You have now entered your eighth month of pregnancy and most of the symptoms you face this week are similar to those of the previous week. This week you might feel your uterus stretched a little more and your energy levels at an all-time-low. However, these last few weeks you need to be cautious about everything related to your pregnancy to ensure fetal well-being.
Here is what happens to you during this week
Weight gain: You would be gaining up to 500 g each week from now onward till the time you hit labour. In a healthy pregnancy, you can gain anywhere between 1 to 2 kg every month during your third trimester. Remember how much weight you should gain also depends on your body composition and requirements. To make sure that you don t put on too much weight, as that could lead to other complications, be watchful of your diet and exercise regularly. Here is what you need to know about weight gain during pregnancy.
Nosebleed: This can take you by surprise if you notice blood coming out of your nose, though only in spots. Don t panic, this is a symptom of pregnancy. Many women in the later stages of pregnancy experience nosebleed. The reason being the extra blood flow in your body at this time gives rise to this annoying symptom. The bleeding usually settles on its own.
Leaky breasts: You might find a yellow coloured liquid now leaking from your breasts as they increase in size and become firm during the last phase of your pregnancy. This is a sign that your breasts are preparing for lactation phase and you are leaking colosturm or pre-milk that will be your baby s first feed. Here are few changes that happen to your breasts during pregnancy.
Nausea: This symptom might have been suppressed during your second trimester, but can return during the third trimester. Along with heartburn, constipation and indigestion during the third trimester, nausea seems to be a natural outcome. If you notice blood in case you vomit following a bout of indigestion, know that it is harmless and is due to the increased blood flow in your body. However, rush to the doctor if you experience spotting and other worrying symptoms like abdominal pain and headache along with it.
Apart from these, you might also feel fatigued, experience from constipation and hemorrhoids, leg cramps, stretch marks, sleeplessness, shortness of breath and other nagging symptoms of pregnancy.
Development of your baby
Here is what happens to your baby this week:
Your baby takes the heads-down position: At 32 weeks most babies will turn to the heads-down position, which means that the head of the baby is resting on the bottom of the uterus. There are two reasons for this, first, the head fits better at the bottom of the uterus, which is pear shaped, second, this position ensures that during childbirth the baby s head will come out first as is expected during a normal delivery.
Your baby s movements reduce: Your baby now grows in size and weight exponentially during the last phase of your pregnancy. This means that there is less space for your baby to move around and you may experience less kicks and flutters. However, it is imperative that you keep a count of fetal movements as it indicates your baby s well-being.
Your baby sleeps for a longer duration: Another reason why you might feel reduced fetal movements is that in this week your baby might sleep for extended period of time at a stretch. You baby might sleep for 20 to 40 minutes at a stretch. This is a normal part of fetal growth and development.
Your baby s brain and skeletal system develops: Your baby s brain and skeletal systems are at its final stages of development. Though your baby s bones are still soft and flexible, there is still time to get strong and prepare for labour.
What you should do:
Image courtesy: Getty Images
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