Trimester 3
Pregnancy Tracker Week 29
Mother
The extra weight you’re carrying and the expected interruptions in your sleep are probably starting to make you feel a bit more tired. You’re also less nimble—and that’s not surprising, because your center of gravity has changed and you probably can’t even see the tips of your toes when standing upright. Slow down a little now—things will be quite busy soon enough!
Baby
Your baby now weighs a little over 1 kg and measures almost 38 cm in length. Their fat stores under their skin contributes to that weight. Your baby can hear well now and reacts to sounds from outside your womb.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 30
Mother
You may already feel quite large, even though you still have about 10 weeks to go before delivery. The average healthy gain during pregnancy is about 13.5 kg. The uterus, baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid will account for about ½ of your weight gain. The other ½ goes to your breasts, body fluids, blood, and maternal nutrient stores.
Baby
Baby now weighs almost 1.4 kg. The volume of amniotic fluid will decrease as they grow and gain weight rapidly during the next few weeks. Their brain continues to grow and make connections between its cells over the next several weeks.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 31
Mother
At this stage, your uterus is approximately 28 cm from the top of your pubic bone and fill a large part of your abdomen. You may start to feel breathless at times because the baby is pushing up against your lungs.
Baby
Your baby now weighs around 1.5 kg and measures about 41 cm in length. They are able to perceive signals from all 5 senses. Your baby’s organs are still maturing and they are starting to pass water from their bladder.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 32
Mother
One of the most common symptoms around this time is swelling in your ankles and feet due to the increase in body fluids. You may find that the swelling disappears overnight or after several hours of lying down.
Baby
Your baby now weighs about 1.7 kg and is about 42 cm long. They are probably spending most of their time asleep. Their lungs will continue to mature over the next few weeks. During this time they are inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise their lungs and practice their breathing.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 33
Mother
Your amniotic fluid levels are peaking right about now. Pregnant women can carry the fetus in a number of ways—high, low, wider, smaller, more compact, etc. All of these contours are normal they depend on your baby’s size and position as well as your own height and build.
Baby
This week your baby weighs about 2 kg. Their length is now about 44 cm. Their skull has not completely formed, however the bones in the other parts of the body are hardening.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 34
Mother
Sometime in the next few weeks, you may notice that your belly is a bit lower. This phenomenon, known as “dropping” or “lightening”, occurs when the head of the baby enters the pelvic cavity. You may enjoy the extra room in your upper abdomen, but notice a little more pressure in your pelvis and bladder.
Baby
Your baby now weighs about 2.2 kg and measures over 45 cm in length. They are nearly out of room in your uterus and you’ll notice a change in the way they bump against you. With no space for more amniotic fluid to cushion your baby’s movements, you may feel discomfort from their kicks and blows. This is a good time to start talking to your baby as in the next week or so their hearing will be fully developed.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 35
Mother
By now you may have gained between 11 to 13 kg. Your health care professional should be able to tell by now how your baby is positioned—upside down, with his head ready to come out first. This is also a time when your emotions seem to get the best of you—which is perfectly normal as you approach delivery. The pressure on your bladder may make you run to the bathroom more often than usual.
Baby
Your baby now weighs about 2.4 kg and is 45 cm in length, making it a little bit of a squeeze for them to fit in your body along with your other organs. Their brain is developing at a rapid pace but their skull is still soft allowing for the squeeze through the birth canal. This week your little one should also have a fully developed pair of kidneys.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 36
Mother
Good news! By the end of this week, your pregnancy will be full-term. Your baby’s head may begin to ease and nestle into your pelvis ready for birth. You will find breathing is easier once baby’s head is engaged as pressure is no longer against your lungs.
Baby
Your baby now weighs about 2.7 kg and measures 45 cm in length. Their digestive system is functioning. During these final weeks in your womb, they will spend a fair amount of time practicing their sucking reflex on their thumbs.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 37
Mother
Good news! This week, your pregnancy will be full-term. Towards the end of your pregnancy, you may notice a yellowish fluid coming out of your nipples. Your breasts are making a “test batch” of colostrum—the first breast milk that your body will produce for your newborn. At this week’s checkup, your doctor may check for effacement (how much your cervix has softened and thinned in preparation for labour) and dilation (how much the cervix is open). In addition, your doctor will check the position of your baby and how far down the birth canal your baby has descended. This exam will serve as a benchmark in the coming weeks so that your doctor can monitor your progress.
Baby
Your baby is now considered full term. This week, your baby measures about 50 cm in length and weighs about 2.8 kg. Although ready for life outside the womb, your baby is still growing and gaining about 500 g each week. If they are like most babies, their head is now pointed down into your pelvis. Your baby’s gut now contains meconium-a blackish waste that contains downy lanugo and white fatty vernix that covered your baby earlier in pregnancy. These coatings, along with other secretions, will become your baby’s first poo after birth.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 38
Mother
You and your partner may be amused to detect—sometimes through the movement of your clothing—the squirming that is occurring in your crowded womb right now. You may have some symptoms that are less enjoyable, such as backache or leg cramps. Talk to your doctor if they are really troublesome, but otherwise take comfort in the fact that the finish line is in sight.
Baby
Your baby now measures about 51 cm long and weighs just over 3 kg. Their organ systems are fully developed and in place but their lungs will continue to produce more surfactant to prevent the air sacs from sticking to each other when breathing. Even as they meet the outside world, your baby will take some time to establish a normal breathing pattern.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 39
Mother
You probably won’t get much bigger now as your baby’s growth slows down. Many women spend these last days of pregnancy organising and cleaning around the house. Your desire to “nest” could be a response to the increased adrenaline coursing through your very pregnant body.
Baby
Your baby has now reached a length of about 51 cm and weighs around 3.4 kg. The healthy weight range for newborns is between 2.5 and 3.8 kg. All of their organ systems are developed and ready to go. Now they just need to decide when their birthday will be!
Pregnancy Tracker Week 40
Mother
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of your pregnancy. Most women will go into labour one or two weeks either side of the due date. If your baby shows no sign of making an appearance, your mind may naturally turn to thinking about possible ways to hasten the process. Patience may be the best counsel right now.
Baby
The average baby is about 51cm long and weighs about 3.3 kg, but your baby may check in smaller or bigger than that. The fatty white vernix covering their outer layer of skin continues to shed. They recognise your voice —and it won’t be long before you hear theirs.
Pregnancy Tracker Week 41-42
Mother
If you are reading this milestone, you’re probably at least a little unhappy. Most expectant mothers aren’t pleased when the baby is overdue. Keep in mind that maybe your baby isn’t off schedule—after all, a due date is just an estimate. Only 2% of women are truly over their due dates. Your healthcare professional will monitor you closely.
Baby
Since your baby has no idea which day it is, they are just as content as they were last week in your womb! Further, since studies show that about 70% of apparent “post-term” pregnancies are really not post-term (they are instead the result of a miscalculation of the due date), chances are that their development is right on schedule.
