How your baby's growing
You're in the home stretch - two trimesters down, one more to go. Your baby is growing steadily as he prepares for delivery day. She will gain weight rapidly over the next weeks and, as the size of your bump increases, you may feel more breathless and tired. Your baby's acting more like a newborn now, too. She opens and closes her eyes, sleeps and wakes at regular intervals, and may suck a finger or thumb. She may also be hiccuping a lot this week, which explains that odd rhythmic sensation you've probably been feeling.
Now that you're approaching the final stage of pregnancy - your third trimester - your baby is really starting to grow and fill the available space in your uterus. Although they're still immature, your baby's lungs will function with some medical help, if she's born prematurely.
Your baby now weighs nearly 2 pounds / 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches / 36.6 centimetres from head to toe. Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No-one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.
Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of the hiccups, which are common this week and throughout the pregnancy. Your baby has them but is breathing in amniotic fluid rather than air. A paper bag can't cure her hiccups, obviously, but an episode usually lasts only momentarily. The sensation for you may be strange but not unpleasant.
How your life's changing
Your body is altering rapidly now: your uterus is up near your rib cage and if you're unlucky you may discover the delights of leg cramps, haemorrhoids or varicose veins. (If it's any consolation, they should disappear after the birth.) Labour really isn't far away so if you haven't already signed up for a childbirth class, then find out if there is a space available on a course now. Since your uterus is now up near your rib cage, you may now find yourself short of breath if you haven't already. Starting now and continuing through the last three months of pregnancy, you may be plagued by itchy abdomen. Are pregnancy discomforts getting you down? Try some natural remedies to perk you up.
You're likely to have another antenatal appointment this week and you may have a blood test to check for pregnancy anaemia, a deficiency of red blood cells. Many pregnant women develop a mild case of the illness because of normal changes in the body. If your blood group is Rhesus-negative and you tested negative for Rh antibodies at an earlier appointment, you'll have a further test around now. You'll probably be tested for Rh antibodies this week or next and have an anti-D injection to combat the incompatibility. You may be offered a repeat injection at 36 weeks.
Believe it or not, studies have shown that a mum's breastfeeding success has a lot to do with her husband's attitude. If you're a new dad, it's time to bone up on breastfeeding basics so you can provide support after the baby's born. Your wife will need looking after in the first few weeks after the birth so be prepared to help out more around the house and at mealtimes, particularly if she has had a caesarean.
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