32 Weeks Pregnant

By now, many babies have at least a bit of fluff on their heads — and some have a full head of hair. The eyebrows have filled in, too. The baby begins to shed the downy lanugo hair that has covered his or her body for the first weeks of life.

As your body grows, your skin stretches. One result is itchiness, which most pregnant women experience.

Another possible result: stretch marks. About half of pregnant women develop these marks. They can appear across your lower abdomen, your breasts — anywhere you've had a rapid expansion. Stretch marks are scars. They'll fade after the birth, but they'll always be there.

To fight itchiness and dry skin, be generous with the body lotion. There's no medical evidence that creams, oils, or lotions help prevent stretch marks, but it doesn't hurt to use them. And as always, use sunscreen whenever you plan to be outside.