Definition
The eighth month is probably the month without events and symptoms (except, of course, the first month of pregnancy ) among all the others you have gone through so far. To characterize plastic both how you feel and how you look, we can only use one word: GREAT.
The abdomen has become so big that sometimes you feel that you would need an entire street to return to your place. A nice aspect of this fact is that you can easily use your tummy as a table, bedside table or desk: I had a friend who served her coffee on it in the morning or could put different objects on it (a notebook, pens, box of eyeshadows). However, don’t try to install your laptop on it, it might not fit! Let’s discuss eight(8th) month pregnancy details below.
Article content
1. Definition
2. Mother’s symptoms
3. Fetal development
4. Visit to the doctor
5. Problems that may arise
Mother’s symptoms
This month the bottom of the uterus will reach below the sternum. This important increase in the abdomen, together with the weight gain, will make you feel very uncomfortable: you move with difficulty, you hardly get up from the bed or armchair, you sleep badly, in a word, you feel heavy. Unfortunately, nothing spectacular happens this month. Neither for better nor for worse.
More intense Braxton-Hicks contractions. This month, don’t be surprised if this type of contraction appears often, maybe even after every hour. This thing might make you wonder if the time has come.
The most likely thing is that not yet, the uterus is, so to speak, warming up for the great examination of labor. If they are accompanied by pain and become regular, then it is advisable to notify your doctor.
The child’s movements. You feel them very acutely, although they seem to be less frequent than in the past months. Once your little one has grown up, he enters into an obvious lack of space, being forced to accommodate himself to the tight place that is your uterus, so that he also tries to loosen up from time to time a foot, a hand, hence the “merciless” blows you feel in your stomach, liver, spleen or ribs.
When you feel him more agitated, don’t hesitate to stroke his belly and talk to him to calm him down: will you be surprised if you see that he listens to you and calms down?
Marked fatigue. The abdomen is huge, have you gained weight, your legs are permanently swollen, that’s why you’re always tired? One thing is certain, don’t try to be brave. Stay in bed as long as you feel you can, but don’t overdo it. It’s good to do as much light movement as possible (if you haven’t had time to do the gymnastics that I recommended you since the second month), that is, walks in the open air and light training in the kitchen.
Also Read: What Happens Nine(9th) Month Pregnancy – Definition, Symptoms and Signs
White nights. There are a multitude of reasons why these last two months you can’t really sleep at night. One of them is, obviously, your much-enlarged abdomen, which forces you to sleep only in certain positions, and those only two in number: right side or left side.
This discomfort often wakes you up at night. The pregnant uterus can also play tricks on you by pressing on your stomach, resulting in burns that can wake you up from sleep or on your bladder, forcing you to make frequent trips to the bathroom.
Another reason is that the sleep cycle changes, so you can have more REM periods (a phase of sleep characterized by dream sleep, from which you can wake up more easily than during normal sleep ).
You can also have trouble falling asleep because of the worries you have about the child’s health, how you will behave at the birth, whether you will be a good mother, or because your mother-in-law has announced that she is coming to stay your head to help you.
If we also add the fact that the little one can have no respect for your rest period and get into the mood for playing and hitting just then, you will understand why these months you will be able to sleep more on your feet than in bed at night.
Interminable hiccups. Don’t be scared, you won’t hiccup, the baby will. This period, which is still until birth, the little one will use to train for his big exam: breathing.
He inhales and exhales constantly in the “atmosphere” of amniotic fluid , inhaling this fluid into his lungs. Unfortunately, this practice can irritate his diaphragm, so it is very possible that he will get hiccups that can seem endless.
Don’t be scared (but don’t try the classic method of trying to scare the child to make him get rid of hiccups either), this phenomenon is absolutely normal and practically free of negative influences for the fetus.
I’m gaining weight. You are already desperate every morning when you step on the scale or when you admire your “silhouette” in the mirror. All I can tell you is that after the birth you can get back (with a little effort) to the figure that everyone envied you before the pregnancy, so you have a little more patience and everything will end well and for your waist
Even more frequent trips to the bathroom. It is obvious that, as your little one grows more and more, he will occupy all the space he has available, to the detriment of other organs, such as the urinary bladder.
It is the time when you can feel the need to run to the bathroom every half hour. Regardless of the discomfort caused, do not forget to drink a lot of fluids, especially if you are in a very warm month.
Joint pains. They appear in a few cases and have no pathological significance. You can be one of the lucky ones and not have these symptoms. Joint pains are determined by the additional effort to which the muscles and, implicitly, their tendons are subjected, during daily activities.
