Your body is getting ready for bringing your baby into the world. The breasts might leak a creamy/yellowish watery substance as they prepare for breast feeding. Practice contractions, called Braxton Hicks can also be felt as the uterus gets ready. To most pregnant women, they feel only a slight tightening of the uterus. Five or six per hour may be a sign of preterm labour, so do keep a mental note. The eighth month of pregnancy has also brought about a growth spurt, most visibly in terms of fat accumulation. Most likely, the baby is now vertical – head down and feet towards your chest cavity.

Garbha Vriddhi

सप्तमे मासि तसमाच्च नित्यक्लान्ताऽत्र गर्भिणी सर्वधात्वांगसंपुर्णो वातपित्तकफान्वितः। (काश्यप संहिता)

Ayurveda says development of all the dhatu and body parts and is completely associated with vata-pitta-kapha.‍

Your Baby's Development

Baby’s FIVE senses

The little one’s brain connections are maturing at a rapid pace. These connections are between individual nerve cells. With these billions of connections getting formed, the baby is able to process information, respond to variations in light and obtain signals from all five senses.

Sleep-time

The baby is sleeping for longer now. This sleep is specifically REM sleep. The brain appears to cycle every 20 to 40 minutes between REM sleep, in which brain activity rivals that of consciousness, and non-REM sleep, in which the brain rests.

Busy making faces

Baby’s got work to do! He is making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, moving those little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking his thumb. Did you know that some babies suck their thumbs so much hile in the womb that they're born with a little blister on their thumbs?!

Eye movements

Around this week, the ultrasound can pick up the tiny movements of your baby's eyelids blinking. Right now, they blink very slowly—approximately 6 to 15 times an hour (compared to adults, who blink 19–20 times per minute).

Lungs

As the lungs continue to mature, your baby is still working on those breathing skills. Breathing movements increase from 10% to 20% at 28 weeks to 30% to 40% after 30 weeks.

Survival Outside the Womb

The baby is still in the ‘very preterm’ category. With each week that a baby completes in utero, the chances of survival without disabilities related to prematurity get better.

Sex organs

The baby’s reproductive system is maturing. In boys, testicles are moving from the kidneys through the groin to the scrotum. In girls, her clitoris is visible, but her labia are still growing to cover it.

Your Pregnancy Symptoms

Breathless

At this time, your uterus is about 4 inches above your belly button. This position of your growing uterus is pushing all the internal organs out of its way and that is crowding your diaphragm and lungs. They cannot expand completely anymore.  While you might be huffing and puffing, your baby is completely comfortable because he’s getting his oxygen from the placenta.

You will feel better in a few weeks when your baby drops down into your pelvis in preparation for delivery. Have smaller meals and sleep on your left side so that your lungs have more space.

Leaky breasts

This week, if you notice leaking of colostrum, or "premilk," from your breasts, it is normal. You can put nursing pads into your bra to avoid stains.

Clumsiness

With the belly protruding, your posture has changed. This, along with hormones that are loosening your joints can make you clumsy. To make things worse, your pregnancy brain has made you foggy and forgetful. Don’t get distracted (mostly, by your phone) while climbing stairs, remove carpets that you can trip over and be careful in the shower.

Sleep problems

You may find yourself tossing in bed due to leg cramps, heartburn, and frequent urination. Or, just anxiety about impending labour.

Dry, brittle nails

The nails are growing faster and are also more easily breakable. Use oil to keep them moisturized.

Occasional headaches

Try closing your eyes and meditating to calming music. The iMumz App has many options. If you’re at work, close your eyes and put your feet up for 15 minutes.

Constipation

The large bowel also has decreased motility, which leads to increased water absorption and constipation. You might also be taking less fiber and fluid than recommended when you’re pregnant, leading to constipation. Congestion of the pelvic vessels combined with increased abdominal pressure with bowel movements secondary to constipation can lead to hemorrhoids. Download the iMumz App for diets to manage pregnancy conditions.

iMumz Wellness Tip

Tips to combat fatigue

Guda panak - Add jaggery water in the morning hours. Jaggery is the instant energizer, it also keeps you well hydrated, fulfills daily mineral requirements specially iron which helps to keep the haemoglobin levels in normal range as anemia is the common reason for fatigue during pregnancy.

Vamkukshi- Lie down on your left side and take rest before meals. The nap should be around 15-20 minutes. lying on the left side helps to improve circulation to the baby as well as improve your digestion.

Reduce the gap between meals and divide the meals with small portions for 6-7 divisions in a day. Try to eat freshly cooked meals within 2-3 hours of preparation.

Hydration- stay well hydrated by adding more natural drinks like milk, buttermilk, sherbets, soups and water. Water is essential to maintain a PH balance, regulate electrolyte levels and maintain amniotic fluid levels in the last trimester.

Your Pregnancy check-ups

Now that you are in the third trimester, you'll have a prenatal appointment every two weeks from 28 to 36 weeks, then you'll have a prenatal visit once a week during the last month until you deliver.

Whether or not she asks, let your doctor know about any symptoms you're having, even if they seem like the usual fatigue, irritability, or aches and pains.

Be sure to also let your doctor know if you notice your baby is less active than usual (she'll ask you to count baby's movements for a set period of time each day).

What should you eat in this week of pregnancy?

One mineral that we don’t know that much about is Phosphorus. It makes sure that you have strong bones. In fact, 85% of all the phosphorus in your body is inside your bones. Phosphorus also plays a pretty significant role in performing muscle contractions, kidney functionality, blood clotting, nerve conduction, cellular and tissue repair, and maintaining a normal heart rhythm. It also helps the body to generate and use energy.

Proper Phosphorus Dosage

The amount of phosphorus that a woman needs varies from person to person. Everyone’s requirements are slightly different, but there are some standard averages:

Women aged 19 and older – 700 milligrams (mg) a day.

Women aged 18 and younger – 1,250 mg a day.

Here is a recipe to give you a good boost of Phosphorus:

Apples in Custard

Make custard, replacing sugar with jaggery powder. It may not thicken as well as it does with sugar, but mind you, it's healthier!

Put the oven to heat to 180C. Pour the custard into a large baking dish. As the oven heats, place the sliced apples in some orange zest and juice, cinnamon and jaggery powder.

Then, arrange the apples, cut-side up, on top of the custard and drizzle with any extra juice from the bowl. Sprinkle over some granola and bake for 30 mins, until the apples are soft and piping hot.

You can serve with dark chocolate, another good source of phosphorus.