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Female: Your baby has been preparing for that debut for months, and now your body is training in earnest too. Do not be surprised if you feel practice contractions this month.
Dr. Joshua Fink: By your 8th month, you are probably felling your active baby’s movements all the time and its little wonder. All five of his or her senses are now responding to stimuli. At this point, your baby weighs about 4 lbs, and measures up to 19 inches long. He or she is also developing white fat deposits
White fat is a same kind of fat in your body. It smoothes out your baby’s wrinkly skin, and turns it opaque while also serving as an energy source. No wonder your energizer bunny is doubling up on pokes, kicks, and jabs.
Your baby is also making headway in the brain department. The formally smooth brain matter will start to develop grooves this month, a sign that tissue mass is increasing.
During the squirmy days of this month, your baby will typically settle into a head down position in your uterus. During the 8th month of pregnancy, many of those unpleasant symptoms like the increased need to urinate, tender breasts, and fatigue all return with the vengeance.
You may also be experiencing bouts of heartburn. That is because your muscles are relaxed causing digestive juices to splash up into your esophagus. Add your pushed up tummy to the mix and ouch. You can ease the pain of heartburn by eating smaller meals and avoiding triggers like chocolaty, spicy, fatty, and acidic foods, anti-acids can also help.
If you are like 40% of pregnant women, you are also dealing with swollen varicose veins this month. Increased blood volume during pregnancy is responsible for this hereditary condition. Gentle daily exercise, refraining from staying in one position for too long, and support stockings may all help to ease the discomfort of varicose veins.
An exciting change in your body this month may be the presence of Braxton Hicks contractions. Not everyone experiences them, but they are painless intermittent contractions of your uterus that may cause your belly to feel tight.
As you get closer to that due date, Braxton Hicks contractions may become stronger and last longer, even causing mild discomfort. Remember though, if the contractions do not go away, or if they become stronger or painful, you maybe in real labor, so consult your doctor.
You are on your last leg now mom, and doing great.
Female: Want to learn more? Check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.
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