Week Thirty Five Of Pregnancy

Week 35 Of Your Baby’s Development!

Your baby is the size of a honeydew melon

Baby tips the scales at a little over five pounds now and she is more than 18 inches long (similar to the size of a honeydew melon). Development-wise, her kidneys are working perfectly and her liver is capable of dealing with her body’s initial needs too.

Her nervous system is almost fully developed and so is her immunity, which is why she has a fantastic chance of survival right now if she is born early. She has her hair, toe and finger nails; she is blinking, breathing and hearing. Have you been imagining who she will look like?

Week 35 Of Your Health, Mind & Body Changes

Worries about the delivery and excitement are the most prominent feelings you are probably feeling right now. Remember that this one of the most beautiful times of your life (even if you don’t feel like it is right now) and stay focused on the little bundle of joy soon to arrive- one way or another, they will be here soon!

Heartburn is common now and so is the urge to urinate frequently and you can attribute both to the pressure that your oversized uterus is exerting on your other organs.

You might also notice puffiness in your face in this last month. This is quite normal but not to be confused with sudden and painful swelling and puffiness along with the other symptoms of the potentially dangerous condition pre-eclampsia.

Baby bump size

Strangers may get ‘grabby’ with your your pregnant stomach or feel compelled to comment on the size of your bump. While this can feel intrusive or offensive to some women, it’s usually done with no malice intended so do not take their comments to heart. And always remember, there is no ‘normal’ when it comes to bump shape, size ect. Every woman’s pregnancy journey is different.

“  All throughout my pregnancy I had friends and family comment I was “small” (yet I certainly didn’t feel it) I knew that my baby was going to be big. I could just feel it with where I was getting elbowed and feeling his body inside mine. He turned out to be 9.1 pounds!. ” Charlotte

Your little love is treating you better now with far fewer kicks but this is just because she simply can’t manoeuvre herself into position to work her legs too much, now that she has grown so big. Enjoy this while you can because when she is born she is going to make up for all of this lost time!

Week 35 Of Your Next Steps!

• Your physician or midwife screens you at this stage for bacteria called group B streptococcum which is fairly harmless to you, but not good for baby. If you test positive, they will know in advance what to do to ensure that baby is not affected when it comes to the birth.
• Sleeping and sitting for a long period is practically impossible now and you may actually feel achy if you remain in one of these positions for too long. The best way to handle this is to take frequent breaks when you are working. If you’ve survived up until now without a pregnancy pillow (you’ve done well!) then placing a pillow between your knees can help make you more comfortable, as will lying on your side.
• This is also the time to start getting organized to go to the hospital. Here’s some hospital bag essentials you can consider for your hospital bag:

Hospital Bag Must have’s:
-a few pairs of dark coloured, lose fitting sweat pants/pyjama pants
-a few lose fitting or breastfeeding friendly tops
-double the amount of underwear to clothes
-Socks
-Something warm like a cardigan, pullover or sweater
-Toiletries
-Maternity pads/underwear (definitely not glamorous, but essential)
-Breast pads
-A few sets of clothes for baby
-A baby blanket
-Nappies ( some hospitals will provide these)
-BabyWipes
-Baby wash for baby’s first bath (again, hospitals may provide these but if you want one that you know is free of un-necessary chemicals, and surprisingly not all baby products are, then you can always bring your own)
-Mobile phone charger
-Music downloaded on your phone
-Extra snacks you may wish to eat during labor or post birth.

Try this: Don’t forget to give everyone clear instructions on what they should do if you go into labor, especially if you don’t want surprise visitors at the hospital!