Your Baby at Week 35
At a Glance
Snug as a Bug
For upon |Canary Melon Baby Size – With less space in your uterus now, your baby’s movements have shifted from kicks and punches to rolls and wiggles.
Padding Up
The majority of your baby’s growth now is fat. His shoulders in particular are padding up for the journey south.
Head Down
By this week, almost all babies are positioned with their heads facing down toward your cervix, ready for their trip out.
Fetal Weight Gain
Your baby is standing tall (so to speak) this week at about 18 inches. But at about five-and-a-quarter pounds, she’s continuing her steady weight gain: She’ll pack on anywhere from one pound to several, including large amounts of baby fat, up ’til delivery day. This means your baby’s once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.
35 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months?
If you’re 35 weeks pregnant, you’re in month 8 of your pregnancy. Only 1 month left to go! Still have questions? Here’s some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.
Baby’s Skull Remains Soft
Something else that’s developing at a mind-boggling pace these day: your baby’s brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft. And for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal.
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Watch Your Baby’s Growth at Week 35
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Canary Melon Baby Size :Your Body at Week 35
Did you know that the measurement in centimeters from the top of your pubic bone to the top of your uterus is roughly equivalent to the number of weeks of pregnancy? So when you’re 35 weeks pregnant, your practitioner will likely be measuring 35 centimeters on the tape measure. It’s an easy way to remember how far along you are (as if you’d ever lose track).Canary Melon Baby Size
Frequent Urination & Urinary Incontinence
Something else that’ll remind you just how far along you are in your pregnancy: frequent urination. Yep, it’s first trimester déjà vu all over again, but this time, instead of pregnancy hormones to blame, it’s the position of your baby’s head. Now that your baby is head-down in preparation for delivery, his noggin is pressing squarely on your bladder. The result? A need to pee all the time. As if that’s not enough, you may also experience urgency (gotta go now!) or a lack of bladder control when you cough, sneeze or even laugh (though there’s nothing funny about it). Whatever you do, don’t cut back on fluids. Instead, empty your bladder as completely as possible by leaning forward (if you can with that big belly of yours — be careful not to tip over), practice your Kegel exercises (which will strengthen the pelvic muscles and prevent or correct most cases of pregnancy-induced incontinence) and wear a panty liner if you need one.
Finding a Doula
What’s a doula? The literal translation is “woman’s servant” (and that’s just what you need, isn’t it? Along with a chef…and a massage therapist…and a chauffeur…). But back to reality (and your pregnancy), a doula can do double duty when you need her the most. First, there’s the birth doula, a companion who’s professionally trained to provide support — and a hand to hold — during labor. The other is a postpartum one (read more about them in week 42). A birth doula knows all about breathing and relaxation techniques for labor, as well as the best positions to alleviate the pain. Some laboring women actually find they need less pain medication — or none at all — when a doula is present (though a good birth doula will explore all pain relief options with you and help you choose what’s right for your situation). But her most important role may be the emotional comfort she provides during a potentially frightening time, and that might be just what the doctor — or midwife — ordered. To find a doula, consult an agency, check the Natural Resources Directory, ask other moms for recommendations and consult our article on hiring a doula.
The article was originally published here.
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