Your baby is now about 20 centimetres long and weighs around 340 grammes, or three-quarters of a pound. His brain has now entered a phase of rapid growth and deep in the heart of the brain the germinal matrix is busy producing brain cells. Brain cell production by the matrix will continue until around week 34, and although it will have disappeared by birth this doesn't mean that the brain stops developing - your baby’s brain development will continue until he’s about five years old.
The eyelids and eyebrows of your baby have already formed, and he also has the finest of eyelashes. If your baby is a boy the testes will begin to descend to the scrotum.
What’s happening with Mum?
Your uterus has now risen to a couple of centimetres above your navel and your pregancy is by now probably visible to other people. As you grow bigger being on your feet or sitting in one position for long periods might lead to foot and ankle swelling or cramping: Try flexing and straightening your legs to combat cramp and avoid standing around for long periods.
If you’re sitting, try to elevate your legs to help your body cope with the extra work of circulation. You might find you need to go up a shoe size if your feet are continually slightly swollen. Don’t forget to make sure you’re getting plenty of calcium. Later on your hands may swell slightly too and your rings may become tight: it's a good idea to monitor this so you can remove your rings before it becomes very difficult to do.
NB: All pregnancies are different and fetal growth rates vary, this is meant only as an approximate guide to development. If you have any concerns about your developing pregnancy then speak to your doctor.
Reading up - 
Any of you girls got any suggestions for books about the latter stages of pregnancy / birth / motherhood that are worth reading? 
asks Shelly on the forum.
As the time comes to get serious about about writing a birth plan and planning where you want to give birth, you might also be looking for a book on the subject and if you've already found your labour and birth Holy Grail then be sure to post up your tips in the pregnancy folder.
There are also reviews of pregnancy and parenting books by ThinkBaby and ThinkBaby members.
Trouble sleeping? - Having trouble getting and staying asleep is very common in pregancy, if you're having difficulties here are some ideas on how to get a decent night's sleep.
Pregnancy pillows - Did anyone invest in a special pregnancy pillow, and if so, was it worth it? Or will a bog-standard pillow do just as well?
Barb asks on the forum.
The forum is a great place for swapping advice, information and experiences, but if you'd like to keep a more personal record of your pregnancy then don't forget to update your
pregnancy blog.
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