Your Baby in the 3rd Trimester

Month 7 of Pregnancy
Week 26

• Baby is around 2 pounds now.
• Her eyes are beginning to open. With this added sense (sight), she may become more active.
• He/she has developed distinct periods or sleeping and waking.

Week 27

• At this point, the baby is passing a pint of urine into the amniotic fluid each day. It is then removed from the body by the mother's kidneys.

Week 28

• Baby is now 2 1/2 pounds and around 16 inches long.
• Along with coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths, he/she is now blinking. Along with blinking, comes REM sleep, which means there are dreams!
• The lungs are almost fully mature.

Week 29

• Baby is around 17 inches long now and nearly 3 pounds; within inches of being at his/her final birth length, but there is a lot more to gain. In the next few weeks baby will double or triple his/her weight.
• Eyebrows and eyelashes are now noticeable and the hair on baby's head is growing more.
• Eyes are fully developed.
• Muscle tone is continuing to improve. 

Week 30

• In addition to baby's height and weight continuing to grow, the brain is growing. This week the brain is starting to get grooves and indentations, looking, like a real brain. The brain is now able to take on other tasks like regulating temperature. Because the brain can regulate temperature, baby will start to shed the lanugo that has been covering him/her, keeping baby warm up until now.
• He/she is capable of producing tears.

Month 8 of Pregnancy
Week 31

• Baby weighs over 3 pounds this week and is around 18 inches long.
• Brain connections are developing now, which means he/she is able to start processing information, track light (baby may even reach out and touch it), and perceive signals from all 5 senses. Baby is also sleeping more now (specifically REM sleep) - so there will be even more definitive patterns of awake and sleep time.
• Baby may start to move with music now and some studies show that he/she may even have a preference to types.

Week 32

• This week baby is almost 4 pounds and just around 19 inches long!
• These last few weeks are all about practice for the baby. He/she is swallowing, breathing, kicking, and sucking.
• Toes nails are completely formed.
• Hair on baby's head continues to grow.
• Every 40 minutes he/she swallows enough amniotic fluid to fill her stomach before it empty's back into the amniotic sac.
• Baby's taste has developed to such an extent now that he/she can distinguish sweet from salty, sweet from bitter, etc.
• Movements may start to be less noticeable at this point due to cramped conditions. You should still feel movement on a regular basis though.

Week 33

• This week baby is around 4 1/2 pounds and 19 inches long (this may be the baby's full length).
• Amniotic fluid has hit its max.
• Antibodies are being passed from Mom to Baby.
• Skull bones are not yet joined and wont be until after the baby is born. This provides flexibility during birth.

Week 34

• This week baby is around 5 pounds and 20 inches long - which is probably her full length now!
• Baby is blinking and learning to focus. Pupils will dilate in response to light filtering through the uterus.

Month 9 of Pregnancy 

Week 35

• This week baby is around 5 1/2 pounds.
• Brain cells continue to grow at a rapid rate.
• Most babies are now head down and bottoms up. Baby may do a few more flips before labor though.

Week 36

• Your baby is almost ready and most likely, so are you! Keep in mind, each day (up to 42 weeks) your little one stays in the womb will multiply his chances to breathe on his own.The only organ still to mature is the lungs.
• Baby's head may start to drop into the birth canal. While breathing for mom becomes easier, walking may be the exact opposite.
• Skin is growing smooth and "baby" soft.
• Gums are very rigid.
• Kidneys are fully developed and liver has begun processing some waste products.

Week 37

• If baby was born today, he/she would be considered full term. He/she hasn't finished growing, but would be alright.
• This week, still gaining about 1/2 pound a week, the average size is about 6 1/2 pounds (though size varies quite a bit from baby to baby).
• Your baby continues to practice breathing movements.
• Fat is dimpling your baby's elbows and knees, and forming creases in the neck and wrists.
• A few weeks ago, your baby would move his/her eyes toward light. Now he/she turns towards light outside the uterus. As the uterine wall stretches and thins allowing more light to permeate, he develops definite daily activity cycles. You will want to be sure to establish good patterns yourself at this time, thus encouraging them in your child.

Week 38

• Baby may weigh around 7 pounds now and be, give or take, 20 inches.
• Have you noticed your baby has the hiccups a lot? Because there is no air around him/her, those breathing exercises cause amniotic fluid to get into his/her windpipe. The result? Hiccups!
• Your child's intestines are accumulating lots of meconium. Meconium takes on the role of being your baby's first bowel movement -- removing the waste that has accumulated.
• Baby may have a full head of hair now -- an inch or more long! Don't be surprised if it's an unexpected color. Some blond couples have dark haired babies; some dark haired couples have red-haired babies; some couples have babies with only peach fuzz! It may just persuade you to take a closer look at your family tree!

Week 39

• Not too much to report this week.
• Baby's growth has slowed down now or maybe even stopped. Baby may be at around 7 or 8 pounds.
• Baby's head may have dropped into your pelvis now.
• Baby's adrenal glads are in overdrive. They are producing large amounts of cortisone, which will help trigger labor.

Week 40
Congratulations! Any day now you will be cradling your son or daughter! Cherish the moments and learn all you can about this new personality in your life. They go by all too fast!

Weeks 41-42
Fewer than 5% of babies are actually born on their due date. Around 50% decide to stay longer.
An overdue baby comes out and seems very alert and very open-eyed. They will have longer nails, possibly longer hair, and little or none of that baby fuzz (lanugo).