Week 26
Baby: Your baby measures about 9.2 inches from crown to rump and weighs almost 2 pounds now. Its hearing is fully developed. As the fetus reacts to sounds, its pulse increases. Your baby will even move in rhythm to music. Lungs are still growing but are not yet mature. Patterns of your baby's brain waves appear like a full-term newborn. It also has patterns of sleeping and waking.
Mom-to-be: The baby's constant movements should be reassuring. You'll be putting on weight at the rate of about 1 pound per week now. You may be feeling some rib pain as your baby grows and pushes upward on your rib cage. The pressure may also be causing indigestion and heartburn. You may even be feeling stitch-like pains down the sides of your abdomen as your uterine muscle stretches.
Tip of the Week: If you're planning to return to work, you might want to begin checking out the availability of child care in your area. Nannies cost about $250 to $600 per week, group day care typically ranges from $100 to $200 per week, and home day care runs from about $75 to $125 per week. But keep in mind that you might change your mind after your baby arrives.
Week 27
Baby: Your baby measures about 9.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs a little more than 2 pounds. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that he can get his thumb into his mouth. Thumb-sucking calms the baby and strengthens his cheek and jaw muscles. Your baby can cry now.
Mom-to-be: You may see stretch marks as your uterus continues to expand. Most women have gained about 16 to 22 pounds by now. Balance and mobility also may be changing as you grow larger.
Tip of the Week: During your last trimester you should talk to your doctor or midwife about the delivery. You'll learn such things as signs to predict labor and how far apart the contractions should be before going to the hospital or birth center. It's also the time to begin interviewing pediatricians and to take care of other logistics, like pre-registration and a birthing plan (what you envision your labor and delivery will be like). This plan should be written in your patient record or attached to it in the form of a birth plan.
Week 28
Baby: Your baby measures about 10 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 15.75 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.4 pounds. Brain waves show rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means your baby may be dreaming. Eyelids are opening. Branches of lungs are developing, so there's a good chance that baby would survive if born prematurely now.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus extends well above your navel. As baby gets bigger and stronger this month, you may be experiencing leg cramps and mild swelling of ankles and feet, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, lower abdominal achiness, clumsiness or scattered Braxton Hicks contractions (hardening and relaxing of the uterus, like rehearsals for labor). You may also be urinating more frequently again as the uterus continues to push on your bladder.
Tip of the Week: Even if your husband is planning on being with you in the delivery room, you might want to consider hiring a doula -- a professional labor assistant who provides support, but not medical aid, for the mother and her partner. Studies show that doulas can shorten a woman's labor and reduce the likelihood of needing pain medication, forceps deliveries or a Caesarean section.
Week 29
Baby: Your baby measures about 10.4 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 16.7 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.7 pounds. At this stage a fetus's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall. Baby is performing fewer acrobatics as conditions in the womb become more cramped, but still doing a lot of kicking and stretching.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus is about 3.5 to 4 inches above your navel. Weight gain is probably between 19 and 25 pounds. As odds improve that baby could survive outside the womb -- although in a neonatal intensive-care unit -- you may be feeling relieved and excited, or anxious about motherhood, your baby's health, and labor and delivery. If you do experience premature labor, signs include menstrual-like cramps or lower back pain, a trickle of amniotic fluid, or a watery pinkish or brownish discharge preceded sometimes by the passage of a thick, gelatinous mucus plug. Your practitioner often can stop labor from progressing with bed rest, muscle relaxants or other drugs, possibly requiring hospitalization.
Tip of the Week: Your blood pressure typically may rise a little around the seventh month, but contact your practitioner if you get severe headaches, blurred vision or severe swelling of hands, feet or ankles, or if you experience severe weight gain. These symptoms could signal the beginning of preeclampsia, a dangerous condition marked by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine during pregnancy.
Week 30
Baby: Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus is about four inches above your navel, and it's hard to believe you still have about 10 weeks to go as baby continues to push on your ribs. You may be feeling more discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen. You'll probably be gaining about a pound a week.
Tip of the Week: The membranes around the baby that contain the amniotic fluid are called the bag of waters. They usually do not break until just before the onset of labor, but if it does break prematurely, your risk of infection increases so call your practitioner immediately.
What's Happening Inside You?
At the end of the seventh month, fat begins to be deposited on your baby. Your baby is about 14 inches long and weighs from 2 to 4 pounds. Your baby's hearing is fully developed and he or she changes position frequently and responds to stimuli, including sound, pain and light
The amniotic fluid begins to diminish.
If born prematurely, your baby would likely survive after the seventh month.
Week 31
Baby: Your baby measures about 18 inches long from head to toe and weighs about 3.5 pounds. Rather than hearing vibrations, baby's nerve endings in his ears are connected now so that he can hear distinct sounds, like familiar voices and music.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus now fills a large part of your abdomen, and you've probably gained between 21 and 27 pounds. You're probably feeling increasing excitement and anxiousness about the birth -- it won't be long now.
