Baby's Growth During The Third Trimester

During the third trimester (last three months of your pregnancy), your baby will grow and develop a whole lot larger while preparing for the birthing process. Your baby’s growth is approximately 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg) and 16 inches (40.64 cm) long during week 28. Finally, by the end of week 40, the baby growth can be somewhere between 6 to 9 pounds (2.72 to 4.08 kg)  and 19 to 22 inches (48.26 to 55.88 cm) long.

Your baby gets adapted to regular sleep and wake cycles by the third trimester. You can also feel a difference in the baby’s activity levels during those periods. At times, your baby will also respond to bright light and sound.

Your growing baby needs more living space in the womb. Therefore, don’t be surprised if you find your baby bump growing more and more during this last trimester!

Take a look at the detailed overview of your baby’s growth and development during this third trimester here:

Few glimpses of your baby’s growth during the third trimester

Your baby continues to grow and develop faster during this last trimester of your pregnancy. This can even lead to little kicks and pokes in your tummy.

1. Bones: During the 7^th and 8^th month of pregnancy, your baby starts developing bones. The baby’s cartilage gets transformed into bones during this period. Therefore, it’s advisable for the pregnant mother to eat plenty of calcium-rich food during the third trimester. This will help the baby to get more calcium for strong bone formation.
2. Hair and skin: Within 32 weeks of pregnancy, your baby’s transparent skin layer gets thickened and opaque. During week 36, the baby sheds the vernix (a greasy skin deposit) and lanugo (soft hairy coat on the skin) while promoting fat accumulation.
3. Eyelashes and nails: By the 28th week, your baby develops eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair. At the same time, the baby’s fingernails and toenails also grow till the finger and toe tips.
4. Digestive system: During the last few weeks of your pregnancy, the baby starts to develop meconium (the baby’s first poop) which is made up of blood cells, vernix, and lanugo in the intestine.
5. Baby’s movement:During the initial weeks of your third trimester, you might sense the baby kicking, poking, punching and even moving. But, during the last few weeks of the trimester, as the baby becomes bigger in size with less living space, the baby usually stretches and rolls along with less number of pokes and kicks.
6. Baby’s weight and height:With each passing week, your baby grows and develops layers of fat which will provide warmth post birth. These fats occupy the extra space under the baby’s skin. During birth, on average, most babies weigh between 6 and 9 pounds ((2.72 to 4.08 kg) and are normally 19 and 22 inches ( (48.26 to 55.88 cm) long.
7. Five senses: By week 29 or 30, the baby’s touch receptors get fully developed. The baby can receive signals from all the five senses like recognizing light and dark, tasting the food you eat, listening to your voice, etc. within 31 weeks of pregnancy.
8. Brain: During the last trimester, the baby’s brain develops extremely fast, which enables the baby to blink, regulate the body temperature, and even dream.
9. Lung: Your baby’s lungs will reach maturity by the 36^th week of pregnancy.
10. Orientation: By week 36, the baby gains approximately half a pound (0.22 kg)  and grows half an inch  (1.27 cm) every week. During this period, many babies take a head-down and bottom-up position while preparing for birth!

By the end of week 37, your baby is considered full-term. This further means that, your baby possesses all the functional organs essential for life.

Now, while your baby passes through these few weeks of final prenatal growth and development, it’s essential to visit your doctor and schedule your third-trimester check-ups and tests on time. This trimester could be a little tedious, but shortly you will be taking home your prized possession, your baby!

Finally, you need to check a few things with your doctor to keep a track of your baby’s growth and development during the third trimester which includes:

●        Did your baby gain enough weight?

●        Are you pending for any prenatal scans or tests?

●        Do you need any additional vitamin or mineral supplements in your diet?

●        Did you check for Stem Cell Banking & its benefits?

●        If you have already enrolled, some stem cell banking companies like LifeCell provide collection kit. This kit is very portable & easy to carry with your hospital bag. 

Currently, many cord blood banks are available in India that offers special early bird enrolment packages for banking your baby’s precious stem cells.

LifeCell International, India’s first and most trusted community stem cell bank offers multiple storage plans with pocket-friendly payment options with easy EMI, zero down payment and processing fee, as well as 0% interest rates.

Disclaimer : Content presented here is for information purposes only, please consult with your doctor for any health queries

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