8th month of pregnancy: baby development, mom's well-being

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

At 8 months pregnant, a woman is fully focused on her future birth, and these thoughts bring her a lot of anxiety. In fact, just during this period, doctors do not recommend expectant mothers to worry and think about unpleasant things, because despite the fact that the baby is already completely ready for independent life, he is considered premature and his birth will be premature.

The last trimester is considered one of the most dangerous for women and is accompanied by a number of unpleasant sensations associated with a growing tummy. However, in the absence of pathologies, it is the 8th month of pregnancy that becomes the time when the expectant mother can gain strength and prepare for the future birth psychologically and physically. We will try to tell readers about all the features of the last trimester and how to behave in order to maintain your he alth and produce a strong baby.

A few words about the eighth month

Baby at 8 months pregnant is already fullyformed and continues to grow in size. Naturally, this affects the well-being of the expectant mother and affects her psychological state.

Since in the third trimester a woman constantly feels the approach of the upcoming birth, it is not difficult to imagine how much her nervousness increases. The pregnant woman feels that she has almost reached the finish line and constantly listens to her body so as not to miss any important signal. Usually, by this time, all relatives of the expectant mother are also on standby and give her numerous advice. It’s good if all the bags are prepared for the trip to the maternity hospital, and the husband provides the necessary psychological support. In this case, the woman experiences her anxiety for the he alth of the crumbs more easily and returns to a state of peace.

At the 8th month of pregnancy, it will be useful to study the special literature. This will help to avoid mistakes and panic during childbirth, and will give self-confidence and self-confidence even to a primiparous woman. Naturally, at this stage, in no case should you neglect visiting your gynecologist and taking tests. Visits to the doctor are now becoming more frequent - you will see each other twice a month, and tests will allow you to monitor your well-being and diagnose possible problems in time.

Despite the fact that the belly at 8 months of pregnancy already looks quite impressive and interferes with her usual activities, the expectant mother should walk as much as possible and not neglect light physical activity. She should enjoy a measured life and do whatbrings pleasure. Indeed, soon, almost all the time of a woman will be occupied by her newborn baby, and she will not have to rest at all soon.

8 month of pregnancy in terms of obstetric weeks begins at thirty-two and ends at thirty-six weeks. On average, from this moment until the date of the expected birth, there are still two obstetric months. Therefore, women have no obvious reasons for concern, each will still have time to prepare for the birth of her long-awaited baby.

Fetal Appearance and Skills

The fetus at the 8th month of pregnancy is already fully formed and viable, but you should be very careful not to provoke premature birth with your behavior, which can be fatal for the baby or affect his he alth.

At this time, the fetus already weighs more than two kilograms, and its average height is approximately forty centimeters. The skin of the crumbs acquires a pinkish tint, the fat layer increases every week, and the facial features already resemble the face of a newborn.

The baby is getting tighter in the uterus, so his movements change their character. They resemble rolling and turning, but this is often painful for his mother. The most active baby becomes in the evening and at night, so its rhythm of life is significantly different from the mother's. However, the child already perfectly understands when it is light around. He feels when light hits his stomach and may even start blinking at high brightness. The child can easily distinguishsmells, tastes and voices. He is sensitive to the emotional state of his mother and always empathizes with her. If the pregnant woman often talks with the baby at this time, then after birth it will be easier for her to calm the baby.

A baby at 8 months of pregnancy usually assumes the correct head-down position. Thus, he is preparing for childbirth, but if your baby does not want to turn around, then do not worry. Many babies do this right before the birth or a couple of weeks before them.

Keep in mind that if the baby is too active, then perhaps he tells you about the lack of oxygen. In this case, you need to consult a doctor and take a number of measures. Usually the doctor prescribes iron supplements and recommends walking twice a day. If all the recommendations are followed, then soon the baby will calm down and move on to a normal sleep and wakefulness pattern.

A woman at 8 months of pregnancy should know that the baby is dreaming, he is increasingly sucking his fingers and often stretches. The film disappears from his eyes, and the pupils are able to move during sleep. The bones of the crumbs continue to be soft, this provides him with an easier passage through the birth canal. But a woman should provide the baby with a lot of calcium during this period, since the bones do not complete their formation in the eighth month.

