Eighth month of pregnancy

The cloudless and easy period is left behind. The eighth month of pregnancy sets new tasks for the expectant mother, which are becoming increasingly difficult to solve. Childbirth is not far off, excitement is growing, health worsens. Patience and the right attitude to the changes taking place in the body will help the expectant mother to survive this difficult time.

General information

The eighth month is the middle of the third trimester. This time is traditionally considered prenatal, preparatory. It may seem to a woman that her first trimester with all its worries was already so long ago that the worries have already been forgotten. There is already a feeling of fatigue and a desire to give birth as soon as possible to make it easier.

All the existing symptoms can worsen, and the expectant mother should not be afraid of this. It's just that her body is really tired, the immune system is depleted, internal processes of preparation for childbirth invisible to the eye begin. Instead of worries, it is better to get down to business - to collect a bag for childbirth, choose a maternity hospital and sign an exchange card there, start attending courses for expectant mothers, where a woman will be taught the correct behavior and breathing during childbirth, the intricacies of caring for a baby in its first days, and establishing breastfeeding - this knowledge will be very useful.

The eighth month corresponds to 30-34 weeks and covers several days from 35 weeks, if you measure the period by the usual and familiar calendar method. The obstetric term, equal to the eighth month, includes 29-32 weeks. In pregnancy, not 9 obstetric months, but 10.

Talking about 8 months, we will consider the term from 30 to 34.5 weeks.

Fetal development

The dangerous period for the baby has passed. The threats of the first trimester, when the baby's organs were being actively formed, were far behind. The child is well protected by the placenta, and so far it is doing an excellent job with its tasks - feeding, oxygenating, protecting and acting as a shock absorber.

The baby is getting prettier every day - gaining weight, acquiring cute curves that make newborns so cute. The shoulders, which used to stick out sharply, were rounded. The skills that the baby has mastered during the seven months spent in the womb allow him to survive if childbirth occurs now. But it is still dangerous to give birth, because the baby will be considered premature.

The main danger of birth at 8 months lies in the immaturity of the lung tissue - the surfactant, which will not allow the alveoli to stick together after the first breath, has not yet accumulated enough. The consequences of childbirth in the period from 30 to 34.5 weeks can be very deplorable - acute respiratory failure, ischemia and cerebral infarction, systemic hypothermia due to low weight and a small amount of subcutaneous fat. Nature has foreseen everything so that the child remains in the womb a little longer, and you need to do all you can to help it.

Let's take a look at how the baby is feeling during the eighth month.

31 week

The baby looks almost like a newborn, but you need to understand that the organs and systems of the baby are not yet fully ripe. How much the baby should weigh at this time is more and more difficult to say, because weight is gaining rapidly, and the genetic data of all children are different. There are already babies who weigh about 2 kilograms, and there are crumbs with a weight of only one and a half kilograms. The average weight is considered to be from 1800 grams. The growth of children may also differ (there are tall people, and there are short people), on average, children grow up to 40-42 centimeters.

The baby's skin is no longer red. Enough subcutaneous fat has accumulated to smoothen the skin and turn pale pink. If a child is dark-skinned or dark-skinned, then a pigment is already being produced, which paints his skin in the desired color, provided by the genome.

Viability is assessed as high, so there is no need to be afraid of childbirth at this time, although there is also no need to rush things.

32 week

For the baby, the free period ended when he could move the way he liked, there was no room left in the uterus. In order not to lead to overstretching and an increase in pressure inside the uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid begins to decrease. Those who are now in a breech or transverse presentation, most likely, will not turn around - the chance of this is 1 in several thousand. The baby grows up to about 43 centimeters and increases the weight to 2 kilograms.

The placenta begins to produce oxytocin - a hormone that at the right time, having accumulated in the right amount, will cause uterine contractions - contractions. He will become a generic dominant.

33 week

The accumulation of surfactant in the lung tissue continues. Weight gain also continues. The kid grows a little more - up to 44-45 centimeters, and grows heavier up to 2.1 kilograms. This week, many undergo the final third prenatal screening and leave the doctor's office disappointed: firstly, the whole child is no longer visible on the monitor, the doctor can examine only certain parts of his body - the head, limbs, kidneys, heart, abdomen, and secondly, In most cases, the sex of the child cannot be discerned - the baby's posture does not allow. Those who have not yet figured out the gender or have received conflicting answers from doctors at an earlier date will now have to wait for the birth - determination of the baby's sex in the delivery room has the highest accuracy - 100%.

The kid begins to move a little less. He is very cramped, movements are given with great difficulty. But the facial expressions in children at this time are simply gorgeous. To see her, you can go to a three-dimensional or four-dimensional ultrasound scan - you will have smiles, and half smiles, and frowning faces, and a surprised expression on your face.

