What's Happening to Me

• As your uterus begins to move up, it may push on the breathing muscles in your lower chest. This pressure causes some women to be short of breath.
• Your lower chest may be sore and tired due to the constant pressure the uterus exerts on muscles and ligaments in that area.
• The larger size of the baby adds strain to your skeletal system—especially in the lower back and stomach areas. Sometimes you may feel like you're carrying a bowling ball!
• You may have trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position. Lying on your side with one leg crossed over the other should help you sleep better. Try placing a pillow between your legs in this position for extra comfort. Sleeping this way improves circulation and reduces swelling (edema) of your ankles and feet.
• You can feel parts of the baby through your abdomen.
• You may need to urinate more often, as the baby's head crowds your bladder and your vaginal secretions increase.
• You may have hemorrhoids and heartburn.
• You may sweat and begin to tire more easily.

What's Happening to My Baby

• Your baby is growing and her kicks are felt much more strongly.
• Her bones continue to harden as she develops. She looks much the same as she will at birth, but her body needs some filling out.
• She hears sounds outside your body.
• Her eyes are open.
• She is active, with patterns of sleep and wakefulness.
• She may settle into position for birth.
• Her body may be mature enough to survive if she is born during these weeks.
• She is about 46 cm (18 inches) in length and weighs about 2.5 kg (5½ pounds).

Things I Need to Do

• Have a prenatal checkup as recommended.
• Eat balanced meals that are small in amount, but frequent. Include plenty of iron-rich foods. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day.
• Keep doing your walking and stretching exercises. Practice the exercises from your childbirth class.
• Practice daily relaxation and breathing exercises.
• Practice relaxation techniques during Braxton Hicks contractions.
• Review what happens in labor and delivery.
• Talk about feelings and responsibilities with your partner. Plan special times with your partner.
• Take extra time to do activities you like to do.

A portion of the information contained within this page has been taken from patient education material from www.medicalcenter.osu.edu. © the Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

The information contained in the www.medicalcenter.osu.edu Web site is provided as a public service by The Ohio State University Medical Center. It is posted for informational and educational purposes only. This information should not be construed as personal medical advice. Because each person’s health needs are different, a physician should be consulted before acting on any information provided in these materials. Although every effort is made to ensure that this material is accurate and up-to-date, it is provided for the convenience of the user and should not be considered definitive.