Internal development of crumbs

If you have successfully approached 8 months of pregnancy, the development of the crumbs is almost completed, or rather, it has entered its final stage. All the internal organs of the baby are almostformed, and the heart has already taken its final shape. The umbilical vein carries pure and oxygenated arterial blood from the mother to the child.

The baby's liver becomes normal in size, lobules form in it, and the pancreas begins to function more and more actively.

The head of a baby at the eighth month is a little more than half the head of an adult. The lungs of the baby are almost fully prepared for future deployment, so in the event of premature birth, premature babies are able to breathe on their own.

Mom's feelings: problems and troubles

Women at 8 months pregnant often post photos of their tummies on the Internet. Such a hobby usually does not approve of the older generation, which did its best to hide its position from prying eyes in order to avoid the evil eye. But for today's pregnant women, beautiful photo shoots are a way to cheer yourself up and forget about the discomfort caused by the peculiarities of the last trimester.

Interestingly, one woman's belly at 8 months pregnant can be much larger than another. This does not always depend on the weight of the mother and baby, often a similar factor is hereditary. Therefore, if your tummy seems very small, then it is quite possible that the child will be born a hero and vice versa - a big belly does not at all mean a large baby.

Every day a pregnant woman experiences more and more growing fatigue. She is looking forward to the end of childbearing andchildbirth, but at the same time feels a whole range of unpleasant sensations. First of all, she begins to suffer from insomnia. She has many reasons:

• big belly making it hard to get comfortable;
• pressure on the bladder, forcing you to get up often at night to use the toilet;
• many worries and thoughts about the future;
• active baby night activity;
• training bouts that cause a lot of inconvenience.

All of the above does not allow a woman to sleep well and negatively affects her condition. Therefore, doctors usually recommend evening walks, a minimum amount of liquid, ventilation and the use of special pillows for pregnant women to overcome insomnia. They allow you to comfortably fit the tummy, which has become simply huge at the 8th month of pregnancy (photos of such devices can be found on the websites of products for expectant mothers).

Many pregnant women complain of increased flatulence, regular constipation, nausea and even breathing problems. This is due to the fact that the uterus has risen almost to the ribs and presses on the diaphragm.

Walking and doing the usual housework is getting harder. Many ordinary activities cause shortness of breath, and long walks instantly cause lower back pain. They arise due to the fact that the pelvic floor is gradually preparing for future childbirth and diverges. This process is quite lengthy, but under certain physical exertion, it can cause pain.

Some womenexperience edema and high blood pressure. This should be taken very seriously, because it is these symptoms that indicate preeclampsia - a disease that about twenty percent of pregnant women face in the last trimester. Even if you suspect preeclampsia, you should immediately consult a doctor and go to the hospital in order to be under the supervision of specialists around the clock.

Many pregnant women at this time begin to notice serious stretch marks on the body. In order to prevent their occurrence, you need to lubricate the skin of the abdomen and chest daily with a nourishing cream and wear a supporting bandage. It will not allow the skin to stretch, which means it will also remove the unpleasant itch that usually accompanies this process.

Psychological state of the expectant mother

The physical he alth of a pregnant woman, of course, needs to be given serious attention, but her psychological state should also be the concern of relatives and friends. Indeed, by the end of the term, many women become hostages of various psychological problems that they cannot share with anyone.

Some people can't understand why the 8th month of pregnancy is dangerous, because the most difficult period has already passed. But in fact, at this time, a woman is literally at the peak of stress and cannot always even realize that she needs the help of her relatives. Almost all expectant mothers in the third trimester experience fatigue and impatience caused by the long wait for the crumbs. They are internally languishing from the desire to see their baby, but subconsciously constantlyworried about his he alth and the successful outcome of childbirth.

The feeling of uselessness is added to all of the above. It is experienced by those mothers who are accustomed to achieving everything on their own and hard to endure the inability to lead a familiar lifestyle. Irritability, tearfulness and general depression can be added to fatigue.

Many eight-month pregnant women feel weak and confused. To these feelings, you can fully add dissatisfaction with your appearance. Often women refuse to look in the mirror because of a decent weight gain. They feel ugly and embarrassed about their changed figure.

Such emotions prevent a pregnant woman from setting herself up in a positive way, which may even push back the expected date of birth. Therefore, relatives must do everything to distract the woman and reconfigure her. If the state of he alth allows the expectant mother to often leave the house, then be sure to go out with her. Give her compliments and give beautiful things - all this will allow her to forget about her anxieties and worries. So, it will positively affect the condition of your baby.

