than ever before to support spontaneous labor at the end of a full-term pregnancy.