3rd Trimester (weeks 27-40) Week 35

About You

Week 35 is the ninth week of the 3rd trimester and your delivery due date is only a month away and y our doctor or midwife will probably want to start seeing you every week until you give birth. You are probably starting to feel huge and that you have run out of room for your baby. Y our uterus has expanded to 1,000 times its original volume and is now up under your ribs. If you started your pregnancy at a healthy weight, you may have put on between 10-12.5kg by now, and thankfully you probably won't gain much more from now on. Your belly button is probably very big and may have popped out. If you've started your maternity leave, take the opportunity to make time for a regular afternoon rest. If your hair is more lustrous than usual it is because during pregnancy, your hair becomes thicker due to hormones preventing normal hair loss. However, enjoy this while you can, as women often lose hair when breastfeeding. In this week, you should finalise your shopping list for your hospital bag -see Preparing For The Big D Day – Hospital Checklist . Also, find out what you will need for breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

You may be feeling breathless now that the top of your uterus is up under your ribs. Try getting down on all fours to take deeper breaths. Also your bathroom will feel like your second home due to the pressure on your bladder. Don't drink any less water because your baby needs the fluids, but rather cut down on diuretic drinks like tea and coffee, which will make you have to urinate even more often. Also when out and about, make sure that a toilet is not too far away.
Don’t stress out about giving birth, just remember that: even the weakest of females give birth one way or another; every birth is different; and that in the 21 st century women are spoilt for choice with pain relief. Instead, think of childbirth as an exciting and joyous event, where you are the star.

About Baby


Your baby now weighs more than 2.38 kilograms (about as much as a honeydew melon), and is over 46.2 centimetres from top to toe. Your baby has fully grown fingernails and toenails and kidneys are fully developed. The liver can also process some waste products.

Baby is getting big and is so snug in your uterus (womb) now that you may notice little movement. The elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when it stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles. There's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in your uterus, which has expanded to a thousand times its original size.


This week’s activities for the pregnancy to-do list

✔Buy a baby keepsake book and put in a picture of you side on, pre-birth

If you plan to try breastfeeding, get the number of a recommended lactation consultant

Review your baby registry to see what items you still need to purchase before baby's arrival

Prepare food to eat after your baby's born. If you cook, start doubling recipes and freezing half. You and your partner will be too exhausted to cook in the first weeks after you bring your baby home and you'll be thrilled to have healthy meals you can heat up fast. If you don't cook, go around your neighbourhood and pick up all the takeout and delivery menus you can find. You'll be grateful for all the options at your fingertips.

Note that this article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.


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