Inside Your Body

Your baby continues to grow at a phenomenal rate to 2.25kg.  His/her height has almost reached its full term height at 49cm.  Your baby’s skin is no longer reddish, but is now pink and getting close to the colour of birth.  Most of his/her internal organs are developed, with the exception of his/her lungs.  Your baby’s finger nails are reaching the tips of his/her fingers, but his/her toe nails still needs some more time to grow out.  If you are expecting a baby boy, then his testicles are descending down to his scrotum.  But don’t worry if they are not.  Some babies’ testicles don’t descend even after they are born but will do so in due course.  Your baby may be getting into position for birth with his/her head pointing downwards.

Your Signs And Symptoms

Your body is getting ready for the big day.  You may be experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions but they may be too subtle to notice as yet.  And your pelvis is also expanding.  Your belly button is likely to be very stretched and protruding out at this point.  With all this stretching and hardening of the uterus, you may feel more discomfort and pain in your ribs.  Your nipples may be leaking colostrum, a precursor to breast milk.  Some women do not experience this until after giving birth.  Some women may also develop rashes. 

What Tests To Expect

If you are at risk of having preterm delivery because of your health condition or your history of preterm births, you may wish to determine whether you will have a preterm birth for this pregnancy.  There are 2 ways of doing this:  through a fetal fibronectin (fFN) screening test or through the measurement of your cervix.  fFN is conducted through a swab test similar to a Pap smear.  It may not be right for you as a positive result may not be accurate.  However, a negative result may be helpful in giving you peace of mind as you are unlikely to go into preterm labor within a few weeks of the test.  The measurement of your cervix is done during your ultrasound.