The crucial time for a mom to be, this week, your baby measures about 16 inches long. He weighs a little over 3 pounds and is headed for a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and he's beginning to accumulate a layer of fat underneath his skin in preparation for life as a newborn. As a result, his arms, legs, and body are filling out. She has very tiny toe nails and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.


Tips How To Take Care of Your Baby in 8th Month

• If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try wedging a pillow between your legs and behind your back.
• If frequent trips to the bathroom are robbing you of your zz's, cut back on fluids by late afternoon or evening.
• You may be feeling a little fatigued lately, and that's perfectly understandable.
• If you have to spend a lot of time on your feet, try wearing a maternity belt that supports your abdomen and helps redistribute some of the weight.
• Many midwives recommend massaging the perineum (the area around your vagina) to help prevent tearing during childbirth. This is a good time to start, though not everyone is comfortable with this technique and it may not help in every case. You can learn how to do it here.
• You may notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly (they might even spread to your thighs and buttocks).

Congratulations, until now, the embryo has been a mass of cells, but by this point in your pregnancy a distinct shape begins to form. The neural tube, which will eventually form into the spinal cord and brain, runs from the top to the bottom of the embryo. A bulge in the center of the embryo will develop into your baby's heart. At this time, the placenta develops. It is through the placenta and its fingerlike projections, called chorionic villi, that an embryo receives nourishment from its mother


Food That U Should Avoid During This Period

* Soft Cheeses Such As Feta, Goat, Brie, Camembert, And Blue Cheese
* Unpasteurized Milk And Juices
* Raw Or Undercooked Meats, Including Hot Dogs And Deli Meats
* Raw Eggs Or Foods Containing Raw Eggs, Including Mousse And Tiramisu
* Raw Shellfish
* Paté

The journey of a baby from uterus to the outside world is a dangerous journey. The skull has to mould to facilitate passage through the pelvis and there may be cephalo-pelvic disproportion (CPD). Malposition increases risk whilst malpresentation demands caesarian section. Contractions tax the reserve of the placenta. The lungs and circulation undergo great changes. Difficulties in delivery may compound the situation. Delivery may need to be expedited because of fetal distress.

Injuries may be caused by a combination of mechanical trauma and hypoxia but this article will concentrate on mechanical injuries.

Birth injuries may be minor and transient but they can produce serious and permanent effect as well as being fatal. It used to be assumed that most cases of cerebral palsy were due to obstetric mismanagement but nowadays the figure for those caused by obstetric trauma is put at around 5%.


The Factors That Increases The Risk Factors of Skull Injuries During Pregnancy

* The size of baby especially if weighing more than 4,500g
* Instrumental delivery, especially midcavity forceps or ventouse delivery for deep transverse arrest
* Breech delivery.
* A premature baby has a small head and incompletely formed skull and precipitate delivery can cause "champagne cork popping", risking intracranial haemorrhage.
* Shoulder dystocia
* A skilled midwife or obstetrician will reduce the risk
* Cephalopelvic disproportion

These are some of the hideous facts about tenage pregnancy that we can not ignore in present day scenario. So we have to keep the following information in mind.

• Each year the federal government alone spends $40 billion to help families that began with a teenage birth.
• Nearly 80% of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare.
• The sons of teenage mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison, the daughters are 22 % more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
• 3 in 10 girls will experience at least one pregnancy before reaching age 20.
• Only 41% of teenage mothers graduate from high school and only 1.5% will earn a college degree by age 30.
• Nearly 80% of fathers of babies born to teen mothers do not marry their babies mothers.

• Babies born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation. As a result, they may have an underdeveloped intellect and attain lower academic achievement.

• Baby Girls born to teenage mothers are 22% more likely to become teenage mothers.

• Babies born to teenage mothers are at greater risk for abuse and neglect.

• Baby Boys born to teenage mothers are 13% more likely to be incarcerated.