Tip for the Week: Practice your breathing and relaxation exercises.
Week 32
Baby: Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now, either lying with the head up or sometimes still with enough room to do somersaults. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin. Baby's practicing opening his eyes and breathing.
Mom-to-be: Although you've only been seeing the doctor monthly, now you'll probably start seeing your practitioner every two weeks until the last month, when you'll probably switch to weekly visits. You may continue to get backaches and leg cramps. You may also notice colostrum leaking from your breasts, a yellowish fluid that precedes milk production.
Tip of the Week: You might be carrying differently from others at the same stage of pregnancy. Whether you're carrying higher or lower, bigger or smaller, wider or more compact depends on the size and position of baby, your body type and how much weight you've gained. For more comfort, drink plenty of fluids, elevate your legs when sitting, lie on your left side and wear support stockings.
Week 33
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds. The next few weeks will mark lots of growth in the baby. The fetus will gain more than half its birth weight in the next seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as it runs out of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest and arms and legs crossed.
Mom-to-be: The uterus is about 5.2 inches above your navel, and you've gained between 22 and 28 pounds. Of the pound a week you're gaining now, roughly half is going to your baby.
Tip of the Week: It's medically safe to continue having sex with your partner, but you may be too uncomfortable. Talk with your spouse about other ways to remain intimate, including backrubs and foot massages.
Week 34
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.8 inches from head to toe and weighs about 5 pounds. Baby is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. Baby might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus hardens and contracts as practice for labor, known as Braxton Hicks contractions, but you may not feel them yet. Your pelvis has expanded and may ache, especially at the back. Uterus is pushed hard against your lower ribs and your rib cage may be sore, and your navel is probably pushing out as a result of your abdomen being stretched.
Tip of the Week: Start thinking about whether you want to breast-feed, which helps increase your child's immunities. You may want to consult a lactation expert or the La Leche League, an organization that encourages and promotes breast-feeding, or simply talk with friends or relatives who can share their experiences.
What's Happening Inside You?
By the end of these four weeks, your baby will weigh as much as 5 pounds. Your baby continues to mature and develop reserves of body fat. You may notice that your baby is kicking more. Baby's brain is developing rapidly at this time, and he or she can hear. Most internal systems are well developed, but the lungs may still be immature.
Reviewed by The Cleveland Clinic Birthing Services and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Baby: Your baby measures about 9.2 inches from crown to rump and weighs almost 2 pounds now. Its hearing is fully developed. As the fetus reacts to sounds, its pulse increases. Your baby will even move in rhythm to music. Lungs are still growing but are not yet mature. Patterns of your baby's brain waves appear like a full-term newborn. It also has patterns of sleeping and waking.
Mom-to-be: The baby's constant movements should be reassuring. You'll be putting on weight at the rate of about 1 pound per week now. You may be feeling some rib pain as your baby grows and pushes upward on your rib cage. The pressure may also be causing indigestion and heartburn. You may even be feeling stitch-like pains down the sides of your abdomen as your uterine muscle stretches.
Tip of the Week: If you're planning to return to work, you might want to begin checking out the availability of child care in your area. Nannies cost about $250 to $600 per week, group day care typically ranges from $100 to $200 per week, and home day care runs from about $75 to $125 per week. But keep in mind that you might change your mind after your baby arrives.
Week 27
Baby: Your baby measures about 9.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs a little more than 2 pounds. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that he can get his thumb into his mouth. Thumb-sucking calms the baby and strengthens his cheek and jaw muscles. Your baby can cry now.
Mom-to-be: You may see stretch marks as your uterus continues to expand. Most women have gained about 16 to 22 pounds by now. Balance and mobility also may be changing as you grow larger.
Tip of the Week: During your last trimester you should talk to your doctor or midwife about the delivery. You'll learn such things as signs to predict labor and how far apart the contractions should be before going to the hospital or birth center. It's also the time to begin interviewing pediatricians and to take care of other logistics, like pre-registration and a birthing plan (what you envision your labor and delivery will be like). This plan should be written in your patient record or attached to it in the form of a birth plan.
Week 28
Baby: Your baby measures about 10 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 15.75 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.4 pounds. Brain waves show rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means your baby may be dreaming. Eyelids are opening. Branches of lungs are developing, so there's a good chance that baby would survive if born prematurely now.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus extends well above your navel. As baby gets bigger and stronger this month, you may be experiencing leg cramps and mild swelling of ankles and feet, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, lower abdominal achiness, clumsiness or scattered Braxton Hicks contractions (hardening and relaxing of the uterus, like rehearsals for labor). You may also be urinating more frequently again as the uterus continues to push on your bladder.
