Your Pregnancy at Week 35

Your Pregnancy at Week 35

It's Starting to Get Tight in There!

Week 35

your baby this week:

Your little one is settling deeper into your pelvis, reducing pressure on your rib cage and allowing more room for you diaphragm to expand.

Your baby's kidneys are fully developed, and their liver is beginning to produce waste. In fact, the majority of their growth is already done. However, you should expect them to put on some more weight over the next few weeks. As space is at a premium, you may not feel as much fetal movement inside of you; though, you will definitely feel (and see!) some healthy punches and kicks this week.

your body:

At week 35, you should have regular visits - at least once a week - with your midwife or doctor. Your midwife or doctor may examine your cervix at each appointment, from now until your baby is born. Your doctor or midwife is looking for signs of dilation and effacement (the stretching and thinning of your cervix). They are also checking the position of your little one.

You may also notice the frequency of your bathroom breaks increasing as the pressure of your little one's head-down position on your bladder increases. You may even experience a little urinary incontinence or lose a little control of your bladder when you sneeze, cough, or laugh. No matter what, you need to continue consuming enough fluid to maintain proper hydration throughout the remainder of your pregnancy. Do not drink less fluids in an attempt to avoid having accidents. Wear a pad or panty liner to prevent any potentially embarrassing situations.

If you've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions over the past few weeks, you may wonder how to know when it's the real thing. Regular uterine contractions are the strongest indication of being in labor! These contractions may feel like menstrual cramps or lower back pain; and in early labor, they can be 20 to 30 minutes apart. Over time, however, the minutes between contractions will decrease. When they are consistently five minutes apart, it's time to call your midwife or doctor.

You should also call your doctor or midwife if you pass your mucus plug. This is a small quantity of thick mucus, which seals your cervical canal during pregnancy. The mucus plug is released when your cervix dilates in preparation for labor. It may come out in one grand lump all at once, or over the course of a few days as vaginal discharge. This mucus may also be tinted with blood, appearing pink, brown, or even red.

Another sign of labor is your water breaking. This means that the amniotic sac surrounding your baby, which is filled with fluid, has ruptured, causing the fluid to leak from your vagina. It may come out in a large gush, as many movies display it to. But for most women, it isn't so dramatic as that. And for some women, only a small trickle of fluid is noticeable. No matter how your water breaks, if it breaks, it's time to call your doctor, midwife, or doula!

Louise Broadbridge - Our Expert Midwife

Hi, my name is Louise, I am a Registered Midwife, founder of Let's Talk Birth and Baby and the face behind Instagram's The Honest Midwife. I have worked in health settings for the past 30 years, the majority of which have been working in children and family settings.

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your tips & to do's:

The phrase "slept like a baby" tends to make most of us conjure an image of this peaceful baby sleeping for hours, undisturbed by anything. Those first days after birth, or even weeks after birth, you may discover your little one snoozes most of the day away, totally oblivious to camera flashes and onlookers. As you spend too many hours just holding, cuddling, and gazing adoringly at your the snoozing angel, you may finally realize what "sleeping like a baby" means. It means passing gas, funny faces, little grunts, and a few grins.

Do your best to "sleep like a baby" as often as possible during the next few weeks. Not only is childbirth exhausting, but you will soon experience moments when your newborn is overly tired, turning into restless, cranky, demanding little creature who wakes up at all hours of the night with certain, demanding cries. Many new parents think that they are doing something wrong. Perhaps their first week home went wonderfully, and you had a newborn who sleep five hours straight at night. Maybe your little one peacefully snoozed from one feeding to another, giving you plenty of time to rest as well. And then the tides turn, and your little monster is depriving you of much needed sleep.

This happens, so don’t worry if it happens to you. If it doesn't happen to you, count yourself insanely lucky and try to avoid gloating or bragging about it to the rest of us, please. You are more well-rested than the rest of us and we can’t be held entirely accountable for how we'll respond to your chipper attitude.

You may not be able to avoid all sleep issues, but you can be prepared for them. Research the sleep advice of experts and learn about the various methods of getting babies to sleep through the night. There are plenty to choose from. You're sure to find one that fits your style and vision of parenting. Just keep in mind that your baby's temperament will play a large part in the success of any method. There are believers in co-sleeping and believers in keeping your little one in their own crib. Some who suggest closing the nursery door and not looking back until morning and others who suggest waiting through five minutes of crying before intervening. What works for some won't work for all, so take it all with a grain of salt and ask around. Talk with friends and family members who have seemingly well-rested children and find out what worked for them.

There is a reason why everyone is telling you to enjoy your sleep right now, while you can. Because a good night's sleep is super easy when you're 35 weeks pregnant... right?

Don't forget to write in your pregnancy journal; and take a side profile pregnancy body picture, too!

your symptoms

Pregnancy is exhausting, but when you hold that little baby, you'll realize it was all entirely worth it. Here is a list of symptoms you may experience during week 35.

  • Constipation and/or hemorrhoids
  • Increased vaginal discharge
  • Stretch marks
  • Sweating
  • Heartburn
  • Braxton Hicks
  • Interrupted sleep
  • Backaches and/or leg cramps
  • Swelling or bloating
  • Crazy dreams
  • Nesting

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Articles shown are a mixture of informative pieces, anecdotal accounts and professional advice from our panel of Bloggers, Writers and Experts. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official view of this site.