31 weeks--6 weeks to go!

Dates and numbers:
There are 61 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 219 days pregnant.
I am 7.2 months pregnant.
I am in my 8th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

My baby is continuing to grow each week that I remain pregnant. My baby's crown-to-rump length is nearly 11.2 inches and total length is approximately 18 inches. My baby weighs approximately 3.5 pounds at this point (probably 4). My uterus is about 4.4 inches above my bellybutton and continues to get larger. An average weight gain at this point is between 21 and 27 pounds. The weight that I gain is made up of my baby, placenta, blood supply, uterus, breasts, fat, water storage and amniotic fluid.

Because the ligaments and muscles supporting the small of my back relax and loosen in order to get ready for childbirth, my back may be aching from now on (yep). There is usually nothing that can be done to prevent backaches, only to make them more comfortable. Many women get heartburn during these last few weeks of pregnancy because the oversized uterus leaves less room for the stomach and the contents within the stomach. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help relieve the discomforts of heartburn.

This week marks an incredible milestone in my baby's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in my baby's lungs were present but not functionable. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in my baby's lungs. Surfactant prevents my baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the baby is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. My baby can hear my voice and other familiar sounds that s/he will recognize after birth. My baby is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin's color is pink instead of red at this point. My baby's fingernails have grown to the end of her/his fingers and s/he may scratch her/himself while s/he is in the womb.