What’s happening to the mother?
You will now be able to feel your baby’s movements on the outside of your abdomen too. You’ll feel kicks daily. The baby’s movements are a sign that it is developing normally and doing well.
Your constantly growing womb may start to squeeze your bladder, nerves, blood vessels and stomach. You may experience more frequent visits to the toilet, cramps in your legs and heartburn, and this can be tiresome.
Dizziness when lying on your back is also common. This happens because your uterus presses on the vein that brings blood back to the heart. Often, all you need to do is turn onto your side.
Your breasts continue to grow.
Development of the fetus
By now, the foetus is usually about 30 cm long and weighs about 650 grams, but both length and weight can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy.
During this period, the foetus starts to practise breathing, inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid to and from the lungs. This is crucial preparation for breathing after birth.