You Are Done - The Nineth Month

Your baby's organs have been finished forming for a long time now, and it's time for the finishing touches. The lungs are preparing for birth by secreting surfactant that will help them expand at birth. The kidneys are still producing a lot of urine each day. Your baby has been putting on around a half a pound a week up until week 37. At that point, weight gain slows down. The average birth weight is about seven and one half pounds. Your baby will measure between 18 and 22 inches at birth. Your due date is really just a guess. Most babies arrive between two weeks before the due date and two weeks after the due date. Labor happens when the baby signals to the mother's body that it is ready to be born.