Mom
What can I expect?
- Weight gain as much as 12 pounds
- Mood swings, anxiety and increased irritability
- Increased frequency of urination
- Constipation and hemorrhoids may develop
- Increased fatigue
What can I do to stay healthy and comfortable?
Drink lots of fluids
Eat fruits and vegetables to prevent constipation
Attend prenatal classes to increase your awareness
of and decrease anxiety
Adjust your body movements (sitting, bending, etc.)
Maintain correct posture
Rest frequently
Gently exercise
Third Trimester — Baby
Month 7
- Your baby is 14 to 16 inches long, weighs about 2.5 to 3.5 pounds, and begins to form fat layers.
- Organs are maturing
- Taste buds have developed
- Skin is still red and wrinkled
- If born at this time, your baby will be considered premature and require special care.
Month 8
- Your baby is about 16.5 to 18 inches long and weighs about 4 to 6 pounds.
- Kidneys are mature
- Skin is less wrinkled
- Your baby’s nails now extend beyond the fingertips.
- Overall growth is rapid this month: tremendous brain growth occurs, and all body organs are now developed, with the exception of the lungs.
- Movements or kicks are strong enough to be visible from the outside.
Month 9
- Your baby is about 19 to 20 inches long and weighs about 7 to 7.5 pounds
- Lungs are mature
- Your baby settles in the lower pelvis to prepare for labor and birth and can now survive outside the womb
