You have now entered into your eighth month of pregnancy and the count down starts. There are some women who may experience some early contractions, these are called false labor. This is the body’s way of practicing for childbirth. You can try to reduce these contractions by changing positions every now and then. Don’t sit or stand in one place for along period of time. You can relax by taking a long warm bath, stay away from hot water. You can use scented bath oils or bath beads.

Continue eating smaller and more frequent meals and stay hydrated. You can actually avoid a lot of aches and pains of pregnancy by staying hydrated. The third trimester symptoms will continue such as heartburn, backaches and frequent urination but remember the end is in sight. The baby is still growing and you will feel uncomfortable from time to time. The idea is to get as comfortable as possible. You may feel lightheaded from time to time and that is due in part to the blood gathering more in the lower limbs because of low blood pressure.

To avoid this, you will have to keep changing your body’s position. The baby’s brain is developing quickly as the baby prepares for birth. The bones are continuing to harden and become stronger everyday. The folds in the baby’s skin will start to disappear and now the baby will start to look chubby. Many women start to project what the delivery of the baby will be like. But you don’t have to panic about it, just sit back and relax and enjoy the last month or so of your pregnancy.

Baby’s Development

The baby will keep maturing at this point in the pregnancy. If the baby was born at this week of pregnancy, they would have a 50-50 chance of surviving. The baby is now changing positions and preparing for birth. The baby will be about 16 inches in length and should weigh about 4-1/2 pounds. Don’t panic, the baby continues to gain weight as the pregnancy progresses. The baby’s skin is more of a reddish color and looks like it is wrinkles. There is the white coating called the vernix that protects the baby through childbirth.

The baby is on target to gain at least 2 more pounds before the end of the eighth month. The baby’s brain is still developing so it is important to continue to eat better and get plenty of sleep. You may not feel the baby moving as much as before. The baby is taking up much of the uterus and you will feel them kick and stretch their arms out.

The baby’s lungs are developing will soon be a 100% mature. The baby’s eyes are fully functional and can open and close at will. The umbilical cord is coated so if the baby turns while in the womb the cord will not get knotted to kinked. The baby’s skeleton is 100% formed and is still developing. The baby’s bones are a bit soft but they continue to develop and harden at week thirty-two. Experts have said that the baby is sensitive to touch and will kick the mom to be if you place a hot or very cold pad on the belly.

Changes With Your Body

Some women will experience the Braxton Hicks contractions on a more regular basis at this stage of pregnancy. This is nothing to worry about, if you have any questions or concerns you should talk to your doctor as soon as you start feeling these contractions. The baby’s position is now in the pelvis awaiting the last stretch of pregnancy. The baby will be pushing down on the ribcage and this is one of the most uncomfortable things you can experience in your pregnancy.

The new mom to be will have increased estrogen levels this makes the uterus more sensitive to oxytocin that is the hormone that is needed from the body to be able to have the contractions that alert you to the baby’s birth. The uterus is no 5 inches above the belly and the internal organs are pushed upwards. This can cause shortness of breath and you should take it easy from this week forward. The pregnancy symptoms include bleeding gums; leg cramps insomnia, nosebleeds and leaking breasts. These symptoms will not likely subside until the baby is born.

The new mom to be should be gaining about a pound a week and the blood volume has increased to about 40% to 50%. The increase of blood is very essential now; the reason is that you will lose a lot of blood during the delivery so the increased blood volume will help at birth. You may start to panic about childbirth but you can ease your fears by obtaining as much knowledge as you can about all methods of childbirth.

Talk to your doctor about childbirth and what happens and how you will know when labor is coming. You will notice the difference in Braxton Hicks contractions and regular contractions is that the real contractions will become more intense in feeling. You may feel an increased your appetite when labor is upon her. Try to change activities to see if you can alleviate the contractions.

What To Expect

What you can expect from this stage of pregnancy is all about childbirth and what your options are. Sit down with your doctor and your partner and discuss what your options are. You should know and understand what the contractions are and what they feel like. Some women claim that if you are having a contraction that you will know it. Others about to give birth are scared that they won’t. So talk to your doctor and discuss all of the options.

To find out if what you are feeling are really contractions, experts say to eat something or drink something and if the pain subsides then they are not contractions. This is done because hunger and often dehydration can cause similar symptoms to labor contractions.

Tips/Advice

Take it easy, cut back on all physical activities that require a lot of movement. Walking is still a great way to get exercise without straining yourself.