Baby's weight continues to increase, reaching around 6.5 pounds (3.2 kg) now. While baby is about 21 inches (53 cm) long, his limbs and tummy are all growing rounder and chubbier every day. His skin is less wrinkly now, and most of the redness has turned to a hue that reflects your baby's ethnic heritage.
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By this time, most babies descend down into your pelvis, head first, getting ready for birth. In about 3% of pregnancies, babies turn in the other direction, a situation known as a breech presentation. If this is the case for your baby, don't worry as this often changes--sometimes just hours before labor!
Your Body This Week
You are probably not seeing much change in the size of your tummy now, and your weight should be close to the maximum that your health care provider predicted or recommended. You can expect your caregiver to perform a pelvic exam around this time to help determine the progress of your pregnancy and better judge your due date.
Your due date is so close that you could easily deliver at any time! Chances are very good that delivering from this week on, your baby will be healthy. Take a deep breath. Labor, delivery and motherhood will all be amazing and wonderful experiences!
Keeping Your Life in Balance
You may be feeling a little off kilter and out of control just about now. But there is at least one thing you can still be in command of. And ironically, this one thing will also help you manage all the craziness going on around you. This one thing is your balanced diet. Making sure you're getting enough protein, fats and carbohydrates may seem a bit trivial in the face of the approaching unknown, but with a solid nutritional grounding, you can face and do anything. If your diet is off target, many other things in life can go off course as well. Here are some pointers to help you get plenty of good fats and proteins in your diet.
Ease Your Back Pain
Back Stretch (Angry Cat Stretch): Try this easy stretch to ease some of the tension you feel in your back.
- Begin on your hands and knees on a soft surface.
- Your knees should be directly below the hips, hands directly under the shoulders, head and spine in a neutral position.
- Inhale and tuck your chin into your chest, drawing your lower abdomen in towards the spine as you round your back.
