our baby is getting bigger and bigger by the day. You may even be able to detect the shape of a foot or elbow through your abdomen!

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: SEVENTH MONTH
HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: EIGHTH MONTH
HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: NINTH MONTH

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: SEVENTH MONTH

By the end of this month, your baby will be about 2-2 ½ pounds and 15 inches long. As your baby gets bigger, the space in your uterus is getting smaller. Talk to your baby - his or her hearing is getting better and better all the time.

What's happening this month:

• The lanugo (soft hair covering the body) begins to disappear.
• There is more fetal movement - kicking, stretching and moving around.
• Your baby can sense light changes and responds to sound.
• His/her eyes begin to open and close for short periods of time.
• S/he sleeps for 20-30 minutes at a time.
• His/her bones are fully developed.

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: EIGHTH MONTH 

By the end of this month, your baby will weigh about 4 pounds and measure 16-18 inches long. S/he is growing rapidly — getting stronger and fatter all the time! He or she may hiccup and can taste sweet and sour.

What's happening this month:

• The baby's bones harden.
• There is rapid brain growth, with different regions of the brain forming.
• Baby is more responsive to light and sound.
• There is regular fetal movement and activity.
• His/her fingernails continue to grow.
• The lungs are completely developed but continue to mature.
• The coating that protects the baby’s skin (vernix) is getting thicker; it’s pasty white and you may see some of it when the baby is born.
• The lanugo (soft hair covering the body) is almost gone.

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: NINTH MONTH

This month, your baby will gain about a 1/2 pound each week. As the month progresses, your baby will settle into the fetal position - head down against the birth canal with his or her legs tucked up to the chest, knees up against the nose. You may experience “lightening,” a term that describes when the baby drops into your pelvic cavity.

What's happening this month:

• The lungs become fully mature. 
• The baby's head bones stay soft, making it easier to pass through the birth canal.
• S/he may move to the (head down) delivery position. As you near your due date, your practitioner will check the baby’s position to make s/he's not breech.
• At 37 weeks, your baby is considered full term and can safely be born.
• The placenta is providing plenty of antibodies to your baby which will help fight infection after birth.

And, sometime within weeks 37 and 42, your baby will make his or her debut in the world. (Only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date.)


This article was compiled using information from the following websites:
Pregnancy Info
American Pregnancy Association
Kid's Health
Pregnancy Weekly