Your Baby's Development
In these last few weeks before delivery, the billions of developed neurons in your baby's brain are helping your baby to learn about his or her in-utero environment, allowing the baby to listen, feel, and even see somewhat. The pupils of the eye can now detect light and constrict and dilate, allowing your baby to see dim shapes. Like a newborn, your baby sleeps much of the time. He or she even experiences rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the dreaming period of sleep!

Your baby's lungs are almost completely matured. Fat will continue to be deposited on your baby's body for protection and warmth. Babies in utero gain a good deal of their weight in the final few weeks before birth.

By now your baby is in position for delivery. Your health care provider can tell you if your baby is positioned head or bottom first.

Your Body
With labor and delivery only 2 months away, you may be considering how you'll cope with pain during childbirth. Among the things you'll want to learn about are the most commonly used techniques for pain relief. These include breathing techniques such as those taught in Lamaze classes, pain-relief medications given through injection, and epidurals, where doctors can give an anesthetic by means of a soft, thin catheter that's placed in your lower back (similar to a spinal tap). Whatever your ultimate choice, the more you know, the better informed your decision can be. Although you don't have to make a decision yet, talk to your health care provider now about your choices