At 8 months of pregnancy, the woman is fully focused on future births, and these thoughts bring her a lot of anxiety. In fact, just during this period, doctors do not recommend expectant mothers to worry and think about the unpleasant, because despite the fact that the baby is completely ready for an independent life, he is considered premature and his birth will be premature.
The last trimester is considered one of the most dangerous for women and is accompanied by a number of unpleasant sensations associated with a growing tummy. However, in the absence of pathologies, it is precisely the 8th month of pregnancy that becomes the time when the expectant mother can gain strength and prepare herself psychologically and physically for future births. We will try to tell readers about all the features of the last trimester and how to behave in order to maintain their health and give birth to a strong baby.
A few words about the eighth month
The child at 8 months of gestation is already fully formed and continues to increase in size. Naturally, this affects the well-being of the future mother and affects her psychological state.
Since in the third trimester a woman constantly feels the approach of the upcoming birth, it is not difficult to assume how much her nervousness is increasing. The pregnant woman feels that she has almost reached the finish line and is constantly listening to her body so as not to miss any important signal. Usually by this time all the relatives of the expectant mother are also in standby mode and give her numerous tips. Well, if all the bags are prepared for the trip to the hospital, and the husband provides the necessary psychological support. In this case, the woman more easily survives her concern for the health of the crumbs and returns to a state of peace.
At 8 months of pregnancy, it will be useful to study specialized literature. This will help to avoid mistakes and panic during childbirth, and will give self-confidence and self-confidence even to a primiparous woman. Naturally, at this stage, in no case should you neglect visiting your gynecologist and passing tests. Visits to the doctor now become more and more frequent - you will see each other twice a month, and tests will allow you to monitor your well-being and diagnose possible problems in time.
Despite the fact that the abdomen at 8 months of pregnancy already looks pretty impressive and interferes with normal activities, the expectant mother should walk as much as possible and not neglect light physical activity. She should enjoy a measured life and do what brings pleasure. Indeed, soon, almost all the time, a woman will be occupied by her newborn baby, and she will have to rest very soon.
The 8th month of pregnancy in terms of obstetric weeks starts at thirty-two and ends at thirty-six weeks. On average, two more obstetric months remain between now and the date of the proposed birth. Therefore, women have no obvious reasons for concern, each still has time to prepare for the birth of her long-awaited baby.
Appearance and skills of the fetus
The fetus at the 8th month of pregnancy is already fully formed and viable, but you should be very careful not to provoke premature birth with your behavior, which can become fatal for the baby or affect its health.
At this time, the fetus weighs more than two kilograms, and its average height is approximately forty centimeters. The skin of the crumbs acquires a pinkish tint, the fat layer increases with each week, and the facial features already resemble the face of a newborn.
The baby is becoming more crowded in the uterus, so his movements change their character. They resemble rolling and turning, but this often causes pain in his mother. The most active baby becomes in the evening and night hours, so its rhythm of life differs significantly from the mother. However, the child already understands perfectly when it is light around. He feels when light hits his stomach and may even start blinking from high brightness. The kid easily distinguishes smells, tastes and voices. He is sensitive to the emotional state of his mother and always empathizes with her. If the pregnant woman at this time often talks with the baby, then after birth it will be easier for her to calm the baby.
A baby who is 8 months pregnant usually takes the correct position with her head down. Thus he prepares for childbirth, but if your baby does not want to turn around, then do not worry. Many babies do this before the birth or a couple of weeks in front of them.
Keep in mind that if the baby is too active, then perhaps he is telling you about a lack of oxygen. In this case, you need to consult a doctor and take a number of measures. The doctor usually prescribes iron supplements and recommends walking twice a day. If all the recommendations are followed, then the baby will calm down and go back to normal sleep and wakefulness.
A woman at 8 months of pregnancy should know that the baby sees dreams, he sucks fingers more and more actively and often stretches. A film disappears from his eyes, and the pupils are able to move during sleep. The bones of the crumbs continue to remain soft, this provides him with easier passage through the birth canal. But a woman should provide the baby with a large amount of calcium during this period, since the bone tissue does not finish its formation in the eighth month.
