35 Weeks Pregnant: What’s That Ouch Down There?
Your baby is not ready to be born quite yet, but she is almost ready!
35 Weeks Pregnant: Your baby at 35 weeks.
She is likely over 2.25 kg now and measures around half a metre. Now, she will slow down growing longer, but continue packing away the weight and getting pudgier. Her big job heading up to her birthday is to put on weight (which means you will too.)
Size of baby at 35 weeks: At 35 weeks, your baby is the size of a head of romaine lettuce.
Her bones are getting stronger (turning the cartilaginous ends into harder calcium), but her knee caps have not formed, and her skull bones have not yet joined together. Because of these individual skull bones, your baby will actually be born with more bones than you have in your body.
Why is a baby born with multiple unfused skull bones? To make room for the growing brain! The size of a newborn’s head is about 75% of an adult head. And, by 2 years it will grow another 33% and almost reach adult size. (By 18-24 months the skull bones are permanently joined together.)
The skull is compressed, and the floating bones overlap during the birth process. This makes the head diameter a smidge smaller to help babies squeeze through the birth canal.
Your newborn’s skull has two “soft spots” (also called fontanelles). These are like little lakes surrounded by touching islands of thin bone. There is a 5 cm one in the front and a fingertip-sized one in the back near the crown of the head. Each is covered with a very tough, but flexible, membrane, so the brain underneath is perfectly protected. It is as durable as bone, so do not worry about touching it when you stroke your baby’s head or shampoo the hair.
35 Weeks is How Many Months?
35 weeks pregnant is approximately 8 months.
35 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect
If your normal walk has become a bit of a waddle, welcome to the club!
When your baby ‘drops’ into your pelvis, movement becomes more difficult, and you may be finding it harder and harder to get comfortable when you are sitting and even lying down. One of the best ways to find relief may be to immerse yourself in a bath or pool to float the weight off your feet and joints.
Sudden, sharp vaginal pain may be the next unwanted visitor to appear. Sometimes the shooting pain in the vaginal area is caused by the baby’s head pushing down right over a pelvic nerve—or it could be that your cervix has started dilating. Either way, it is a sign that things are moving along nicely.
Braxton Hicks contractions are common from here on out. Researchers still do not know what causes them, but many believe they are your body preparing for real labour. Important note: Braxton Hicks contractions do not increase in intensity as time passes, do not come at regular intervals, and usually can be made better by moving around or drinking water. But, if in doubt, it is always best to call your healthcare provider, just to check in….in case they are the beginning of the ‘real thing!’
Another unexpected symptom may be when a hand or arm starts hurting. The fluid you are retaining can pinch a nerve in the wrist and cause carpal tunnel syndrome. This may require you to wear a splint and ice the area to give some relief until you give birth, when the pain goes away along with the excess fluid.
35 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
Common symptoms of 35 weeks pregnant include:
- Fatigue and shortness of breath
- Frequent urination (peeing)
- Insomnia and trouble sleeping
- Heartburn
- Swelling of the feet and ankles
- Lower back pain
- Hemorrhoids
- Breast tenderness
- Braxton Hicks contractions
- Pregnancy brain
A To-Do List for Your 35th Week
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Get nappies and wipes: Prepare to use these like they are going out of style. Do not buy too many newborn size nappies, though. Many babies grow so fast that before you know it you have to go up a size. Make sure to pack a few in your birth bag just in case you need them coming home from the hospital or birth centre.
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Pamper yourself: Get a haircut, a manicure / pedicure or a prenatal massage. You deserve it!
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Buy bottles: Even if you are going to breastfeed, you still want to get just a few. Once the nursing is going well—usually at around 2-3 weeks—your health care provider will probably suggest you offer a bottle, every day or two, just so your baby learns how to take a rubber nipple. That is when you will see if your baby likes the type of nipples you bought or if you need to test out a couple of other brands before you have a happy camper. Of course, if you are formula feeding, you will want to discuss your formula choice with your general practitioner or healthcare provider.
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Learn about baby procedures: If you are birthing in a hospital , you have probably already brushed up on its labour and birth procedures. Do not overlook the standard procedures that they will administer to your baby, though. These include a vitamin K shot, antibacterial eye ointment, suctioning the airways, and a first bath. You should also inquire about how the hospital feels about delayed cord cutting, too.
Myth or Fact?
Pregnant women should prep their nipples for breastfeeding.
As if you do not have enough to do right now! This one is thankfully false. There is no need to “toughen up” your nipples. Sore nipples are caused by incorrect latch-on or things like tongue tie.
Excessive nipple stimulation may actually provoke early labour. In fact, it is one of the methods doctors and midwives often use to kick-start your labour, so leave them alone for now! (But, DO immediately ask your healthcare provider for help if you have flat or inverted nipples!)
Quote of the Week
On the few occasions that my crying baby fell asleep before I did, I used the time for me! I soaked in a bubble bath, relaxed with a drink, read a book, and prayed that she would sleep a little longer. — Frances Wells Burck, Babysense
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