8 pregnancy month

The 8th month of pregnancy begins when 28 weeks have passed since the first day of the last menstruation. This period covers several weeks – from the 29th to the 32nd inclusive.

The eighth month of pregnancy is the preparatory time before childbirth. The expectant mother may have a feeling of fatigue and a desire to give birth faster. This is not surprising, because the body has spent a lot of resources on bearing a child. But it is still too early to give birth, although the baby is already almost formed. Together with an expert obstetrician-gynecologist Yulia Tsareva we find out what changes in the bodies of a woman and a child at the 8th month of pregnancy, what examinations need to be done, what can and cannot be done by a future mother.

Key facts about 8 months pregnant

Symptoms, signs and sensations

Hormonal changes and a growing uterus are the main factors that affect a woman’s condition during this period. 8 months of pregnancy may be accompanied by heartburn, frequent urination, pain in the abdomen and back.

Heartburn and heaviness in the stomach

The uterus puts more and more pressure on nearby organs, including the stomach, and the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract relax due to hormonal changes and cannot hold the contents properly. This causes a feeling of heaviness after eating, and some of the food from the stomach can be “thrown” back into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation and an unpleasant taste in the mouth (2).

Frequent urination

This happens because the uterus presses on the bladder. In addition to frequent urination, there may be false urges. This is the name given to the situation when, with an empty or half-empty bladder, the brain sends erroneous signals about the need to urinate. 

Abdominal pain at 8 months pregnant

By week 32, due to the placental hormone relaxin, the ligamentous apparatus is relaxed, which can cause pain in the pubic joint (lower abdomen). Sometimes there are episodic pains in different parts of the abdomen, which are associated with contraction and relaxation of the muscles of the uterus. This phenomenon is called in medicine Braxton-Hicks contractions or otherwise – false contractions. This is how the body prepares for childbirth (2).

Back pain

At the 8th month of pregnancy, the expectant mother may suffer from pain in the back and hip joints, which is associated with a change in the center of gravity and displacement of the spine (2). 

Discharge at 8 months pregnant

The discharge from the genital tract may become a little more abundant than before, and this is normal. But you should be wary and consult a doctor if the discharge has changed color, smell and consistency, or blood has appeared in them. 

From the 30th week, it is possible to release colostrum from the mammary glands. It is primary milk, thick, white or yellowish in color.

Photo life

In the eighth month of pregnancy, the belly continues to grow, the uterus rises as high as possible to the ribs, and the navel begins to smooth out. The size and shape of the abdomen in all women look different: this is influenced by the physique of the expectant mother, the tone of the anterior abdominal wall and uterus, the size and position of the fetus. 

Many women develop hyperpigmentation, a dark line that runs from the navel to the pubis. This line disappears within a few weeks after childbirth.

Child development at 8 months of pregnancy

At the 8th month of pregnancy, the baby’s muscle mass grows intensively, and the internal organs and systems take on their final shape. There is less and less space in the uterus, the child moves less intensively and most often is in the same position.

29 Week

At 29 weeks, the baby accumulates subcutaneous fat, which is necessary for normal thermoregulation after childbirth (3). The growth of hair on the head is activated, but the number of fluff hairs on the body is sharply reduced.

30 Week

There is an active preparation of internal organs for extrauterine life. The chest expands and contracts, mimicking breathing movements. The lungs continue to produce surfactant, a substance that coats the lung alveoli and helps you breathe on your own. Swallowing amniotic fluid stimulates the digestive tract. By this time, the formation of the liver and pancreas was almost completed.

31 Week

During this period, the fetal brain grows intensively, and its departments work as a whole. The periods of sleep and activity clearly replace each other. The kid already knows how to distinguish between light and darkness, open and close his eyes, squint and even squint.

32 Week

At the 32nd week of pregnancy, the number of immunoglobulins in the child’s body increases sharply and its own immune defense begins to form (3). The amount of subcutaneous fat increases, so the baby looks prettier before our eyes. Wrinkles are smoothed out, skin color becomes pink, and facial features are as they are in newborns (3).

