8 Months - 33 Weeks

My Baby @ 8 Months -
It's time for another growth spurt! For the next few weeks, your baby's gaining more weight than height -- and he'll push nearly 5 pounds by the end of this month! Your baby's taking up a lot of space in your uterus -- so much so that it's getting a bit crowded for kicking. So don't be alarmed if you don't feel him moving quite as much, though it's a good idea to count your baby's movements occasionally to make sure all's well in there (it's best if you can do this while you lie on your left side for a while). If you feel anything fewer than 10 kicks, rolls, flutters, etc., in two hours, call your doctor to double-check that everything's A-OK. When your baby does kick, you might start to feel it in a new place now - your ribcage. And wow, can they be sharp sometimes! But on the bright side, these movements are probably a sign that your baby's head-down, poised for his big birthday entrance. If he's not facing south just yet, don't worry -- your baby still has a few weeks to turn around. (If he doesn't, and remains in what's called a breech position, your doc can try to steer him the right way or else you might need a c-section to make sure he's delivered safe and sound.)

Even though 37 weeks is the magic number -- that's when your baby is officially deemed full-term, although pregnancy may go to 40 weeks or beyond - this month is also an important one for early arrivals, since almost all babies born after 32 weeks survive and go on to have very healthy, normal lives. By this time all of his major organs are fully functioning except the lungs, which need just a bit more time to mature completely. This week your baby will also start to shed that downy hair (lanugo) that's covered his body for the past few months. He'll lose most of this fuzzy coating by the time he's born. The protective vernix (that white, waxy coating that's keeping his skin safe) begins to thicken now, ensuring his birthday suit stays smooth and well-moisturized during D-day. Your baby will likely arrive covered in the stuff, especially in the folds under his arms, behind his ears, and in the groin area. But it'll all be washed off very shortly after birth -- during his first-ever bath