Week 31
Your Baby’s Development
By now your baby is urinating approximately several cups of urine a day into the amniotic fluid. He or she is also swallowing amniotic fluid, which is completely replaced several times a day. Excess fluid in the amniotic sac (known as polyhydramnios) may mean that the baby isn’t swallowing normally or that there is a gastrointestinal obstruction. Inadequate fluid in the amniotic sac (oligohydramnios) may mean that the baby isn’t urinating properly and could indicate a problem with the kidneys or urinary tract. Your health care provider will measure your levels of amniotic fluid as part of your routine ultrasound.
Your Body
Have you decided whether to breastfeed or formula feed your baby? Although the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breast milk as the best form of infant nutrition, the decision about how to feed your child is a personal one. Talk to your health care provider or a lactation consultant if you need more information before making your choice.
The milk glands in your breasts may have started to make colostrum by now. Colostrum is the pre-milk that provides your baby with calories and nutrients for the first few days before your milk comes in if you plan to breastfeed. For some women, it is thin and watery. For others, it is thick and yellowish. If you notice your breasts leaking colostrum, you can buy disposable or washable breast pads to protect your clothing.
Week 32
Your Baby’s Development
The final touches are being placed on your baby masterpiece. Eyelashes, eyebrows, and the hair on your baby’s head are evident. The lanugo hair that has covered your baby since the beginning of the second trimester is falling off, although some may remain on the shoulders and back at birth.
At about 4 pounds (1,800 grams) and 11.4 inches (29 cm) from crown to rump, your baby would have an excellent chance of survival outside the womb if you delivered now.
Your Body
During your prenatal visits, your health care provider will monitor your blood pressure, urine, and any swelling that may develop, but symptoms such as sudden weight gain, swelling in the hands or face, headaches, or changes in vision can be signs of preeclampsia. This condition causes high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you experience any of these symptoms, since this condition can affect both the mother and fetus during the second half of pregnancy.
Week 33
Your Baby’s Development
In these last few weeks before delivery, the billions of developed neurons in your baby’s brain are helping him or her to learn about the in-utero environment — your baby can listen, feel, and even see somewhat. Your baby’s eyes can detect light and the pupils can constrict and dilate in response to light. Like a newborn, your baby sleeps much of the time and even experiences the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, the sleep stage during which our most vivid dreams occur!
Your baby’s lungs are almost completely matured. Fat will continue to be deposited on your baby’s body for protection and warmth. Babies gain a good deal of their weight in the final few weeks before birth.
Your Body
With labor and delivery only 2 months away, you may be considering how you’ll cope with pain during childbirth. Among the things you’ll want to learn about are the most commonly used techniques for pain relief. These include breathing techniques such as those taught in Lamaze classes, pain-relief medications given through injection, and epidurals, where doctors can give an anesthetic by means of a soft, thin catheter that’s placed in your lower back. Whatever your ultimate choice, the more you know, the better informed your decision can be. Although you don’t have to make a decision yet, talk to your health care provider now about your choices.
Week 34
Your Baby’s Development
Maternal calcium intake is extremely important during pregnancy because the baby will draw calcium from the mother to make and harden bone. If a pregnant woman doesn’t get enough calcium during pregnancy, it can affect her own bones because the developing fetus will take minerals from the mother’s skeletal structure as needed.
The vernix coating on the baby’s skin is becoming thicker, whereas lanugo hair is almost completely gone.
By now most babies will be in position for delivery. Your health care provider can tell you if your baby is positioned head- or bottom-first. Babies born at 34 weeks usually have fairly well-developed lungs, and their average size of 5 pounds (2,250 grams) and 12.6 inches (32 cm) from crown to rump allows them to survive outside the womb without extensive medical intervention.
Your Body
Fatigue is a common complaint of late pregnancy. Difficulty sleeping, aches and pains, weight gain, and anxiety about labor, delivery, and taking care of a newborn may contribute to your exhaustion. Rest as much as you can and take naps if possible.
Week 35
Your Baby’s Development
Your baby already weighs about 5 pounds, 5 ounces (2,400 grams), but this week begins your baby’s most rapid period of weight gain — about 8 to 12 ounces (226 to 340 grams) each week! Fat is being deposited all over your baby’s body, especially around the shoulders.
Because of this increasing size, your baby is now cramped and restricted inside the uterus — so fetal movements may decrease, but they may be stronger and more forceful. If your baby is in a headfirst position, his or her head will rest on your pubic bone in preparation for labor.
Your Body
The bond you may already feel with the baby growing inside of you will only grow stronger once your baby is born. Bonding — the intense attachment that develops between you and your baby — is not something that only occurs within minutes or days after birth. It may happen later and it may develop over time. Bonding not only makes you want to protect your baby and shower him or her with affection, but it also fosters your baby’s sense of security in the world outside your womb.
source: http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_calendar/pregnancy_calendar_intro.html
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