The top 5 things no one tells you about the third trimester

Your ankles could become cankles

It's not shocking that talk of cankles is hush hush among women. When you find out you're expecting, the last thing your BFF wants to do is warn you about the fact that, at one point in your pregnancy, there could suddenly be no distinction between your calf and your ankle.

You are at high risk for hemorrhoids

When you're pregnant, hemorrhoids are very common. And, unfortunately, when they occur, they're going to be uncomfortable and painful. In case you didn't know, hemorrhoids are dilated veins near the rectum that become engorged because of the pressure your baby is putting on that part of the body. You know those commercials you've seen on TV that never used to apply to you? Well, now that your baby is getting bigger and applying a lot of pressure back there, you're now going to become close friends with a sitz bath and a tube of Preparation-H.

You will have bad gas and be constipated

As if you didn't already feel unsexy enough? You're already lugging around an extra twenty-five plus pounds. And now you're unable to control your gas? And you will have it. All. The. Time. Oh, and you'll be constipated, too. All. The. Time. But don't fret, fiber will become your best friend -- at least to help the constipated part. Also, drink a lot of water to keep things moving more smoothly.

The mucus plug and the bloody show

There's a reason no one talks about these terms. Just the sound of them is enough to cause you to waddle in the other direction as fast as your pregnant belly will allow you. But the good news is that they are signs that the baby is coming soon! The bloody show isn't a horror flick (although your partner might beg to differ if you try to discuss it with him or her). It's a pink- or brown-tinged stringy mucus discharge and is a sign that your cervix is dilating and/or effacing. You may pass your mucus plug -- the small amount of thickened mucus that has sealed your cervical canal during the last nine months -- if your cervix begins to efface significantly or dilate as you get close to labor.

Sex will become impossible

Think Twister but one of the players (you!) has a ginormous belly. Solving complicated brainteasers will seem easier as you and your spouse try to come up with clever ways to do the deed.

More about the third trimester

The third trimester: Will the baby ever arrive?
On the hunt for the perfect doula
The third trimester: A guide to your baby's development