In late pregnancy, many people feel that time passes more slowly. There is limited research specifically on time perception in pregnancy, but much is known about how the brain experiences time in general. Time perception is influenced by variation, the amount of stimulation, and how much changes from day to day. When many new things happen, time often feels faster. When days look similar, time can feel slower.

Earlier in pregnancy, there are many noticeable changes – new symptoms, appointments, and adjustments. Toward the end, there are fewer visible changes. The body is doing more “internal” work: the baby is fully developed, and much of the process is about maintaining and completing. For the brain, this means less new information to process, which can make the days feel repetitive or slow.

Sleep patterns and energy levels also change in late pregnancy. Research shows that sleep disturbances and fatigue are common in the third trimester, and both can affect attention and how we process information. When we are more tired and life is less varied, time is often experienced as moving slowly.

Feeling that time drags at the end of pregnancy is therefore linked to reduced variation, altered sleep, and the body being in a quieter, final phase. It does not, in itself, indicate a problem with the pregnancy.

Alma’s tips 🌿

• The experience of time is often shaped more by daily routines than by the number of weeks.

• In late pregnancy, fewer visible changes can make time feel slower.

• Tiredness and disrupted sleep can blur days together — this is common in the third trimester.

• A long-feeling wait does not, by itself, mean that something is wrong.