Vaginal discharge. With the whitish and abundant vaginal secretion, you are probably already reconciled from the past months. This month, however, you may get to know another type of “secretion”, that is, you may notice a kind of faint greenish mucus on the toilet paper or on the absorbent pad of your panties. You do not need to be alarmed, it is a normal phenomenon.
It’s what’s called the gelatinous plug that seals your cervix to protect the contents of your uterus, and it’s been there the entire pregnancy. Now it makes its presence felt due to the fact that, starting this month, the cervix becomes more elastic, so that this mucinous plug sometimes starts to “leak” when you go to the toilet.
Breasts. They are getting bigger, heavier and more congested. The areola of the breast is very pigmented, and colostrum already starts to flow from the nipples at the slightest touch of the breasts.
Fetal development
This month and the next is characterized by the most obvious weight gain of your little one. It can weigh over 2 kilograms and measure over 40-45 cm in length.
All its organs are perfectly formed and capable of maintaining life outside the womb. Perhaps with one exception, the lung , which is not yet perfectly mature, that is, it does not secrete enough surfactant , an oily substance that eases the efforts made by the child during inhalation in the atmosphere.
The skin is reddish to pink and the subcutaneous fat becomes more and more abundant, so that he starts to have fat rolls on his hands, legs and buttocks, which will become even more pronounced in the following month.
He already keeps his eyes open and blinks naturally. Eyelashes grow even more, as do eyebrow hair. The soft hair called lanugo begins to disappear completely.
He has periods when he sleeps and others when he feels like playing. It reacts quickly to stimuli in the environment, especially to sounds.
Visit to the doctor
This month’s visit to the doctor is especially dedicated to the control of clinical signs. The doctor will check the size and shape of your uterus, the distance between the bottom of the uterus and the sternum and will palpate your uterus to find out how your little one is inside it. Then he will control the local state of the cervix, through a relatively unpleasant examination with valves and vaginal palpation.
They will have to carefully check the condition of your ankles or calves to discover if you have edema. He will carefully control your blood pressure and ask you to do a urine analysis, to see how your kidneys are working during this period of pregnancy.
Blood pressure
Why is this test done? Blood pressure measurement. Should I take this test? Mandatory. When should I take this test? At all visits, especially in the last quarter. How is this test done? Blood pressure is measured with the help of a blood pressure monitor placed on the arm. When are the results ready? Immediate.
Weight
Why is this test done? Weight measurement. Should I take this test? Advisable. When should I take this test? At all visits in the third trimester. How is this test done?
Body weight is measured with the help of a precise medical scale and compared with the results of the previous month, observing the weight gain. When are the results ready? Immediate.
Ultrasound
Why is this test done? Collect information about the development of the fetus, the placenta, the uterus. Should I take this test? Advisable. In this month, ultrasound can provide information about:
– Appreciates the way the placenta grows, as well as gives information about its morphology;
– Provides information about the position of the fetus in the uterus, about its movements;
– Provides information about fetal cardiac activity;
– Provides information about the respiratory movements of the fetus;
– Estimate the amount of amniotic fluid;
– Appreciate the growth of the fetus;
– Interventional ultrasound can assist certain invasive diagnostic procedures such as amniocentesis or puncture of the umbilical vessels.
When should I take this test? It is advisable to do it, if possible, on the occasion of every visit to the doctor. How is this test done? The doctor visualizes on a screen similar to a computer monitor the data collected with the help of an ultrasound probe that he walks on your abdomen. When are the results ready? Immediate.
BCF sites
Why is this test done? Listening to the fetal heartbeats. Should I take this test? Mandatory. When should I take this test? At all visits. How is this test done?
The doctor uses a special stethoscope that he sticks to the maternal abdominal wall in different places to find the best place to listen to the fetal heart. In more modern offices, it is done with the help of a kind of microphone in the shape of a small disc that is placed on your abdominal wall. When are the results ready? Immediate.
CBC
Why is this test done? This test gives your doctor information about the quality of your blood: if you are anemic, if you have an infection, if you have coagulation disorders, etc.
Should I take this test? Mandatory. When should I take this test? During the last month’s visit, she was pregnant. How is this test done? Blood sampling from the arm. When are the results ready? It depends on the laboratory, from a few hours to 2 days.
blood sugar
Why is this test done? To detect the existence of a possible diabetes or a predisposition to diabetes. Both blood and urine are tested. Should I take this test? Mandatory.