If you ask to take a picture or record an ultrasound scan on an electronic medium (flash card), then this video can be a great gift for your child when he grows up. Seeing yourself before birth is worth a lot!

34 week

The fetus gained about 300-400 grams in weight in a week. Now, many babies have crossed the psychologically critical mark of 2.5 kilograms. At birth with such a weight, the child receives the most favorable, lightest degree of prematurity, provided that everything is in order with his lungs.

The placenta began to wear out. In it, from this time on, the aging process begins, which on ultrasound will be determined in degrees. While this is the first stage of maturity, the child's condition is compensated, which means that the aging process of the "child's place" does not harm the baby in any way.

Together with degenerative aging, the placenta begins to produce the hormone prolactin. It allows the mammary glands to prepare as much as possible for the upcoming breastfeeding.

35 week

The first 3 days of this week close the eighth month of pregnancy and summarize. There will be only one calendar month, which separates a woman from meeting her baby. By the end of the eighth month, the baby comes up with an increase of almost 46-47 centimeters, with a weight of 2.4 kilograms to 2.9 kilograms.

The main event of the month is the child's acquisition of his own eye color - the iris is no longer blue, like all fruits before this date, but the way it should be (thanks to the parents!). The head, which used to make the child look like a humanoid from a fantastic thriller, came into harmonious proportion with other body sizes, now its area is no more than a fifth, and it will be so until childbirth. So the child will be born on time.

Well-being of the expectant mother

The woman becomes limited in movements, since the uterus grows at an incredibly fast pace, the general condition worsens, all this cannot but affect the psychological and emotional state - many begin to experience severe anxiety, become tearful, irritable.

Stomach

A small belly at 8 months is more of a rarity than a rule. Usually, a solid belly has already appeared in women with wide hips and in women with narrow ones, regardless of weight and build. It is impossible to hide it under clothes, and there is no need - a woman is on maternity leave and now she decides for herself where and when to go and whether to go at all.

The belly grows rapidly. If you take two selfie photos at the beginning of the eighth month and at the end, then it will be easier for a woman to visually see a huge difference in size. The bottom of the uterus supports the ribs, because of this there is a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath, the ribs themselves may hurt, which have to be slightly dispersed to make room. The baby himself aggravates the condition. If he is in a cephalic presentation, then kicks under the aching ribs are a unique and incomparable sensation.

The center of gravity has shifted, it is more and more difficult for a woman to put on shoes and bend over and even look at her feet while walking, and therefore the risk of falling and getting injured increases. Due to the stretching of the ligaments holding the solid size of the uterus, the lower abdomen sometimes aches and hurts, pulls the lower back, and the back may hurt.

Stirring

The movements have decreased, but they have become more sensitive for the expectant mother - there is less water, and therefore each kick is perceived rather painfully. By this time, the expectant mother is already able to determine, by the nature of the baby's movements, not only how he feels, but also his preferences, because the children already like something, but not something. From this month, children become more dependent on meteorological conditions - they are active in responding to weather changes.

A woman should count the movements and enter the data in a special notebook or notebook. Methods of counting are different, usually a woman has a loved one, but it should be remembered that, despite the tightness, as before, at least 10 movements should be recorded in 12 hours, while the child's hiccups are not considered movement.

If the fetus becomes very active, pushes hard, moves often and a lot, you should consult a doctor - this may be a sign of hypoxia in its initial stages. If there are few movements and they are sluggish, again, the path should lie to the doctor and as soon as possible - a decrease in the child's motor activity and heartbeat may indicate dangerous uncompensated hypoxia, which can lead to the death of the child or irreversible consequences for his nervous system and brain.

Emotional problems

At this time, a woman is in dire need of the support of her relatives and a specialist psychologist. Her mood is again being controlled by hormones as hormones begin to change before giving birth. Estrogens, which give way to progesterone, contribute to the formation of an anxiety state, increase fears. You need to work with them, and this is also taught in courses for future women in labor, and therefore there is no reason to refuse to attend courses in the antenatal clinic.

To the fear of childbirth and the likelihood of giving birth to a sick baby is added the fear of being lonely, abandoned, because the figure has changed, and intimate life often changed not for the better with her. There are fears - "what if he cheats?", "And if he falls out of love?"

It can be difficult for relatives in this situation, but you need to be patient.

How to recognize childbirth?

Training contractions, which for many begin in advance, can intensify, and now a woman may begin to experience more uterine tone. This is not a sign of childbirth, you do not need to worry. But it is important to be able to distinguish training fights from real ones. Two main signs will tell you that the most real childbirth begins.

