Pregnancy Trimester by Trimester

Welcome to the honeymoon phase!

• Your baby is settling into the proper position for birth, which will be head-down toward your body's nearest exit!
  
• Baby could breathe alone if born now but much maturing is necessary. Their lungs are fully developed but require maturing still.
  
• Sometimes, as space for movement becomes less toward the end of pregnancy, baby's movement might seem more infrequent or less vigorous, but regular patterns remain important.
  
• Baby is able to distinguish between sweet and sour tastes, and starts responding to light and sound stimuli.

A little uncomfortable

You may not always feel like celebrating if you're dealing with common Week 28 symptoms like back pain and sciatica.

• Baby is running out of room in there, but you should still feel him squirming and moving regularly.
  
• Since space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees, mostly.
  
• They'll be more vigorous and less erratic than before because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light and that candy bar you ate half an hour ago. Baby's bones are all formed but they are still soft and flexible.

Your baby is filling out fast at 30 weeks of pregnancy, meaning your bump may be popping even more now. A big part of that growth is in baby's rapidly developing brain. Until now, its surface was smooth — but now, your fetus' brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue — a necessary change as your baby prepares to develop street smarts for life outside your womb.

• The Moro or fright reflex is already present.
  
• Baby's movements are sustained for longer periods at a time.

Your baby is very active, moving around, sucking their fingers, and doing the odd somersault.

• Baby's brain waves can be detected and show wakeful and sleep patterns.
  
• Rapid eye movement (REM) or dream sleep occurs at this stage.
  
• Inner ear organs that regulate balance are mature enough for baby to regulate its own position in the womb.
  
• Baby can taste, hear, see and feel and when baby's born, even be able to recognize the distinct smell of her very own mom.

Your baby is busy cultivating real-life tricks like sucking, breathing and swallowing.
And you may be doing some rehearsals of your own in the form of Braxton Hicks (or practice) contractions ahead of the big day.

• Your baby can focus on large objects that are not too far away, and this ability to focus will stay that way until birth.
  
• Fat layers are rapidly accumulating under the skin, making baby bonny and cuddly.
  
• His toenails and fingernails have grown in, along with real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz).
  
• Baby's heart pumps about 23.7 litres of blood a day in the womb.

I'm getting stronger

• By now your baby's nervous system is fully developed.
  
• Their bones are also starting to firm up. When baby hears your voice, her heart rate may slow down, meaning she's more calm, and she's also able to distinguish light from dark in her small environment.
  
• Your baby can also demonstrate the rooting reflex by turning their head and opening their mouth in response to a touch or stimulation of the cheek.

With 34 weeks down, you're cruising through month 8 of your pregnancy.

• Your little bambino is now weighing in at about 2,1kgs. Meanwhile, your uterus keeps on growing (and growing) to accommodate the bigger bun in the oven.
  
• If your baby is a boy, then this week the testicles are making their way down from the abdomen to the scrotum.
  
• Baby's tiny fingernails have probably reached the tips of his fingers by now — and are getting ready for that first postpartum manicure.

At the 35-week mark, you're wrapping up month 8 of your pregnancy with one month left to go.

• Your little one may be starting to make an exit plan by shifting to the heads-down position, all while working on important preparations such as building body fat and brain matter.
  
• Your body is also in prep mode: You may feel some Braxton Hicks contractions as your uterine muscles practice for the big day.
  
• The placenta allows oxygen and food to be exchanged between baby and the mother. The brain continues to grow at a rapid pace, though growth of the rest of the body slows down from now on.
  
• The skull remains soft and for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal.
  

Your soon-to-be infant is eavesdropping more these days, thanks to a newly sharp sense of hearing, and he may also be possibly dropping lower into your pelvis.

This final month may bring extra joint flexibility (and less ideally, pelvic pain) as loosening and softening hormones kick in ahead of labor.

Your baby's lungs are probably mature enough to breathe outside the womb without any help. That's a big deal!

At 37 weeks, you're 9 months pregnant with the end in sight.

Your baby is practicing special skills this week (like sucking his thumb and grasping) that he'll show off upon his arrival.

• The pupils in baby's eyes responds too light, and baby's skeleton hardens near the end of pregnancy.
  
• It's a little crowded in your uterus, so he may not be kicking as much. Instead, your baby's probably stretching, rolling a bit and wiggling — all of which you'll be able to feel!
  
• Here's an interesting fact: At birth, your baby's head — which, by the way, is still growing — will be roughly the same circumference as his chest.

With 38 weeks in the books, month 9 of pregnancy is about halfway done.

Your baby's lungs are stronger and she's getting ready to announce her entrance into the world.

• It may come sooner than you think, especially if you experience a heads-up in the form of your mucus plug or bloody show.
  
• Two weeks and counting — unless, of course, your little bean decides to make a late entrance. Just as your baby is preparing for life outside the womb, at 38 weeks pregnant, your body is tending to its own final touches before the big day.

Congrats are in order: Your baby is considered full-term now that month 9 is drawing to a close!

Though your adorable baby isn't aware that you're expecting his arrival any day now, you can count on the fact that he's likely reached his birth weight (or close!) at this point, and when he's ready, he'll make that long-awaited appearance.

Vernix caseosa covers baby's skin, protecting it from constant exposure to moisture. Baby's skin is very sensitive to touch, all over the body.

Now that you're 40 weeks pregnant, you're still technically in month 9 of pregnancy (even if it feels like longer). Your little one is fully prepped for life outside the womb, with all systems (including organs and reflexes) a go.

Your little one could arrive any day.

• Your baby's head has likely dropped lower into your pelvis, and his body is curled up tightly.
  
• Uncomfortable back and groin pain and an increase in the strength of ‘practice pains' is common now.

Some Symptoms?

Contraction. - You may have felt Braxton Hicks contractions earlier in your pregnancy, but you'll know it's the real deal when your contractions hit at regular intervals and come more and more frequently.