Can you believe it? You’re nearing the end of your pregnancy and your little bub is about to come into the world!
Perhaps this terrifies you, or maybe you’re itching with excitement to meet the newest member of your family. Most likely, you’re feeling some combination of the two.
And so, in order to ground you back down and to finish out your pregnancy strong, we want to refocus your attention onto what’s most important: the development of your baby.
Because sure, focusing on things like decorating the nursery, baby showers, and brainstorming baby names are all fun things, the most important thing is, of course, your baby’s development.
Let’s review all the monumental changes that your baby is going through in these last months of your pregnancy.
Month 6
At this stage of pregnancy, your baby has reached the size of an eggplant.
You’re likely seeing some pretty major changes on the outside of your own body, but inside, there’s even more going on!
Your baby’s eyelids are beginning to open, he/she is likely responding to sounds from outside the womb, and brain development is really ramping up. In fact, experts say that babies might start to dream around this stage of development.
How cool is that?
And oh, if at this stage you start to feel little jerking motions within your belly fairly frequently, don’t be alarmed. It’s at this stage of pregnancy that babies often start to hiccup.
Month 7
As you head into month 7, your baby begins to transition from the size of an eggplant to the size of a pineapple, and likely you’re starting to feel this manifest in achy joints, pressure, and breathlessness.
Don’t worry, this is completely normal.
But why does this happen? Well, we can mostly chalk it up to your baby’s continued growth. He/she is growing at such a rate that he/ she is starting to take up your lung space.
But guess what? While he/she takes up your lung space, your baby is also growing his/ her own set of lungs!
While the lungs won’t be fully formed until just before birth, your little bub is starting to practice breathing and exercising his/her lungs.
In addition, your baby can likely start to see at this stage, and his/her arms and legs are now proportional to his/her head.
Your little pineapple is starting to look like a newborn baby. You’re nearing the home stretch!
Month 8
As we enter into Month 8, your baby is gaining layers of fat, the lungs are almost fully developed, sight and hearing are fully developed, and most of the internal systems are functioning fully.
Congrats! By the end of this month, you and your little bundle of joy have made it to full term. Your baby is now the size of a papaya, and is likely starting to drop, preparing you for labour.
Month 9
As you know, in Month 9, your baby is fully ready to enter into the world! It’s now time for your body to prepare to bring that baby into the world.
The baby will continue to drop so that it is closer to the birth canal, and you will likely start to feel some pressure as your baby’s birthday gets closer and closer.
RELATED: How To Know You’re In Labour
He/she is now the size of a watermelon. He/ she can blink, turn towards sound, grasp, and close the eyes. No doubts here: your baby is ready for you!
How close or how far past your due date this occurs will be different for everyone, but one thing that will remain consistent across the board: you’re about to receive a precious gift that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life.
---
Can you believe that all of that is taking place within your body? It’s pretty miraculous, right?
We certainly think so!
And, with that in mind, our advice to you: cherish this special time as a mama-to-be. Whether this is your first baby or not, your body is going through something that truly is a miracle.
And lastly, if you’re still in pregnancy, don’t forget about all our summer maternity clothes. We offer the most on-trend maternity clothes in Australia, and we always aim to make sure all our Maive & Bo. ladies look and feel their best. Not to mention, many of our maternity pieces can be worn post-pregnancy for nursing. Check out our full lineup here.