32 Weeks Pregnant

You have now entered into your eighth month of pregnancy. The count-down to childbirth has begun and both you and your baby will are getting ready for the big day. While you are busy preparing baby’s room, and gathering the necessary items for after the birth, your baby is busy too—packing on the pounds and building muscles.

For some women (especially those who have had more than one baby) Braxton-Hicks contractions may be more pronounced in coming weeks. If you aren’t sure if your labor is the real deal, or just a trial run, try moving around. False labor will not continue with movement as true labor intensifies over time.  Braxton-Hicks contractions usually start at the top of the uterus and flow down toward the lower portion of the abdomen.  True contractions feel like a menstrual cramp and typically begin in the back and work their way around to the front. If you are unsure about your contractions, contact your doctor and follow his or her recommendations.

Baby’s Development

Right now your baby is filling their days with lots of preparation for birth.  At about 16 inches in length and weighing in at around 4-1/2 pounds, your baby is looking more and more like a newborn. As fat stores continue to deposit, baby is taking on a more solid appearance and losing the almost transparent skin they had before. Since about the 20th week, your baby has been secreting a waxy, white substance known as Vernix to protect their skin.  Vernix is comprised of oil and skin cells and helps form a barrier between your baby’s watery home and their tender new skin.  Some Vernix may still be present at birth, but it will be washed away with the first bath.

Your baby is on target to gain at least 2 more pounds before the end of this month, and the brain is still developing so it is important to continue to eat well and try to get as much rest as possible. You may not feel the baby moving as much as before, but close quarters have your little one pushing, stretching and flexing now—as opposed to those kicks you felt earlier on.

Changes With Your Body

Your uterus is now 5 inches above your belly button, and the intestines are pushed upward, and off to each side—located under the ribs now, as opposed to the abdominal cavity where they were before.

Changes in location, combined with hormonal relaxation of the muscle wall may leave you with some digestive troubles.  Just like in the months before, heartburn, constipation, and indigestion may be a normal part of your daily routine. Try eating small, frequent meals and sitting upright for at least thirty minutes after eating to help your stomach contents stay down.

Increasing pressure from the weight of the uterus (and hormones, of course) are also keeping your lower half from circulating blood as it normally would.  As a result, you can expect your varicose veins, hemorrhoids and leg cramps to continue.  If any of these are causing discomfort, talk with your doctor.

What To Expect

The coming weeks will bring more of the same physical symptoms, but you may begin to feel a tiny bit more nervous as well.  As the big day approaches, make sure to talk with those close to you about any concerns or uncertainties that you may have. Sit down with your doctor and your partner and discuss your child birth options and birth plan if you haven’t already done so.

Tips/Advice

Take it easy, cut back on all strenuous activities if you feel overly tired. Walking is still a great way to get exercise without straining yourself, as is swimming. Some classes are also designed with the mom-to-be in mind—so keep your eye out for prenatal yoga or aerobics classes.

31 Weeks Pregnant

This is a week of fast weight gain for both mom and the baby. With mostly mature body systems by now, baby can open and close their eyes at this week in pregnancy as well as receive signals from all other senses.

Each week is bringing you closer to your delivery, and with this comes an increased sense of anticipation. It’s normal to be nervous, just make sure to share your feelings with a supportive friend or loved one.

Continue to use these quiet days to finish tying up those loose ends. Your desire to prepare and nest may be starting (though it often doesn’t until days before delivery for some women) and you may want to shop, get baby’s laundry washed and even pack a hospital bag. It’s certainly quite early for a trip to the hospital, and if your labor started now, your baby would require a high level of care for many weeks.

Baby’s Development

Still gaining that ½ pound per week average, your baby is near it’s delivery length at around 18 inches. Weighing in at 3 ½ pounds these last several weeks are essential to baby’s growth while he or she packs on at least another 3 to 5 pounds .

The baby’s lungs are developed and they are able to inflate and deflate as your baby practices breathing motions. Not really needed until after delivery, lung tissue is beginning to secrete surfactant—a necessary agent for elasticity and lung flexibility. Babies born with too little surfactant often suffer from stiffness, and respiratory difficulties.

Baby’s hearing is now 100% completed and can hear sounds and voices clearly inside the womb. The skin is pink at this stage of pregnancy and won’t change too much in color before birth. The baby’s bones are hardening nicely and they will still need all of the calcium they can get before they are born, so mom’s diet is especially important now.

Now able to urinate, a baby may produce about a half a liter of urine every day. Your baby’s well-being may be assessed through the use of a biophysical profile sometime between now and your due date. Fetal breathing, non-stress test results, amniotic fluid levels and other indicators can tell your doctor how your baby is tolerating life inside.

Changes With Your Body

Your weight gain is estimated at 21 and 27 pounds. It is entirely possible that you have gained more weight. The majority of you weight gain is comprised of the baby’s weight, placenta, extra blood, water, the uterus and amniotic fluid. The ligaments and muscles and supporting the back are becoming relaxed and loose to prepare for childbirth. By now, you will notice a change in your breast size as they prepare for lactation, so make sure that you have a supportive bra.

