7 Months Pregnant: Symptoms, Baby Development, And Tips
Congratulations, you’re nearly there! 7 months pregnant is rounding the corner to the third trimester of your adventure. Pretty soon you’ll get to meet your little one who’s been in residence for a good part of the year.
The seventh month of pregnancy is chock-full of changes, both for you and your baby. We’ll tell you what’s going on with your baby and walk you through the symptoms you can expect. We’ll also share some tips on how you can thrive during this exciting time.
Table Of Contents
- 7 Months Pregnant: Your Baby
- 7 Months Pregnant: Symptoms
- 7 Months Pregnant: Doctor’s Visits
- Tips For Surviving (And Thriving) When 7 Months Pregnant
7 Months Pregnant: Your Baby
Your baby is a busy little bee this month. They’re active and developing at a fast pace, getting ready for the big event. Let’s take a peek!
Developmental Milestones
Getting In Position
Baby’s moving and grooving these days. You’re feeling kicks and flutters, reminding you that the time is coming near. They may even start to get into position to make their debut.
Opening Eyes, Making Faces, And Maybe Even Dreaming
During this month, your precious little one is opening their eyes for the first time. They even have eyelashes now. Exploring the power of their new muscles, they spend days making faces and nights having their very first dreams.
Responding To Light
During the seventh month, your little one will also be responding to stimuli, including light, pain, and noise. With their eyes open, they’re taking in the world around them from the inside and taking action.
Lungs Developing
Baby’s lungs are developing this month, starting to make surfactant, which is what helps little ones breathe after birth. They’ll be sure to use those lungs to great effect in just a few short months!
Producing Melanin
Wondering if your little one will share your baby blues or your partner’s gorgeous browns? This month, your baby is making melanin, giving both their skin and eyes their distinctive color.
Baby Size
Your baby’s put on some weight, and that’s a great thing. During the seventh month, they’ll weigh in at two to three pounds and be about 14 to 15 inches long.
7 Months Pregnant: Symptoms
7 months pregnant means even more changes for you. Your body is working day and night getting your little one ready for their debut. For you, that means lots of physical and emotional changes.
Physical Changes
Pain
Unfortunately, you may feel more discomfort this month in various parts of your body. First of all, your back might be feeling strained thanks to your growing tummy. Your uterus may start to put pressure on the sciatic nerve as well, contributing to lower back pain and causing hip pain.
Talk to your doctor if the pain travels down your leg, as it might be sciatica. Another ache you might feel is in your pelvis, due to the loosening of your pelvic joints as your body gets ready for labor.
In addition, during the seventh month of pregnancy, your breasts may be more tender than before.
Skin Changes
This month, your skin can also be more sensitive, becoming dry, flaky, or just reacting to things that had been OK before. Those are your hormones in overdrive. The skin on your belly, hips, and thighs is the most likely to give you trouble.
If you have eczema, it may be even more pronounced. You may also notice more stretch marks as your body makes way for your little one’s growth. Our Stretch Marks Set is a great option to support your changing skin.
In addition to the sensitivity, you also may develop varicose veins. With increased progesterone, your blood vessel walls relax causing the condition. Don’t worry, it should resolve after baby is born!
Lightheadedness And Fatigue
You might feel a little lightheaded at times this month, as your sweet baby bump can put pressure on your blood vessels, reducing blood flow. This can make you feel dizzy.
And then there’s the fatigue. Although the second trimester is known for increased energy, by the third, your belly has grown so much that it’s harder to get a restful sleep at night.
Bladder Pressure And Gastric Issues
Feeling some tummy troubles? This isn’t unusual during the seventh month of pregnancy. Because you have higher levels of progesterone and iron, you’re digesting foods slower than usual, resulting in constipation and gas.
Not surprisingly, as your baby grows, they put extra pressure on your bladder as well, making you feel the need to go more often than usual. Don’t worry, this should resolve once your little one has arrived.
Bleeding, Spotting, And Vaginal Discharge
If you see some light bleeding, spotting, or discharge when you go to the restroom, don’t freak out. Although you should check with your doctor, this also can be normal at this stage of pregnancy.
Thanks to your hormones, your gums may also be more sensitive at this time and swell and bleed when you brush or floss your teeth.
Braxton Hicks Contractions
7 months pregnant and feeling your abdomen get tight? It may be a Braxton Hicks contraction — a “practice run” for labor. These might happen after exercise, but they usually go away when you change positions.
Emotional Changes
Emotionally speaking, 7 months pregnant can feel like an eternity.
Mood Swings
It’s normal to experience the highs and lows of mood swings at this point in your pregnancy thanks to hormones and physical changes.
Bonding With Baby
During this month, you may feel an increased bond with your baby. You’ve been together for seven whole months! But if you don’t feel the bond yet, don’t worry. Many new parents start to feel the connection once their baby has arrived!
Nervousness
Feeling anxious about the changes ahead is normal this month as it all starts to get even more real. However, if you’re having more extreme feelings of sadness, it’s important to talk to your doctor so that you can get the right help.
7 Months Pregnant: Doctor’s Visits
As you’re rounding the corner into the last trimester, it’s important to talk to your doctor about all of the final preparations you and baby are going to need.
More Frequent Check-Ins
You’ve seen your doctor plenty of times through the last six months, but now visits will become even more frequent, every two weeks at least. The doctor will track baby’s growth and activity and check your blood count and iron levels.
Tdap Vaccine
This is the time to get your Tdap vaccine that will protect your little one against whooping cough, something that can affect them in the first months of life.
Rh Status
You’ll have to check in on your and your baby’s Rh status. If you’re Rh negative and baby’s Rh positive, it will be important to get injections of Rh immune globulin. This will stop your immune system from viewing your little one’s blood as a foreign invader.
Breast Changes
If you’re feeling changes in your breasts, even lumps, this can be normal. But it’s best to talk to your doctor about it just to give yourself peace of mind.
Tips For Surviving (And Thriving) When 7 Months Pregnant
As we’ve discussed, month seven of pregnancy has a lot going on. Here are a few tips for how to thrive as you enter your third trimester.
- Sleep whenever you can and get a good pregnancy pillow to ease the nights.
- Consider getting a prenatal massage.
- Keep doing low-impact exercises.
- Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat several small meals a day (and get your fiber) to help offset gastric distress.
- Talk to your doctor promptly about any physical or emotional concerns.
- Start looking at hospitals if you haven’t already and make sure you have a birth plan in place for when you go into labor.
Keep Up The Good Work
Going strong at 7 months pregnant: You’re nearly there! Now you know what exciting changes your baby is going through, from their plumper skin to increased sensitivity, open eyes, and even dreams.
You’re also ready for your own changing body, both the physical changes and the emotional ones. With lots of tips at the ready to make the best of a sometimes challenging month, you can embrace it all head-on.
Mustela maternity products, like our Stretch Marks Cream, Serum, and Oil, as well as our Organic Nursing Comfort Balm, can be used throughout pregnancy. Think of them as soothing product companions for all of the wonderful adventures ahead.
You’ve got this, mama!