The internal development of the crumbs
If you have successfully approached 8 months of pregnancy, the development of the baby has almost ended, or rather has entered its final stage. All the internal organs of the baby are almost formed, and the heart has already taken its final shape. Pure and oxygenated arterial blood enters the umbilical vein from mother to child.
The crumbs liver acquires normal sizes, lobules are formed in it, and the pancreas begins to function more and more actively.
The head of a baby in the eighth month is slightly more than half the head of an adult. The baby's lungs are almost completely prepared for the future disclosure, therefore, in the case of premature birth, premature babies are able to breathe on their own.
Mom's sensations: problems and troubles
Women at 8 months of pregnancy often post photos of their tummies on the Internet. Such a hobby is usually not approved by the older generation, which by all means sought to hide their position from prying eyes in order to avoid the evil eye. But for today's pregnant women, beautiful photo shoots are a way to cheer themselves up and forget about the unpleasant sensations caused by the features of the last trimester.
Interestingly, one woman’s belly at 8 months of pregnancy can be much larger than another. It does not always depend on the weight of the mother and baby, often a similar factor is hereditary. Therefore, if your tummy seems very small, then it is quite possible that the child will be born a hero and vice versa - a large belly does not mean a big baby at all.
Every day, a pregnant woman experiences increasing fatigue. She is looking forward to the end of the bearing of the baby and childbirth, but at the same time she feels a whole set of unpleasant sensations. First of all, insomnia begins to torment her. She has many reasons:
- a large belly that does not allow you to comfortably sit;
- pressure on the bladder, causing you to often get up at night in the toilet;
- numerous worries and thoughts about the future;
- active night activities of the baby;
- training fights, which cause a lot of inconvenience.
All of the above does not allow a woman to get enough sleep and negatively affects her condition. Therefore, doctors usually recommend evening walks, a minimum amount of fluid, ventilation and the use of special pillows for pregnant women to overcome insomnia. They allow you to conveniently fit the tummy, which became simply huge at 8 months of pregnancy (photos of such devices can be found on the websites of products for expectant mothers).
Many pregnant women complain of increased flatulence, regular constipation, nausea, and even breathing problems. This is due to the fact that the uterus has risen almost to the ribs and presses on the diaphragm.
Walking and doing your usual housework is getting harder. Many regular activities cause shortness of breath, and long walks instantly cause lower back pain. They arise due to the fact that the pelvic floor is gradually preparing for future birth and diverging. This process is quite lengthy, but with a certain physical exertion it can cause pain.
Some women experience edema and high blood pressure. This should be taken very seriously, because it is these symptoms that indicate gestosis - a disease that about twenty percent of pregnant women encounter in the last trimester. Even with suspected gestosis, you must immediately consult a doctor and go to hospital to be monitored by specialists around the clock.
Many pregnant women at this very time begin to notice serious stretch marks on the body. In order to prevent their appearance, you need to daily lubricate the skin of the abdomen and chest with a nourishing cream and wear a supporting bandage. It will not allow the skin to stretch, which means it will also remove the unpleasant itching, which usually accompanies this process.
The psychological state of the expectant mother
The physical health of a pregnant woman, of course, must be given serious attention, but her psychological state should also be the concern of her relatives and friends. Indeed, by the end of the term, many women become hostages of various psychological problems that they cannot share with anyone.
Some people cannot understand why the 8th month of pregnancy is dangerous, because the most difficult period has already been passed. But in fact, at this time, a woman is literally at the peak of stress and may not always be able to realize that she needs the help of her relatives. Almost all expectant mothers in the third trimester experience fatigue and impatience caused by a long expectation of crumbs. They are internally weary of the desire to see their baby, but they subconsciously constantly worry about his health and the successful outcome of childbirth.
To all of the above, a sense of worthlessness is added. It is experienced by those mothers who are accustomed to achieving everything themselves and are hard-pressed to inability to lead a familiar lifestyle. Irritability, tearfulness and general depression can be added to fatigue.
Many pregnant women in the eighth month feel weak and confused. To these feelings, you can fully add dissatisfaction with their appearance. Often women refuse to look in the mirror because of a decent gain in weight. They feel ugly and are shy of their changed shape.
