MONTH 9

Your Baby

• Your baby's lungs are ready to work on their own.
• Your baby gains about 1/2 pound a week.
• Your baby moves to a head-down position and rests lower in your belly.
• By the end of the ninth month, your baby is 19 to 21 inches long and weighs 6 to 9 pounds.

Your Body

• Your belly button may stick out.
• Your breathing should be easier once the baby moves down. But you may need to go to the bathroom more often because the baby is pressing on your bladder.
• You may be uncomfortable because of the pressure and weight of the baby. Rest often.
• Your feet and ankles may swell. Put your feet up. Try to stay in a cool place.
• Your cervix opens up (dilates) and thins out (effaces) as it prepares for birth.
• You may not gain any weight this month. You may even lose 1 or 2 pounds.