Contractions have become regular and are repeated at specific intervals (for example, every 15 or 20 minutes), do not go away when changing body position, do not go away when taking a warm shower, but only intensify.
The amniotic fluid has departed (there may be options - it has moved away entirely or is leaking). If the waters are completely gone, you will have to give birth. If they leak a little, then modern medicine has a lot of ways to prolong the pregnancy, to give the child a couple more weeks, but only in a hospital setting.

Blood from the genital tract may indicate problems with the placenta, for example, its detachment.

In these situations, you need to call an ambulance, calm down and take the bag collected in the hospital. Go to the obstetric institution calmly, without panic - even if childbirth has begun, the baby has every chance of being born without health consequences.

Pain and discharge

Most often, women now complain that the pubis hurts. The reason for this pain is quite valid - the hormone relaxin is produced in the woman's body, which softens the bones and ligaments of the pelvis before giving birth. You don't need to do anything, just be patient. But if the pubic symphysis begins to hurt so acutely that a woman cannot walk, stand, sit, it is imperative to consult a doctor - the development of symphysitis is possible, in which a cesarean section may be indicated.

Pain in the knees and heels, in the lower back are caused by heavy stress on the legs and spine.

For headaches, it is important to measure the pressure. If it is increased and combined with edema, you need to get a referral to the hospital from your doctor - gestosis is dangerous at 8 months.

The discharge may become more abundant, and this is due to estrogen. White thick discharge with itching - thrush, you must definitely have time to treat it before childbirth. Bleeding and rich brown discharge are dangerous, you need to immediately call an "ambulance". Saturated yellow and yellow-green discharge indicate infection. You also need to get treatment as soon as possible so that the genital tract is clean and safe for the baby by birth.

The chest can hurt under the influence of prolactin, which has already begun to organize the milk ducts in small quantities. The statements of women that “milk has come” at this time does not correspond to reality - only colostrum can come so far. The arrival of milk is possible only a few days after birth.

Other sensations

Women again begin to suffer from insomnia, but this time not because of the effects of progesterone, but because of the need to sleep only on their side.

The head is spinning due to the fact that the volume of circulating blood has increased. For the same reason, attacks of weakness sometimes occur. And again, urination becomes frequent. Now even a simple cough can cause a woman to leak urine (a reason to look for sanitary urological pads).

Heartburn and belching are tormented due to the pressure of the uterus on the stomach, diarrhea or constipation can also be associated with pressure from the uterus, but already on the intestinal loops and gallbladder.

Not everyone's legs swell, and this is a symptom that you definitely need to visit your doctor. He can talk about the state of preeclampsia - a serious complication of pregnancy in the late stages.

Analyzes and examinations

At 8 months, the woman undergoes the third prenatal screening. It is usually held from 31 to 35 weeks. It is no longer aimed at searching for genetic abnormalities in the fetus, like the first two screenings, it must answer another important question - in what way and when to give birth.

It is he who can become the basis for the decision to conduct a planned cesarean section operation, if a woman has indications for that. It is imperative to undergo this examination for women after IVF, women with multiple pregnancies, expectant mothers over the age of 35.

The examination includes ultrasound, CTG, ultrasound with Doppler to assess blood flow and the condition of the placenta.

Recommendations

In the eighth month, it is undesirable to go on long journeys. The car can "shake", and doctors do not recommend flying. If you really need to fly by plane right now, you should get a certificate from the obstetrician-gynecologist that he does not mind the flight.

Such doctors for this period, according to reviews, are reluctant to give certificates, and representatives of airlines urgently require such a document from a pregnant woman. But if there are no contraindications, the woman is healthy, there are no complications of pregnancy and the threat of premature birth, then the doctor can still allow the trip.

Here are some more helpful tips.

Sex is useful and necessary, but provided that there are no complications, that the doctor does not mind. Poses should exclude deep penetration. After the separation of the mucous plug (a lump of mucus with a drop of blood), after the start of the leakage of water, you cannot have sex - there is a great risk of bringing an infection into the uterine cavity.
If your teeth hurt, you can treat them, but without taking an x-ray.
Hair dyeing and nail extensions are now better after childbirth. The placenta is aging, and not all harmful substances from paint or manicure products will be able to contain.
If a woman is sick, has a cold, flu or SARS, the temperature has risen, you should not worry - this does not threaten the baby, but it can increase the likelihood of premature birth, and therefore it is important to call a therapist and get an appointment.
The diet should be balanced, gradually increase the amount of vegetable fiber. Eliminate any alcohol (wine, champagne, beer), as alcohol can be a factor in provoking premature labor.