Such emotions prevent the pregnant woman from tuning into a positive mood, which may even postpone the expected date of delivery. Therefore, relatives should do everything to distract a woman and reconfigure her. If the state of health allows the expectant mother to often leave the house, then be sure to go out with her. Give her compliments and give beautiful things - all this will allow her to forget about her worries and worries. So, it will positively affect the state of your baby.
What can be done at 8 months of pregnancy, and what is better to avoid: we give recommendations
Since most expectant mothers are already on maternity leave by the eighth month, they try to take their day to the maximum in order to avoid disturbing thoughts. However, you should not load yourself too much, because the third trimester is a difficult period for an organism exhausted by pregnancy, which needs to accumulate strength for the upcoming birth.
If you have been involved in sports throughout your pregnancy, then you should not stop now. Of course, physical activity must be approved by a doctor and meet the deadline. Habitual activities will lift a pregnant woman’s mood, give her a boost of vitality and help her relax. Physical exercises also relieve stress from the spinal column, improve blood circulation and prepare the body for childbirth. However, you should always listen to your feelings and instantly respond to any ailment.
In the eighth month, you need to walk outdoors for as long as possible, but you need to do this only accompanied by someone close to you, as the contractions can begin at any time. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walking, do not neglect the bandage and compression underwear.
In the third trimester, classes are important for preparing for childbirth. They not only take the pregnant woman’s free time, but also provide an idea of the process of the birth of the baby. Also, women learn to breathe and behave properly during childbirth.
In the eighth month of pregnancy, in no case should you travel by plane. Flights relate to increased loads and can cause premature birth. If this does not happen, then it is likely that you will still harm the health of the future baby.
Even if you are very fond of bath procedures, then in the third trimester they must be abandoned. A weakened body can react extremely negatively to temperature and pressure changes.
At the end of pregnancy, you need to carefully monitor your weight. Women should not overeat, so as not to provoke digestive problems and not create an extra danger to the baby’s health.
Intimate relationship in the third trimester
Can I have sex with my husband at 8 months pregnant? This question is asked by many pregnant women. They are frightened that the fetus at 8 months of gestation is already quite large and can be harmed. In fact, not one of the doctors, in the case when the woman is absolutely healthy, and the pregnancy proceeds without complications, will not prohibit intimacy between spouses.
Moreover, they believe that sex creates a positive attitude and strengthens the emotional closeness between future spouses. In addition, many doctors even recommend frequent intimate contacts before giving birth. Thus, the uterus receives the necessary tone, and its neck is gradually preparing for stretching and becomes softer.
Late Pregnancy
Allocations at 8 months of pregnancy should not have a pungent odor and a clear color. Usually they are uniform, whitish and slightly sour. If you notice that the nature of the discharge has changed, you must immediately go to the doctor. Perhaps you have an infection that needs to be urgently treated before the baby decides that he wants to be born into this world.
Many women worry about why at the 8th month of pregnancy there are yellowish discharge with streaks. In fact, a similar situation may indicate that you are getting stuck in traffic. She throughout the pregnancy reliably protected the baby from any infection, and her departure is the first harbinger of an early birth. It is better to inform your doctor about this.
But spotting should be the reason for immediate hospitalization. Thus, the body signals the detachment of the placenta, and this, in turn, becomes a threat to the life of the mother and her unborn baby.
Breasts at 8 months of gestation may begin to excrete colostrum. In some women, it is produced in the form of a few drops, while in others in such large quantities that it requires special inserts in the bra.
Pregnant Nutrition
By the end of the third trimester, women should consume vegetables, fruits, and foods rich in calcium and protein. Boiled meat and lean fish should be eaten. Calcium is best absorbed not from milk, but from fermented milk products. If you do not have edema, then the drinking regimen should be at least one and a half liters of fluid per day. And you need to drink thirty minutes before or after eating.
Some useful tips
Referring to the reviews about 8 months of pregnancy, you can compile a set of useful tips that will help women successfully survive the third trimester.
If you have breathing problems, try to moderate your physical activity and keep your back straight.
Breathing exercises will help to calm down the crumbling baby. You should take a few deep breaths and raise your hands in turn. In parallel, you can change the position of the body. .
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