Your Baby:
Third Trimester

By the ninth month... • Your baby can sense light changes and respond to sound.     • He/she sleeps for 20-30 minutes at a time.     • There is regular fetal movement and activity.     • At 37 weeks, baby is considered full term and can safely be born.

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our baby is getting bigger and bigger by the day. You may even be able to detect the shape of a foot or elbow through your abdomen!

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: SEVENTH MONTH
HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: EIGHTH MONTH
HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: NINTH MONTH

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: SEVENTH MONTH

By the end of this month, your baby will be about 2-2 ½ pounds and 15 inches long. As your baby gets bigger, the space in your uterus is getting smaller. Talk to your baby - his or her hearing is getting better and better all the time.

What's happening this month:

• The lanugo (soft hair covering the body) begins to disappear.
• There is more fetal movement - kicking, stretching and moving around.
• Your baby can sense light changes and responds to sound.
• His/her eyes begin to open and close for short periods of time.
• S/he sleeps for 20-30 minutes at a time.
• His/her bones are fully developed.

HOW YOUR BABY IS GROWING: EIGHTH MONTH 

By the end of this month, your baby will weigh about 4 pounds and measure 16-18 inches long. S/he is growing rapidly — getting stronger and fatter all the time! He or she may hiccup and can taste sweet and sour.

What's happening this month:

• The baby's bones harden.
• There is rapid brain growth, with different regions of the brain forming.
• Baby is more responsive to light and sound.
• There is regular fetal movement and activity.
• His/her fingernails continue to grow.
• The lungs are completely developed but continue to mature.
• The coating that protects the baby’s skin (vernix) is getting thicker; it’s pasty white and you may see some of it when the baby is born.
• The lanugo (soft hair covering the body) is almost gone.