Some women may begin to leak colostrum early during their pregnancy, while others never leak at all. No matter what your body does, it does not mean you cannot successfully breast feed.

Some moms-to-be will experience Braxton-Hicks contractions. Some women feel these contractions back in the second trimester, and others never have them at all. These painless, irregular contractions have sent many women to the hospital sure they were in labor only to be sent home. If you think you are having contractions, make sure to contact your doctor and follow their orders.

What To Expect

At this week of pregnancy, the baby is taking a significant amount of nutrients from the food that you are eating. Try to keep taking in healthy foods as long as possible. If you have not given up smoking, it is not too late. The ultimate idea is to quit right away. Increasing fatigue will make sleep more challenging and you may find yourself craving a nap during the day. If possible try to sneak one in when you can.

You will continue to experience frequent urination until the baby is born. Normally, this wouldn’t be difficult but if you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep then the constant getting up and down can be frustrating.

Be patient with all of these changes—they will be over soon enough.

Tips/Advice

This may be a good week to handle the paperwork process for maternity leave. If you haven’t already discussed the issue with your supervisor or human resources department, make sure to do so. If you need to cut back on hours, talk with your boss openly and modify your job requirements if there is a significant amount of standing or lifting involved.

30 Weeks Pregnant

As your baby’s birth draws ever closer, these coming weeks may trigger a variety of mixed emotions. Now fully into your third trimester, you may have only 6 to 8 weeks left before your baby’s arrival. As your pregnancy hormone surge many women experience a variety of symptoms including anxiety, fear the unknown and mild mood swings. While some ups and downs are normal, make sure to let your doctor know if you are suffering extreme symptoms which could be indicative of depression.
Many women begin to feel anxious about the birth itself and start to seek out answers from others. One great resource is in childbirth classes that will probably be offered either through your OB/GYN’s office, or the hospital or birthing center where you will be delivering. Many women worry about making it to the hospital on time, how to know they are in labor, and understanding what could happen during the delivery. Remember that all of these fears and questions are normal, and they are people ready and willing to help you find the answers.

Baby’s Development
Right now, your baby weighs around 3 pounds and measures between 14 and 17 inches from head to heel. He or she has a clearly defined sleep cycle and you should be able to notice periods of time when your baby is much more active. Right now, your baby is actively practicing many of its bodily functions and movements that will be necessary for life outside the womb. As baby grows larger, the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby will decrease as will the strength of those little kick should have felt for the last several months. With less room to move, you will feel pressure, rolling, and stretching that can sometimes be uncomfortable, but those big movements will soon be restricted by your baby’s size.
The baby’s brain is developing rapidly as it controls baby’s day-to-day activities. Able to fully open his or her eyes, baby’s vision continues to develop and will be about 20/400 at birth—making it easy to see caregivers at a close distance, but little else.

Changes With Your Body
These last several weeks may leave you feeling fatigued, and wishing you could take a nap. Priceless nights make it even more difficult to sleep deeply and all that tossing and turning generally be pretty worn out during the day. If necessary, you may have to try sleeping with several pillows, were sitting up in the recliner. If possible, try to squeeze in a short nap during the day.
A growing belly means a change in your center of gravity. This shift could increase your chances of falls, so make sure to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. If you need assistance lifting, climbing or carrying things let someone else help user to do not enter yourself or your baby. For some women, the shifting gravity changes the structure of the feet causing them to widen, which is why some women claim their feet grew during their pregnancy.
As pregnancy hormones begin to loosen the supporting structures of the pelvic bones, you will begin to develop a signature pregnancy waddle. If you have not already started swaying from side to side and holding your lower back, those days may be close ahead.

What to Expect
As baby’s size and your uterus press against your lungs, you will notice that you seem to run out of breath more easily than ever before. While it may seem uncomfortable now, there will be a bit of relief when baby descends into the lower portion of the pelvis a few weeks before birth, which will allow your lungs to expand more fully.
Doctor’s appointments should still be twice monthly and your physician will continue to monitor your vital signs and urine output for any signs of complications. Unless your physician suspects an issue, there probably will not be any more ultrasounds unless your baby is a breach or transverse presentation if this is the case, your physician may check regularly for signs that your baby is turning to a head down position for birth.
As usual, make sure to report any signs or symptoms of preterm labor or blood pressure complications to your doctor as soon as possible. Leaking fluid, abdominal pain, bleeding, headaches, nosebleeds, and chest pain should all be reported.

Tips/Advice
Try to make a list of everything that has to be done. While your instinct in S2 may not be fully engaged, and you are still waiting on a baby shower or two, do your best to plan what things you can. If there are large items such as cribs, baby swings or other furniture that you intend to purchase for yourself this baby a good time to get those items out of the way.

Source : www.pregnancyweeks.us