Pregnancy Calendar
The Third Trimester
This is what is going on in your body throughout the last trimester on your pregnancy calendar:
Pregnancy Calendar: The Beginning of the End
By the seventh month of your pregnancy, the baby weighs 2-3 pounds and is 15 inches long. The baby can now open and close their eyes and they will sleep for up to 20-30 minutes at a time. The baby is also becoming a lot more active, and you will frequently feel movement and some kicks that will literally take your breath away! At this stage, the baby's bones are still not solid, but they are getting stronger very rapidly.
Your baby is learning how to breath now, and you may feel some tiny movements or twitches if the baby gets the hiccups during breathing practice. Their lungs are still not fully formed, but they are developing more each day. A baby that is born this early is able to survive, but they will likely have to be on a ventilator until their little lungs are strong enough.
At this point, the protective hair, or lanugo, begins to fall away, and the baby's lungs begin to reach their final development stage. The baby's eyes are now totally functional, and they will constrict and dilate in response to darkness and light.
During the last months of pregnancy, your baby will gain weight quickly, as fat is piled on to prepare the baby for the outside world. As baby grows, Mommy will feel a lot of kicking, rolling and stretching.
Pregnancy Calendar: 36 Weeks
By now your baby weighs about 6 pounds! They have grown to approximately 18 inches long and have begun practicing to suck so they will be ready to nurse right after birth. If your delivery is on schedule, your baby may turn during week 36 and get into the head down position to prepare for delivery.
Pregnancy Calendar: 37 Weeks
The average pregnancy lasts 37-40 weeks, so if you have the baby in the next few weeks you are right in line with most women. Your baby continues to grow as long as they are in your womb. As the weeks go by and the baby gets bigger, you will notice a reduction in activity. That's because they are running out of room in the womb!
Pregnancy Calendar: 38 Weeks
Your baby now weighs almost 7 pounds. They are all finished storing fat, so they will be able to maintain a stable body temperature when they are born. The baby has also received antibodies from your placenta and this will keep them in healthy until they are a few months old.
Pregnancy Calendar: 40 Weeks
If you do not deliver your baby before week 40, the baby will likely weigh 7-8 pounds and be approximately 20 inches long. Missing your due date is not cause for concern. Babies are only born on their due dates 5 percent of the time, and your doctor may not even suggest inducing labor for at least a week or two, so just hold on!
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