Examinations at 8 months of pregnancy

During this period, the pregnant woman visits the doctor twice. In addition to standard examinations (measuring weight, abdominal circumference and blood pressure), the expectant mother needs to take blood and urine tests, do ultrasound with dopplerometry and CTG.

Blood tests

A pregnant woman needs to pass a coagulogram, a general and biochemical blood test. Of particular importance is the level of ferritin – it shows what iron reserves are in the body of the expectant mother (2). If your ferritin level is low, your doctor may prescribe iron supplements.

Urinalysis

Urine tests are needed in order not to miss the development of such pathologies as urinary tract infections and late toxicosis or preeclampsia, which can pose a threat to the life of the mother and fetus. Signs of preeclampsia: the presence of protein in the urine, edema and high blood pressure (4).

Glucose tolerance test

An oral glucose tolerance test is done between weeks 24 and 28. If a woman missed this period, the study can be performed at 8 months of pregnancy. The test is done to rule out or confirm gestational diabetes (2). This pathology seriously complicates the course of pregnancy, and in the future can cause type 2 diabetes in a woman.

Doppler ultrasound

During an ultrasound examination, the size and development of the fetus, the condition of the placenta, the position of the umbilical cord, and the amount of amniotic fluid are assessed. Simultaneously with ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound is performed to understand how the circulatory system of the fetus, the vessels of the umbilical cord and the placenta (2) functions.

KTG

From the 32nd week, cardiotocography (CTG) can supplement the picture of the course of pregnancy. This study helps to measure the baby’s heartbeat and motor activity, to assess its response to uterine contractions (2).

Do’s and Don’ts for Expectant Mothers

The eighth month of pregnancy is a good time to rest and prepare for childbirth. The expectant mother should be outdoors a lot, eat right and protect herself from stressful situations. Good sleep is very important, but it is better to refuse long trips. Remember that you can take any medication only after consulting a doctor.

Balanced diet

It is important to ensure that the daily menu contains cereals and dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and vegetable oils. Flour and sweet should be limited, and alcohol should be excluded.

Rest and moderate exercise

The expectant mother at 8 months of pregnancy is advised to wear supportive underwear and not ignore reasonable physical activity: swimming, yoga, hiking.

A pregnant woman needs to rest a lot. Sleep optimally on your side, and for convenience, you can put rollers and small pillows under your back and stomach.

Travels

You can drive only for short distances and be sure to fasten your seat belt on the road.

Don’t travel far from home. Long trips can harm the pregnant woman and the fetus, and in a difficult situation, the attending physician will be far away.

Sex 

In a normal pregnancy, intimate relationships are not contraindicated. The safest position during sex at 8 months of pregnancy is the knee-elbow. 

You need to limit intimate contacts if:

• the birth of two or more children is expected, 
• the woman has had a premature birth in the past,
• the current pregnancy is accompanied by complications, for example, placenta previa.

Popular questions and answers

Yulia Tsareva, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Lahta Clinic, answers the most popular questions about the peculiarities of the course of pregnancy at 8 months.

Sources of

1. Meduniver. Section “Obstetrics”. “A pregnant woman and a baby in her belly. What does the baby feel, see and hear in the womb? Iskander Milevsky. URL: https://meduniver.com/Medical/Akusherstvo/chto_chuvstvuet_beremennaia.html
2. Normal pregnancy. Clinical guidelines. LLC ” Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists”. Approved by the Ministry of Health of the Federation. URL: https://clck.su/XXlSh
3. Meduniver. Section “Obstetrics”. stages of child development. A detailed diagram of the nine months of child development. Iskander Milevsky. URL: https://meduniver.com/Medical/Akusherstvo/razvitie_rebenka_deviat_mesiazev.html
4. Journal “Attending Doctor” dated 23.12.2010/2010/11. A. M. Torchinov, V. P. Kuznetsov, G. N. Dzhonboboeva, D. Kh. Sarakhova, S. G. Tsakhilova. “Actual issues of modern obstetrics: preeclampsia of pregnant women – a problem and a solution.” URL: https://www.lvrach.ru/15435075/XNUMX/XNUMX