So, here you are, your 3rd Trimester, the home stretch. Can you believe it! By the end of this 3 month period, you will be holding that sweet baby that has been growing inside your belly all this time! These 3 months are often a time of preparation. Getting the baby's clothes and space in order, creating your cloth diaper stash (if you choose to go that route), writing a birth plan, possibly attending a birthing class, and increased visits with your care provider are all some of the things that happen during this time.

Your 7th month is often the last month of what I would describe as comfortable pregnancy! As the third trimester moves along, you and your baby get bigger. Likely bigger than you thought possible! It is truly a remarkable time! Your body will do things you never thought possible! By the end of your 7th month, your baby will weigh around 3-4 lbs! She is getting a little plumper as needed fat begins to form under her skin. And, she'll even begin to get hair around this time. Your baby also begins to practice basic breathing movements to get her lungs ready for her arrival.

By your 8th month, your baby weighs between 4-6lbs and is 16 - 18in long! Because she is getting so big she isn't able to move quite so much, but you will still feel her kick, just no more back flips! For you, this big baby has put pressure on your stomach, bladder and diaphragm. This means heartburn is common (a nice glass of milk can often help with this) as is shortness of breath and frequent urination. Its all for such an amazing cause though!

Then, finally, your in the "any time now stage". Your 9th month. Your life could change any day, or it could stay the same for a few more weeks. Because of the variability in women's menstrual cycles, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of conception. Also, life simply doesn't follow all of your rules! Full term is considered anywhere from 37 - 42 wks gestation. That’s quite a big window there! But, indeed, your pregnancy must end. It might not seem so at times, but, it must! Enjoy these last few weeks, however long they last. These are the last few times you will feel this baby kick and move inside, and the last time you and your partner will get to spend uninterrupted time together - enjoy it while it lasts!

To prepare for her grand exit, your baby's lungs have matured and are ready to begin breathing air when the time comes. She can hear and see and is also gaining immunities from you to protect her after birth. She is storing up the last bit of fat to help regulate her body temperature after birth a well. It is important for your baby to be head down at this point because somewhere by about 2wks or so before birth, she will move down into your pelvis where her head will become engaged in preparation to move down the birth canal once labor has prepared your cervix. Your breasts have also been working to produce colostrum, the first milk for your baby. Colostrum delivers nutrients in a highly concentrated form for the tiny digestive system of a newborn. It is pretty much a miracle drink, and very important for your baby.

No one is 100% sure what lets your body know that your baby is ready for birth. One likely piece of this puzzle though is a hormone released by the baby's placenta. CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) is a stress hormone secreted by the brain however, during the end of your pregnancy the baby's placenta releases this hormone. CRH sends the message to your baby to prepare her lungs for breathing, and it also acts to prepare your womb for labor.

I'll have to end this "what to expect" article here. I, nor anyone else, can possibly tell you what to expect during labor, as labor is different for each woman. Some practitioners can give you pointers that they have noticed from years of experience, and you may make plans (such as no drugs during labor, or setting up a birth tub for a water birth). But each woman's experience is unique as is her baby's. The best advice I can give is to open yourself up to this amazing experience, and allow it to unfold according to your baby's plan! And, to hold you through labor, I'll just let you know, there is nothing like raising that little miracle up as she enters her new world and looking into her eyes for the first time. Even if you experienced the most painful contractions of womankind, it is all erased when you and your baby meet for the very first time!