Tip of the Week: Even if your husband is planning on being with you in the delivery room, you might want to consider hiring a doula -- a professional labor assistant who provides support, but not medical aid, for the mother and her partner. Studies show that doulas can shorten a woman's labor and reduce the likelihood of needing pain medication, forceps deliveries or a Caesarean section.
Week 29
Baby: Your baby measures about 10.4 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 16.7 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.7 pounds. At this stage a fetus's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall. Baby is performing fewer acrobatics as conditions in the womb become more cramped, but still doing a lot of kicking and stretching.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus is about 3.5 to 4 inches above your navel. Weight gain is probably between 19 and 25 pounds. As odds improve that baby could survive outside the womb -- although in a neonatal intensive-care unit -- you may be feeling relieved and excited, or anxious about motherhood, your baby's health, and labor and delivery. If you do experience premature labor, signs include menstrual-like cramps or lower back pain, a trickle of amniotic fluid, or a watery pinkish or brownish discharge preceded sometimes by the passage of a thick, gelatinous mucus plug. Your practitioner often can stop labor from progressing with bed rest, muscle relaxants or other drugs, possibly requiring hospitalization.
Tip of the Week: Your blood pressure typically may rise a little around the seventh month, but contact your practitioner if you get severe headaches, blurred vision or severe swelling of hands, feet or ankles, or if you experience severe weight gain. These symptoms could signal the beginning of preeclampsia, a dangerous condition marked by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine during pregnancy.
Week 30
Baby: Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus is about four inches above your navel, and it's hard to believe you still have about 10 weeks to go as baby continues to push on your ribs. You may be feeling more discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen. You'll probably be gaining about a pound a week.
Tip of the Week: The membranes around the baby that contain the amniotic fluid are called the bag of waters. They usually do not break until just before the onset of labor, but if it does break prematurely, your risk of infection increases so call your practitioner immediately.
What's Happening Inside You?At the end of the seventh month, fat begins to be deposited on your baby. Your baby is about 14 inches long and weighs from 2 to 4 pounds. Your baby's hearing is fully developed and he or she changes position frequently and responds to stimuli, including sound, pain and light
The amniotic fluid begins to diminish.
If born prematurely, your baby would likely survive after the seventh month.
Week 31
Baby: Your baby measures about 18 inches long from head to toe and weighs about 3.5 pounds. Rather than hearing vibrations, baby's nerve endings in his ears are connected now so that he can hear distinct sounds, like familiar voices and music.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus now fills a large part of your abdomen, and you've probably gained between 21 and 27 pounds. You're probably feeling increasing excitement and anxiousness about the birth -- it won't be long now.
Tip for the Week: Practice your breathing and relaxation exercises.
Week 32
Baby: Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now, either lying with the head up or sometimes still with enough room to do somersaults. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin. Baby's practicing opening his eyes and breathing.
Mom-to-be: Although you've only been seeing the doctor monthly, now you'll probably start seeing your practitioner every two weeks until the last month, when you'll probably switch to weekly visits. You may continue to get backaches and leg cramps. You may also notice colostrum leaking from your breasts, a yellowish fluid that precedes milk production.
Tip of the Week: You might be carrying differently from others at the same stage of pregnancy. Whether you're carrying higher or lower, bigger or smaller, wider or more compact depends on the size and position of baby, your body type and how much weight you've gained. For more comfort, drink plenty of fluids, elevate your legs when sitting, lie on your left side and wear support stockings.
Week 33
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds. The next few weeks will mark lots of growth in the baby. The fetus will gain more than half its birth weight in the next seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as it runs out of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest and arms and legs crossed.
Mom-to-be: The uterus is about 5.2 inches above your navel, and you've gained between 22 and 28 pounds. Of the pound a week you're gaining now, roughly half is going to your baby.
Tip of the Week: It's medically safe to continue having sex with your partner, but you may be too uncomfortable. Talk with your spouse about other ways to remain intimate, including backrubs and foot massages.
Week 34
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.8 inches from head to toe and weighs about 5 pounds. Baby is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. Baby might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit.
Mom-to-be: Your uterus hardens and contracts as practice for labor, known as Braxton Hicks contractions, but you may not feel them yet. Your pelvis has expanded and may ache, especially at the back. Uterus is pushed hard against your lower ribs and your rib cage may be sore, and your navel is probably pushing out as a result of your abdomen being stretched.
Tip of the Week: Start thinking about whether you want to breast-feed, which helps increase your child's immunities. You may want to consult a lactation expert or the La Leche League, an organization that encourages and promotes breast-feeding, or simply talk with friends or relatives who can share their experiences.
What's Happening Inside You?By the end of these four weeks, your baby will weigh as much as 5 pounds. Your baby continues to mature and develop reserves of body fat. You may notice that your baby is kicking more. Baby's brain is developing rapidly at this time, and he or she can hear. Most internal systems are well developed, but the lungs may still be immature.
Reviewed by The Cleveland Clinic Birthing Services and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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