Can you believe that your little one’s senses are all fully functioning. They can touch, see, smell, taste and hear everything that’s going on in their little world. You may start to feel very short of breath at this stage – as the rounder you get, your stomach feels like it’s squashing your chest, and your chest feels like it’s squashing your lungs. This is because your uterus is taking pride of place, and pushing all your internal organs somewhere else. This means your body is squeezed on air. But you can take a sigh of relief (a small one), because your little one is as happy as a kid in a candy store, they’re getting all the oxygen they need from the placenta.
Your Baby
Your little baby is about the size of a lettuce, is just 41cm long and weighs anywhere between 1.4 - 1.6kg. They’re almost at full birth length but still need to get a little chubbier before due date. Their home is starting to become a bit cramped which means they can’t move around as freely as before. This gives them a good excuse to catch up on a few zzz’s – you may notice definite times of movement versus sleep. If you’re wondering what your baby is doing all day when they’re awake, they’re most likely sucking their thumb, swallowing, breathing and giving you an occasional nudge.
Your Body
Yip you guessed it, all those unwelcome pregnancy aches and pains are still there, but the one that may be getting you down the most is sleep … or lack thereof. With a large bump, leg cramps, heartburn, frequent urination and shortness of breath, you’re probably finding it really hard to get comfortable. Sadly, there is not much you can do about it, but try and prop yourself up so that you’re sleeping a little more upright.
Sensible tips
- Discuss your birth plan with your gynae. Remember to write this down so on the day there’s a record of it if ever required. Make a few copies, which you can give to the nurse on duty when you arrive at hospital and to the doctor on duty.
