35 Weeks Pregnant

Now that you are 35 weeks pregnant, the doctor who supervises your pregnancy will probably want to schedule doctor appointments more often, most probably once per week.

One of the things your doctor will ask you now is to keep track of your baby`s movements, which normally should be around 10 at every 2 hours. However, if you don`t feel any movement of your baby, don`t panic because during this period may be rather hard to feel your baby moving all the time.

Once you learn the rhythm of your baby`s sleep, you can spend the time when you know he`s awake to count his movements. If you don`t feel at least 10 movements during 2 hours or if there`s a drop in the number of movements for more 3 – 4 days, you need to contact your doctor immediately.

Until the week 36, it`s normal to gain weight in a fast rhythm. If you want to avoid gaining unhealthy weight, you can consume healthy foods, low in saturated fats, but also fruits and vegetables required in avoiding constipation. Iron, calcium and food supplements recommended by the doctor needs to be consumed regularly, because although the baby is fully developed, the intake of nutrients and vitamins will be useful both at birth and during your recovery period after birth. And to increase the efficiency of the vitamins and food supplements, it`s better for these to be combined with a healthy and well balanced diet.

35 Week Fetus

During the week 35 or at 33 weeks from conception, the baby`s development is almost complete. His kidneys are fully developed and can excrete residues in urine, and the liver can now degrade certain byproducts of metabolism.

The baby`s arms and legs have become chubby due to the layer of fat tissue that was formed under the skin. During the last pregnancy month, the baby will gain weight fat, around 230g per week. Because it will grow so fast, you`ll notice the absence of those spectacular movements because there`s less space in the uterus. Still, this won`t mean that he won`t be active anymore and that you won`t feel any fetal movements. His routine motion hasn`t changed and the number of kicks will remain the same, and you should still count the fetal movements.

The fat layer that protects the baby, vernix caseosa, thickens.

At the end of this week, the baby will weigh around 2.4kg and will measure around 46.2cm, having the size of a medium cantaloupe.

35 Weeks Pregnant: Changes in the Mother`s Body

Until the baby will turn with his head down, the normal position necessary for birth, it may be possible for you to have difficulties in breathing normally due to pressure from the uterus on the ribs.

Towards the end of the pregnancy, there`ll be a decrease of pressure on the chest that will be produced along with the turn of the baby with his head down, known as “relief.” But this will bring with itself an increased pressure on the bladder and, obviously, an increase in the number of visits to the toilet.

Also, it`s possible to feel a weird sensation or numbness on your pelvic area due to the pressure exerted by the baby on certain nerves – a pressure which won`t go away until after birth. Pelvic pains or those in the hips are often encountered and can be accompanied by back pain. The pain starts from the pubic area and can stretch up to the thighs, becoming worst when walking, moving around or at night. When going to the toilet can become painful at times.

You can exercise methods of relaxation and it`s recommended to get regular sleep or rest, avoid swimming or physical exercises, but also try to change your position from time to time and practice the massage learned during prenatal courses to face the pains. Other changes include the increasing of breasts and their change in shape combined with darkening of the areola, constipation, occasional headaches, itching, frequent urination, indigestion and burning, hemorrhoids, joint pains as well as stretch marks.

What to Do this Week?

As already mentioned, starting with the weeks 35 – 36 of pregnancy, your doctor will want to see you every week until birth.

Also, the doctor will ask you to count the movements of your baby, if you didn`t already started to do it already. This may help you identify if something is wrong with him, on one hand, and on the other is an extraordinary experience to connect with your child. When you count his movements it`s recommended to do it at the same hour during the day and note it down. It may be easier for you to lie down on your left side and record how long does it take to perceive 10 movements. Ideally, you should feel at least 10 movements of your baby within 2 hours.

Have you decided if you`ll breastfeed him? The benefits of breastfeeding are already well established, this being the best way to feed your child immediately after his birth. However, in certain circumstances, it`s necessary to take into consideration milk powder or other special milk formulas.

What to Expect?

Your visits to the doctor will become more often while the due date approaches. It`s possible to have trouble sleeping due to the increased pressure on the bladder which will lead with an increased necessity of urinating. Also, It`s possible to experience back pain and swollen feet. You can try to practice certain exercises, limit the liquids you drink in the evening and have an active lifestyle, so when you go to sleep at night to be a bit more tired and fall asleep faster.

Some pregnant women may experience stress issues manifested through small leaks of urine even during various daily activities, such as exercises, laughing or changing a position. This usually happens for 2 reasons: one is related to hormonal changes that appear during pregnancy, and the second one is related to an increased pressure on the bladder. This problem appears especially in the case of women who already gave birth at least once before and who have the muscles around the pelvis and vagina weaker. To strengthen these muscles, you could practice Kegel exercises around 50 times per day. Also, the contraction of the perineum muscles may increase the blood flow around the area and speed the healing.

You can make research and read about the positive experiences of other women regarding birth, or you can subscribe to a course of birth under hypnosis to keep an optimistic state during birth.

Advices for the Father

How involved do you wish to be when your baby is born? Talk with your life partner and doctor about your options. Will you be allowed to cut the umbilical cord or to record the birth? It`s best to have these questions answered in advance, so you can have time to prepare.