Pregnancy & Baby 

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Third trimester

At last, you're into the home stretch. You may be experiencing all sorts of conflicting emotions. On the one hand you're eager to hold your baby in your arms. On the other, you can’t help but wonder what kind of mum you’ll make. Cold feet may be setting in.

So far, your day-to-day concerns haven’t been about labour and birth, but now, the reality of getting that baby out of your body is an inevitable fact. Suddenly, friends and family and acquaintances tell you sensationalised birth stories. Advice is everywhere, and there is nowhere to hide. How could you possibly hide with a belly the size of Mount Everest, anyway?

The third trimester has its shares of aches and pains. Still, you manage to decorate the nursery. With birth pending, you suddenly feel the need to complete old projects, and get the house in ship-shape for Junior.

Speaking of which, the little one, now at 29 weeks, weighs two pounds and nine ounces and is 13¾ inches long. His or her lungs have been busy creating surfactant, a substance needed for breathing. If born today, your baby’s lungs would probably be able to work on their own; however, the last few weeks are important for the finishing touches of lung development.

By 32 weeks, your baby measures 15¼ inches long and weighs three pounds twelve ounces. Brain development is rapid. The eyes can now track movement and the irises respond to light and dark. The baby may move and sleep in more definable patterns, thanks to visual clues from outside light that filters in through the uterus.

Relaxin, a pregnancy hormone, is responsible for softening the hip joints. As a result, you may catch yourself waddling. Also, the large uterus throws your posture off, causing you to have a slight swayback appearance. This can cause backaches throughout the final trimester if posture goes unchecked.

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