All about baby
Your baby has put on about two pounds of weight since last month, bringing the total to about three pounds eleven ounces. As the body lays down fat and muscle in preparation for birth, baby's skin becomes less transparent and your baby looks more like a newborn. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby's face.
Your baby can still move its head and is practising breathing, but now that available space is more limited, movements will slow down in quantity and speed. Some time soon, your baby will probably settle in a head-down position ready for the birth, although some babies don’t change position right until the birth itself.
- Measures about 28.5cm crown to rump
- Weighs in at around 3lbs 11oz
Over to you
Only eight weeks to go! Your bump is now just beneath your breasts because your uterus is taking up nearly all the space in your abdomen. Having gained up to about 20lbs, your pelvis and legs will be feeling the strain, so rest as often as you can with your legs up. Your metabolic rate has risen by 20%, so you may feel hot and sweaty whatever the weather.
If you've noticed a burning sensation and numbness in your hands, don't panic. These are symptoms of carpel tunnel syndrome. Caused by fluid retention, which can compress the nerves inside the wrists and result in tingling and pain, symptoms will disappear after delivery.
By now you may be getting Braxton Hicks contractions for as long as 30 seconds a few times a day, as your body starts rehearsing for the birth. This tightening of the tummy will become progressively stronger towards the end of pregnancy. Don’t be fooled into thinking labour has started, as these quite painless contractions are nothing like the real thing!
In the know
During pregnancy, hormones trigger changes in the way you usually digest your food. First, the whole digestion process slows down to help your body absorb more nutrients - the side effect being constipation, bloating and gas.
Your stomach may also become more sensitive and will quickly eliminate what it thinks is unsafe food by giving you bouts of diarrhoea or vomiting. Finally, as your pregnancy progresses, there's simply less space in your intestines for food. And that means crowding, heartburn and indigestion. Fantastic!
If you're suffering from gas and bloating, firstly identify the culprits that trigger your symptoms. One way is to keep a food journal so you can track what you ate four to eight hours before an attack. Beans, cabbage and broccoli are notorious gas makers and dairy products are harder to digest for some people. If constipation is troubling you, old-fashioned remedies are still the best: more fibre in your diet, drinking more water, prunes and prune juice. Taking a walk after you eat can also help prevent constipation by stimulating digestion and speeding up the process of your food moving through your system.
Eating smaller meals every few hours instead of large ones and controlling portions at dinnertime will help limit heartburn and indigestion. Drinking fluids at least a half an hour before meals instead of during them can also help. If your heartburn is severe, propping yourself in a semi-upright position so that your chest is higher than your hips may help to decrease the reflux.
Diarrhoea and vomiting that lasts for less than 24 hours is pretty normal. However, if diarrhoea and vomiting last longer than a day, if you begin to feel weak, or you have head or body pain, contact your midwife or GP.
In fact, if any intestinal problem lasts more than a day or two, and can't be eliminated by drinking more water, getting more exercise, eating fibre-rich foods and avoiding food triggers, notify your doctor who will be able to recommend the safest medications to ease your symptoms.
Go to next week's article: Pregnancy Week 33
Please note that the contents of this section are for information only and are not intended as medical advice or as a substitute to your doctor's advice. For medical care and advice, you should consult your doctor on a regular basis. If you have any problem which concerns you, consult your doctor immediately.
