Your baby is continuing to grow and measures around 17 inches long and weighs 5 to 6 pounds.

From your belly button it should be about 6 inches to the top of your uterus.
The vast majority of your baby's growth is complete. His kidneys are completely developed, and the liver is beginning to process waste.

As your uterus becomes more stretched, it gets thinner and allows a certain amount of light and sound in. This can affect your baby’s sleeping and resting patterns.

In these last weeks, you may start noticing signs of pre-labour. These can include Braxton Hicks contractions that last about 25 seconds. They should not be painful but may cause a little bit of discomfort.

You may find you get a surge of energy around now, and you might feel the need to busy yourself making final preparations for the new arrival.

Your perineum is the area between the anus and the vagina. During childbirth, the perineum is stretched a lot so it can be helpful to prepare the area by gently massaging it with oil. This can help increase the elasticity and make the skin tissue more flexible, and may help to prevent a tear.
If you have been short of breath, it is due to your uterus being underneath your rib cage, causing you to have difficulty breathing. Towards the end of your pregnancy your baby drops, which relieves pressure on your diaphragm, so you are not so short of breath.