When should I take this test? At the visit from the last months of pregnancy. How is this test done? Blood is taken from the arm or a prick from the finger if it is done with the glucotest. Urine was collected overnight. When are the results ready? On the spot (with the glucose) or in a few days.
Urinary albumin
Why is this test done? To explore kidney function. Should I take this test? Mandatory if you have high blood pressure or if you have edema of the lower limbs or generalized.
When should I take this test? On the doctor’s recommendation if you have the above symptoms. How is this test done? Urine was collected overnight. When are the results ready? Either on the spot, if it is done with a tester, or in a few days.
Liver samples
Why is this test done? Exploring your liver function. Should I take this test? Advisable. When should I take this test? On the doctor’s recommendation, especially if you have high blood pressure.
How is this test done? Measurement of transaminases, bilirubin, albumin, and other liver enzymes from the blood taken from the arm. When are the results ready? In a few days.
Renal samples
Why is this test done? Exploring the kidney’s ability to cleanse the body. Should I take this test? Advisable. When should I take this test? On the doctor’s recommendation if you have high blood pressure. How is this test performed? Measurement of creatinine and urea from the blood taken from the arm and from the urine collected overnight. Detecting the presence of white and red cells in the urine, as well as possibly stones or bilirubin. When are the results ready? In a few days.
Percutaneous puncture of the umbilical vein
Why is this test done? The test obtains fetal blood with the help of a fine needle that is inserted into the umbilical vein. It is used as an adjunct to amniocentesis and ultrasound, especially if the doctor suspects that the fetus has hemolytic anemia due to Rh incompatibility.
Should I take this test? The test is done if an ultrasound anomaly has been discovered and if the amniocentesis results are inconclusive. It is also used if Rh incompatibility is suspected.
When should I take this test? As indicated by the doctor, anytime between weeks 18 and 36. How is this test done? A fine needle is inserted through the maternal abdomen, up to the umbilical vein under ultrasound control and a small amount of fetal blood is aspirated. When are the results ready? In three days.
Glucose tolerance test
Why is this test done? The test is done to detect a glucose intolerance caused by pregnancy to detect a possible predisposition to gestational diabetes. Should I take this test?
Recommended, especially if you are overweight or have a family history of diabetes. When should I take this test? In week 32-34. How is this test done? The doctor will give you to drink a sweet liquid ( glucose ) on an empty stomach and your blood glucose will be measured after an hour.
If the results show an increased level of glucose, the doctor may recommend a three-hour blood glucose test, which is more accurate. When are the results ready? Immediately if the glucotest is used.
Problems that may arise
Fortunately, this month is generally free of dangers (especially if the pregnancy has progressed normally so far). The only problems that can occur are the premature onset of labor or premature rupture of the membranes, the detection of a delay in fetal growth, the occurrence of pregnancy-induced hypertension that can be complicated by renal dysfunction and the occurrence of calf edema ( preeclampsia ) and less often with the appearance of convulsions ( eclampsia ).
Premature birth. There are cases in which the pregnancy does not reach its normal term of 38 weeks, so that, for various reasons, labor can start before this limit. Fortunately, the baby is mature enough to survive outside the womb, although his lungs are not fully matured, so it is possible that he will need medical support and respiratory assistance at birth.
Growth delay. During the clinical examination that your doctor does to observe the size of the uterus and the position of the child, it is possible to discover that your baby has not grown enough for your gestational age. Ultrasound is used as an adjunct, which can provide us with data on how important this growth delay is.
Hypertension induced by pregnancy. The last trimester of pregnancy is the time when this blood pressure disorder sometimes appears. If the blood pressure exceeds the value of 140 with 90 mm Hg in 2 consecutive measurements made 4 hours apart, it is already a sign of alarm.
An appropriate regimen and therapeutic strategy must be instituted to avoid complications. If hypertension is also accompanied by leg edema, the problem becomes serious.
Gestational diabetes. Approximately 3% of pregnant women develop this transient pathological condition during pregnancy, which goes away after birth. The placenta produces a series of hormones that have an anti-insulin effect, and the mother’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin to overcome this handicap.
Bleeding. Rarely during this period of pregnancy you can present blood stains on your panties or when you wipe with toilet paper in the bathroom.
It is likely that it occurs due to the softening of the neck and due to the cracking of some blood vessels at this level. If the bleeding is more abundant, notify your doctor immediately, it could be because of a lower inserted placenta (praevia) or due to a placental abruption.