CNM Clinical Guide
The Third Trimester Guide
A true deep dive into weeks 28–40+: the physiology behind what you feel, the testing behind what your team watches, the decisions that may appear, and the practical preparation that makes the final trimester feel less mysterious.
The third trimester changes the conversation — from how pregnancy feels to how birth will actually go. This is the longest of Rhonda's guides, and the one that explains the reasoning behind what your team is watching, so the decisions that appear late in pregnancy don't arrive as a surprise.
47 pages · Rhonda Sobh, CNM · Founder & CEO
Inside this guide
12 sections. One clear plan.
- 01Week by WeekWhat is happening inside at 28–31, 32–35, 36–37, and 38–40+ — including why waiting is still pregnancy.
- 02Fetal MovementWhy the pattern matters more than the count, how to use kick counts without obsessing, and what actually happens after you call.
- 03MonitoringWhat an NST monitor is really showing, and why a biophysical profile gets added.
- 04Group B StrepWhat GBS is, and why a positive result is treated during labor rather than before.
- 05Baby's PositionHead-down, breech or transverse — and what an external cephalic version actually involves.
- 06Labor SignsBraxton Hicks versus true labor, the mucus plug and bloody show, and what to notice when your water breaks.
- 07Preeclampsia & Warning SignsThe physiology behind it, and the specific symptoms Rhonda wants every client to know.
- 08Symptoms, Sleep & VaccinesSwelling patterns, lightning crotch, reflux and breathlessness, why sleep falls apart — plus Tdap and the narrow RSV window.
- 09Growth & InductionFundal height versus growth scans, what percentiles do and don't mean, and induction broken down: the reasons, your cervix, Pitocin, and going past your date.
- 10Birth & Feeding PreferencesPlanning for more than one route, the first 24 hours of feeding, and prenatal feeding prep that is actually worth doing.
- 11PostpartumMaking the invisible work visible, vaginal and cesarean recovery, and the postpartum warning signs education usually stops short of.
- 12Quick ReferenceThe 36-week questions worth bringing, a screenshot page, and a 'ready enough' checklist.
Coming soon · $29
A few final touches.
Our guides are being updated right now, and this one is nearly ready. Check back shortly — or leave your details and we'll tell you the moment it goes live. No charge for being on the list.
This guide is educational and complements the care you get from your own provider — it does not replace it. Bring anything in it to your next appointment, or talk to one of our nurses.
Want the version with a nurse attached?
Our doula program puts a Labor and Delivery RN in the room with you.