What to do at 8 months of pregnancy is possible, and what is better to avoid: we give recommendations

Since most expectant mothers are already on maternity leave by the eighth month, they try to make the most of their day to avoid disturbing thoughts. However, you should not overload yourself too much, because the third trimester is a difficult period for an organism exhausted by pregnancy, which needs to savestrength for the upcoming birth.

If you've been exercising throughout your pregnancy, don't stop now. Of course, physical activity must be approved by a doctor and correspond to the deadline. Habitual activities will cheer up a pregnant woman, give her a charge of vivacity and help to relax. Also, physical exercises relieve the load from the spinal column, improve blood circulation and prepare the body for childbirth. However, you should always listen to your feelings and instantly respond to any ailment.

In the eighth month, it is necessary to walk in the fresh air as long as possible, but this must be done only accompanied by someone close, as contractions can begin at any moment. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walks, do not neglect the bandage and compression underwear.

In the third trimester, classes are important to prepare for childbirth. They not only occupy the free time of the pregnant woman, but also allow you to get an idea of the process of the birth of the baby. Women also learn how to breathe and behave properly during childbirth.

At the eighth month of pregnancy, in no case should you travel by plane. Flights are high stress and can cause premature birth. If this does not happen, then it is likely that you will still harm the he alth of the unborn baby.

Even if you really like bath procedures, then in the third trimester they must be abandoned. A weakened body can react extremely negatively to temperature and pressure changes.

At the end of pregnancyyou need to carefully monitor your weight. Women should not overeat, so as not to provoke digestive problems and not create an unnecessary danger to the he alth of the baby.

Intimate relationships in the third trimester

Is it possible to have sex with your husband at 8 months of pregnancy? This question is asked by many pregnant women. They are afraid that the fetus at 8 months of pregnancy is already large enough and it can be harmed. In fact, none of the doctors in the case when a woman is absolutely he althy, and the pregnancy proceeds without complications, will prohibit intimacy between spouses.

Moreover, they believe that sex creates a positive attitude and strengthens the emotional closeness between future spouses. In addition, before childbirth, many doctors even recommend frequent intimate contacts. Thus, the uterus receives the necessary tone, and its neck gradually prepares for stretching and becomes softer.

Discharge in late pregnancy

Discharge at 8 months of pregnancy should not have a strong odor and a clear color. Usually they are homogeneous, whitish and slightly sour. If you notice that the nature of the discharge has changed, then you should immediately go to the doctor. Perhaps you have an infection that needs urgent treatment before the baby decides that he wants to be born into this world.

Many women worry about why at 8 months of pregnancy there is a discharge of a yellowish tinge with streaks. In fact, this situation may indicate that youthe plug comes off. Throughout the pregnancy, she reliably protected the baby from any infection, and her departure is the first harbinger of an early birth. It is better to notify your doctor about this.

But spotting should be a reason for immediate hospitalization. Thus, the body signals about placental abruption, and this, in turn, becomes a threat to the life of the mother and her unborn baby.

Breasts at 8 months pregnant may begin to secrete colostrum. Some women produce it in the form of a few drops, while others produce it in such large quantities that they require special bra inserts.

Nutrition for pregnant women

By the end of the third trimester, a woman's diet should be vegetables, fruits, as well as foods rich in calcium and protein. Eat boiled meat and lean fish. Calcium is best absorbed not from milk, but from fermented milk products. If you do not have edema, then the drinking regimen should be at least one and a half liters of fluid per day. Moreover, you need to drink thirty minutes before or after a meal.

Some useful tips

Referring to the reviews of the 8th month of pregnancy, you can compile a set of useful tips to help women successfully survive the third trimester.

If you have trouble breathing, try to moderate your physical activity and keep your back straight.

Respiratory gymnastics will help and calm the naughty baby. You must take a few deep breaths andwhile the hands take turns. In parallel, you can change the position of the body. After a few minutes, the baby will take a comfortable position and calm down.

In the eighth month, it is worth replacing the bath with a shower. It will help relieve muscle tension and become a kind of massage for a tired body.

The top piece of advice almost all women give is to have a positive attitude. It is he who will help maintain the presence of mind in any situation and ensure a successful outcome of childbirth.