Third Trimester of Pregnancy Forum - Whats happening in the third trimester?

Hooray! You're almost there!

Your breasts are producing ample amounts of colostrum now. Some women may even find their breasts are leaking. This is a reassuring sign for any who might have wondered if their breasts really would provide the needed nourishment for their baby. If yours are not leaking, don't worry, it is in there. Thanks to the crowding of your stomach, heartburn may be a problem for you as time goes on. Ask your care provider for suggestions on treating it. In the meantime, try eating smaller, more frequent meals and remain upright for a time after eating. Rest assured that it will go away once the baby is born. You will probably find that though you've been feeling pretty energetic throughout your second trimester, you are beginning to slow down now. Pay attention to your body's signals and rest when you need to. Lying on your left side is the ideal position for sleeping since it prevents the weight of the baby from obstructing the blood flow through the vena cava and aorta, both of which lie slightly to the right of your spine. Keep up your good dietary habits, your baby's nutrient demands are high. You may be very emotional. Again, a bit of swelling in the feet and ankles is normal, but if you experience any of these signs of toxemia (preeclampsia), be sure and contact your care giver right away.
severe headache
sudden increase in swelling
swelling of the face
nausea or vomiting or abdominal pain
seeing spots or other visual disturbances
Baby:
Week 28
Your babys hair is growing and gaining colour. The baby's lungs are capable of breathing air. Your little boy's testicles developed within his abdomen, but are now descending into the scrotum. Up until this point your baby's brain was smooth. Now, due to rapid growth, those wrinkles that are completely normal on the surface of the brain, are beginning to develop.
Week 29
It may be getting tight in there now! You may feel fewer movements because of this. Now that almost all of the baby's organs are functioning, his growth will focus on maturing those organs and growing muscle mass and fat stores. He should more than double his weight again between now and birth. All 300 bones in the little one's body are present and accounted for now, though some of them will fuse after birth, leaving a grand, lifetime total of 206.
Week 30
The early baby fuzz, lanugo, is disappearing now and being replaced by actual hair. The baby is nearly 16 inches long and 3lbs. The baby's brain is growing rapidly, developing hundreds of billions of new nerve cells. All of this work will be finished by birth. No new nerve cells will be added after birth, though the brain will not reach full size until your child is 5 years old.
Week 31
Your baby's irises are now responsive to light, dilating and contracting as needed. Due to deposits of fat under the skin, your little one's skin is now pink rather than red. Your baby's nails are now long enough to reach to the tip of her fingers or beyond and may need trimming as soon as she's born so she doesn't scratch herself.
Week 32
From this point on your baby's weight will increase faster than his length. Regardless of race, your baby's eyes are a dark gray color. Her true eye color will develop in the few weeks after birth.
Week 33
Your little one is preparing for life on her own by storing iron in her liver. Your little boy's testicles should have finished descending into his scrotum by now. Some boys are born with one or both testicles undescended, don't worry, they usually show up before the first birthday. The vernix covering your baby's body has become thicker.
Week 34
Thanks to antibodies crossing the placenta the baby is developing immunities to mild infections. Your little one is weighing about 4 1/2 pounds now and is approximately 17 inches long.
Week 35
Your baby is now approximately 20 inches long and weighs close to 5 pounds. About 90% of babies born this week survive, most with no significant problems. Though the baby is putting on more weight, she really needs the next few weeks to finish plumping up before her birth.
Week 36
The majority of babies are now in the position, either head down (vertex) or butt down (breech), that they will maintain until birth. Any movements that they make are more likely to be rolls from side to side. If your little one is still in a breech position you may want to open a dialog with your care provider about what your options are.
Week 37
Your baby is now surrounded by a peak volume of 1,000 ml. of amniotic fluid. This is approximately equal to 4 cups. It doesn't sound like much, but just wait until your water breaks, it'll feel like Niagra Falls! From this point on this amount will decrease gradually. You will be able to feel those little hiccups! It's nervous system is fully developed.
Week 38
Your placenta has grown to an average of 7 inches in diameter and weighs from 1 to 2 pounds. Your little one is gaining as much as an ounce a day at this point. The circumference of the baby's head is about the same as his abdomen now. The vernix is dissappearing now
Week 39
Your little one's bowels are already filled with the sticky black meconium that will become her first bowel movement. The average size for your little one is over 7 pounds now, but much depends on the mother's size and general health and the baby's sex (boys are generally a little heavier than girls). The lungs are the last organs to reach maturity, but they should be ready to go now.
Week 40
The baby is fully formed. About 15 % of the baby's weight is fat.
Week 41
The 'average' first baby is born 4 days after her estimated due date.
Week 42
The baby is still putting on weight. The placenta is a temporary organ. It begins to break down and become less effective after its 40 to 42 weeks are up so your care provider will be keeping a close eye on the well-being of your baby