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You are now in the middle of your 8th month of pregnancy and it will only be a few weeks before your baby sees the light of day. Until the Birth your little belly dweller will double its weight. His lungs are now becoming more and more mature and it is slowly getting cramped in his tummy. This week you may be due for your 3rd ultrasound scan as part of your antenatal care. In this part of our pregnancy calendar, you can find out what will be examined and what else you should look out for in week 31 of pregnancy.
Your little miracle is already about 40 centimetres tall and weighs around 1600 grams. It will continue to grow in size and weight until birth in around nine weeks' time. All of your baby's sensory organs are now working. It can smell, taste, touch, see and hear. It loves to reach for the umbilical cord and play with it.
In the meantime, lung maturation has progressed considerably. The lungs can now inflate. The little body is also producing more and more surfactant. This substance prevents the alveoli from sticking together after birth. As a result, the baby increasingly prepares for life outside the womb. In the case of a premature birth in week 31, not all babies are able to breathe on their own, but in most cases a little breathing support is sufficient.
As your little one grows, the space in the uterus becomes increasingly limited. For this reason, the baby's movements become smaller. It is still able to turn. However, the effort becomes greater with every week. However, the tightness in the womb does not bother the foetus in the slightest. Even after birth, newborn babies generally feel most comfortable when they are aware of the boundaries around them. Many babies, for example, sleep better in a pucksack. Wrapped up like this, they feel reminded of the cosy confines of their mother's womb.
Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.
Your belly is growing and growing and everyday life is slowly becoming a little more difficult. You probably can't see your feet any more. Things like tying your shoes suddenly become a challenge. Nevertheless, you shouldn't give up exercise. Even in the 3rd trimester you can still do gentle sports such as swimming or yoga, provided there is no medical reason not to.
The physical demands of pregnancy quickly lead to overexertion. Headaches are a common consequence. Therefore, try to take regular breaks. A few minutes of rest on the terrace or sofa usually helps you to recharge your batteries and relax. Put your legs up and close your eyes for a while. Cold forehead compresses with a little peppermint oil are also helpful. Another important thing is to drink plenty of water! If you feel tense, a neck massage will do you good. However, if you have a headache, especially if the pain is in your forehead, you should always have the cause clarified. Headaches can also be a sign of pre-eclampsia, especially if you have increased water retention. Your midwife or gynaecologist will measure your blood pressure and have your blood tested if they suspect pre-eclampsia as the cause of the headaches.
As the baby grows, the space in the abdomen becomes increasingly limited. As a result, the bowel can no longer fully expand. If there is also an accumulation of air in the bowel, it quickly becomes painful. How can you prevent and relieve flatulence and constipation?
- Avoid sweet and flatulent foods as much as possible.
- Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.
- Get enough exercise. Walks in the fresh air are ideal.
- Mineral clay capsules help many women.
- Treat yourself to a light abdominal massage with St John's wort oil.
- Severe symptoms can be alleviated with caraway suppositories.
Another unpleasant side effect that many pregnant women suffer from in the last trimester: Heartburn. The growing uterus presses on the stomach. At the same time, the pregnancy hormones cause the closing muscle between the stomach and oesophagus to become weaker. This allows food residues and stomach acid to rise back up into the oesophagus almost unhindered. This results in belching and a burning, dull pain behind the breastbone.
- Eat lots of small meals throughout the day.
- Avoid fatty, very sweet and spicy foods.
- Chew the food long and thoroughly.
- Try not to eat directly before going to bed.
- Raise your upper body slightly to sleep.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing that does not pinch.
- Many women find it helpful to chew peeled almonds.
- Some pregnant women also swear by drinking potato juice.
- one to three tablespoons of dry oat flakes bind the acid in the stomach
- You can buy some medicines at the pharmacy that are safe for your unborn child. These include sodium alginate, which is obtained from algae. Sucralfate, which consists of aluminium salts, can also relieve heartburn. If the symptoms are more severe, you can resort to H2 receptor antagonists. These inhibit the production of stomach acid.
- Do you trust homeopathy? Then try magnesium phosphoricum or sodium phosphoricum.
Between the 29th and 32nd week of pregnancy, the third and therefore last major ultrasound examination is scheduled as part of the Pregnancy care on. Your gynaecologist will check how your baby has developed. They will measure certain parameters such as the diameter and circumference of the head, the abdominal circumference and the length of the thigh. They will also assess the development of organs such as the stomach, kidneys, bladder and heart. Also important: what position is the foetus in? Is it already in the cephalic position, i.e. head down, or is it possibly in the pelvic presentation or transverse position?
In addition, the doctor checks the Ultrasound the placenta. The amount of amniotic fluid is also checked. This provides information as to whether the baby is well nourished. All of these examinations are important with regard to the Planning the birth. If abnormalities are detected, further examinations are carried out, such as a Doppler ultrasound. This examines the speed and direction of the blood flow in the blood vessels. This is useful, for example, if it is suspected that the baby is not being adequately supplied by the placenta.
You will also provide a urine sample, which will be analysed for protein and sugar content as well as bacteria and other germs. The doctor will enter all the results in your Maternity passport in. If you have any questions about this booklet, which is so important during pregnancy, our Online workshop "Mutterpass" can help.
One thing is clear: your newborn doesn't need a fully equipped nursery right from the start. After all, little ones always want to be close to their parents anyway. Nevertheless, you can already prepare a few things in your home now to ensure that you are well equipped for the arrival of your little one.
Have you just moved house or do you want to decorate the baby room? Then don't wait too long before redecorating. New wallpaper and freshly painted walls can emit vapours that pose a health risk to the newborn. Therefore, if possible, carry out this work a few weeks before the birth. To avoid putting the unborn child at risk, it is best to leave the painting to someone else.
You should also be careful with new furniture such as the cot or changing unit. You should set these up now so that they can air out for a while before the baby arrives. To reduce the risk of allergies, you should also wash clothes at least once before they come into contact with the baby's skin. Incidentally, you can easily do without disinfectants. They often do more harm than good.
Little ones become mobile faster than you think. Of course, it will still be a few months before your little one reaches crawling age, but you can already start thinking about potential sources of danger in the home:
– Danger of fallingSecure the entrances and exits with a safety gate. Also make sure that balcony doors and windows can be securely locked.
– Toxic substancesCleaning products, chemicals and even poisonous houseplants must be kept out of the reach of small children.
– SocketsGet special plugs to close open sockets. After all, little baby fingers want to explore everything.
– Sharp edgesMake sure that there are no sharp corners or edges at the child's head height. You can find clip-on products for this in the shops.
– Fire alarmA relatively small investment that can save the lives of all family members in an emergency.
However, it is also very important that the home is safe for handling the baby. Therefore, check that there are no tripping, slipping or bumping hazards for you when you are out and about with the baby. Stairs are not only a fall hazard for the crawling child, but often also a slip hazard for tired parents who are trying to calm the crying baby by climbing the stairs. You can also find another article on the topic here Safety in the home on our blog.
You are entitled to up to three years of parental leave after the birth. This can be taken by both you and the father of the child. You are entitled to parental leave and do not have to apply for it first. However, you must inform your employer seven weeks before you wish to take parental leave. Since you as the mother are initially on maternity leave for eight weeks after giving birth and parental leave only begins afterwards, it is sufficient to inform the employer after the birth. If the father of the child wishes to take parental leave immediately after the birth, he must inform his employer at least seven weeks before the planned date of birth. Now is therefore a good time to take care of these formalities.
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