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You’re wrapping up your eighth month of pregnancy—amazing! Here’s what’s happening this week with your baby and your body.
How Big is Baby?
Your baby has reached a new milestone: measuring about 18 inches long, roughly the length of a foot-and-a-half!
What’s New with Baby?
Your little one’s hearing is now fully developed, and they can hear high-pitched noises. Their once skinny arms are now getting plump and deliciously squeezable, filling out with baby fat that helps regulate body temperature after birth. While the bones in the skull are formed, they’ll remain soft and flexible, allowing baby’s head to mold gently during delivery and fit through the birth canal.
What’s New with Mom?
Feeling extra tired these days? Totally normal, Mom. After all, you’re growing a tiny human in your uterus! Plus, with continued trouble getting comfortable and frequent trips to the bathroom at night, you’re likely not getting great sleep each night. But don’t let the frequent urination stop you from drinking water throughout the day. Dehydration can increase the risk of preterm contractions, so staying hydrated is important. It’s also normal to feel clumsy, as your pregnant belly has totally shifted your center of gravity. Move slowly, wear supportive shoes, and don’t hesitate to ask for help lifting or reaching.
Fun Fact
As your uterus gets snug, your baby’s moves will change. Instead of sharp kicks and jabs, you’ll feel more rolls, wiggles and gentle stretches—a cozy dance as baby settles in for the final weeks.
What You Need to Know About Group B Strep
In the next week or two, your provider will perform one more routine test: the Group B Strep (GBS) screening. It’s simple, quick and painless but incredibly important for keeping your baby safe.
What is GBS?
“Group B strep is a bacteria that’s normally found in the urinary and gastrointestinal tract, as well as the vaginal flora,” explains Dr. Paula Lomba, an Ob/Gyn at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “About 1 in 5 women carry GBS at any given time, usually without symptoms.”
Paula Lomba, M.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center who specializes in Ob/Gyn hospital medicine, labor management, care of Ob/Gyn emergencies, and quality and safety.
If it’s so common, why haven’t you heard of it before? It typically doesn’t cause women any symptoms and you might never know you have it without testing. But because GBS most often is found in the vagina and rectum, it can pass from a pregnant woman to her fetus during labor. And although it’s rare that a baby contract GBS (1 or 2 babies out of 100 when the mother does not receive treatment during labor), it can be very serious if it happens. GBS can cause serious infections like pneumonia or meningitis in newborns.
The GBS test typically happens in week 35-37, and it’s done by collecting a sample from the outer vagina and near the rectum with a cotton swab. See? Simple and painless.
If you test positive, you won’t receive treatment until you go into labor. At that time, you’ll be given antibiotics through your IV to lessen the bacteria and prevent it from spreading to the baby. “If you are preterm (less than 37 weeks) or have other risk factors, we would treat you presumptively for GBS just in case,” Lomba says.
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This blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute the provision of medical advice or professional services. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
The above article was written by DFWChild contributor Katelin Walling with information provided by UT Southwestern Medical Center as part of their sponsored content.
