Month eight signifies the beginning of the end. You are in full gear, anticipating your due date, in the midst of planning and going to birth classes. Your days seem to get longer and busier and even after you get to bed, you are still energized.  

What are your physical changes?

Braxton Hicks contractions get more intense. Your baby is moving around and kicking harder than ever. The symptoms you have been suffering from the seventh month have worsened and it seems you can't get any bigger. Some other common symptoms are: itchy abdomen, night waking, increased clumsiness and forgetfulness, enlarged breasts, urine leaks, pain in the rib cage and faintness and dizziness.

Trouble sleeping?

 Despite feeling fatigued you may have a hard time falling asleep. Here are six tips to help you sleep better:  

• If you can, take a short nap during the day.

• Go to bed earlier. Even though you may be anxious or energetic, make it a point to go to bed early.

• Stretch your legs and back muscles before you get into bed. This will ease cramps, which are known to obstruct sleeping patterns.
• Sleep with a pillow under your head and between your legs to support a comfortable sleep position. 

• Always sleep on the side so as not to obstruct blood flow to the baby and to your organs. 

• Practice the relaxing techniques you learned in your childbirth classes. Be as relaxed as you can. Turn off your TV and avoid any annoyance that can interfere with your bed time.

How are you feeling?

By this stage, you may be feeling the excitement of the birth and motherhood that are to come.  Enjoy these precious moments as you feel your baby move inside you.  It will all be a pleasant memory in no time.

Tests

This month you will have to go to your practitioner for a series of checkups, testing the health and size of the uterus and your general health, making sure "all engines are go". Some of these tests and inquiries are weight and blood pressure check, measurements of the fetal heartbeat and size, and group B strep test. If you suffer from a specific condition, consult your practitioner. Take this time to ask all the pre-labor questions you can think of. Be as informed as you can, this can help you relax before the delivery and save time and emotional hardship  when the due date arrives. Ask your doctor to explain the process as well, he or she might tell you something you haven't thought about.     

Remember to breathe. Things may seem chaotic and you may feel you will never get everything done before the baby arrives. Think positive about all that you have accomplished and relax, in a few weeks you will finally hold your baby in your arms!

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