Your Pregnancy: The Eighth Month

THE EIGHTH MONTH (Weeks 29-32)

Bending over is challenging and tying your own shoes may be a distant memory. But keep in mind that you and your baby are in the home stretch. These last few weeks can seem like forever, but don’t worry, they will pass and soon you’ll be a mom!

Your Baby

Your baby’s body is pretty much completely formed now, though the lungs and brain are still developing. Your baby can now blink at will and his or her pupils dilate in response to light and dark. Your baby continues to grow and gain fat. He is gaining about a pound a week. By the end of this month he will be up to 19 inches long and weigh about five or even six pounds. Space is getting cramped and he is probably not moving around as much as he used to. By now, he has probably settled into the head-down position that he will stay in until birth. 

Your Body

You are probably feeling pretty big and tired of being pregnant. The fact that your hormones are relaxing the joints in your hips so that you seem to waddle when you walk probably isn’t helping. Try to remember that this relaxing of the joints will help to make labor and delivery easier. As your body gets ready for birth, you are probably also experiencing more Braxton Hicks contractions and colostrum leakage. In addition, as baby gets bigger, she may be putting pressure on your bladder again, so you will probably be taking more trips to the bathroom. If you are in public and there is a line, don’t be shy, most women, having been there, done that, are happy to let you and your huge belly cut in line. You may also be feeling more heartburn because of your relaxed muscles. Another unfortunate effect of pregnancy can be varicose veins for about 40 percent of women.

What You Need to Know

Small, frequent meals can help to relieve indigestion and heartburn. Remember to take your prenatal supplement, your body needs all the nutrients it can get in these last few weeks.

If you are planning on breastfeeding consider attending a La Leche League meeting. You will want to learn all you can about breastfeeding before your baby is born. You may also want to start applying nipple cream now to avoid sore and cracked nipples that are common in the first few weeks.

Your hospital or birth center bag should be packed by now and you should have everything you need to bring home baby bought and ready. Hopefully, you have postpartum support lined up and of course, a name for your little one.

Read More About the Different Months in Pregnancy:

• First Month
• Second Month
• Third Month
• Fourth Month
• Fifth Month
• Sixth Month
• Seventh Month
• Eighth Month
• Ninth Month

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