This is a week of fast weight gain for both mom and the baby. The baby is mature by now and can baby can open and close their eyes at this week in pregnancy. You will see that your appetite will increase more and more in these last weeks. The baby is looking for more nutrients. At this stage of pregnancy, you may hear people tell you that you have the pregnancy glow. You can pamper yourself before childbirth with scented bath oils or gentle massages, pedicures and manicures.
There are some women who let the weight gain affect them. But don’t worry about this. Pregnancy is a special and exciting time in a woman’s life. You can always lose the weight but you may not always be able to have a healthy baby. If your doctor is not worried about it then you shouldn’t be either. If you have not made a choice either way about bottle-feeding or breast-feeding, it has been noted that women who breast-feed lose weight faster than those women who bottle-feed. Plus, they say breast-feeding is also good for the baby.
Baby’s Development
At week thirty-one, the baby is starting to pick up gaining weight gain. The baby should be about 3-1/2 pounds to 4 pounds by now and about 15 inches in length. The baby will continue to develop a layer of fat and as the pregnancy winds down the baby will start gaining about ½ a pound per week. The baby’s lungs developed and they are able to inflate and deflate by breathing. The lungs will produce surfactant; this will stop the baby lungs from collapsing rightafter birth.
The baby’s hearing is now 100% completed and can hear sounds and voices clearly inside the womb. The skin is pink at this stage of pregnancy and won’t change too much in color before they are born. The baby’s bones are hardening nicely and they will still need all of the calcium they can get before they are born. The baby is still receiving their nutrients and they will require more and more as the pregnancy winds down.
The baby can now urinate, they actually urinate about half a liter every day. The baby continues to swallow amniotic fluid that gets replaced a few times every day. The doctor will have the amniotic fluid measured to see if there are any problems that they should be aware of. If there is too much amniotic fluid it could mean that the baby may not be swallowing properly and less fluid could mean that there may be a problem with the baby’s kidneys.
Changes With Your Body
Your weight gain should be estimated at 21 and 27 pounds. It is entirely possible that you have gained more weight. The weight gain includes the baby’s weight, placenta, fat, water, the uterus and the amniotic fluid. The ligaments and muscles and supporting the back are becoming relaxed and loose to prepare for childbirth. By now, you will notice a change in your breast size and they are preparing for lactation, so make sure that you have a supportive bra. You may notice that there is a creamy white discharge, this is called colostrums. This will last a few days or a week after the baby is born.
Some new moms to be will experience Braxton Hicks Contractions. Some women feel these contractions back in the second trimester. Don’t worry these are normal and they cannot affect the birth of the baby. Some women experience hemorrhoids at this stage of pregnancy because of the pressure that baby puts on the rectum causing constipation.
Try to avoid standing in one spot for a long period of time. The hemorrhoids will disappear after the baby is born. Try to stay hydrated during the pregnancy, if you can avoid constipation you can avoid hemorrhoids. Try taking a warm bath with baking soda; this will help alleviate the itchiness. Use Tucks pad or lotion to help with the swelling and sometimes bleeding.
What To Expect
Atthis week of pregnancy,
the baby will soon start taking all of the nutrients from the food that you are giving. Try to keep eating healthyuntil the end of the pregnancy. If you have not given up smoking, it is not too late. The ultimate idea is to quit right away. But you don’t want to continue smoking after the baby is born. You will need to start resting more and more. You may have trouble getting to sleep because you have gained weight and it is becoming increasingly hard to find a comfortable position to rest in.
You will continue to experience frequent urination until the baby is born. Normally, this wouldn’t be difficult but if you have trouble getting a comfortable nights sleep then the constant getting up and down will cause more stress. Try sleeping on your left side with pillows between your knees; you will take off a lot of stress from your body this way. Try to stay away from sleeping on your back; it is not good for the circulation.
You should be attending every doctor’s appointment and if you are considered to be a high-risk pregnancy, you will be going to the doctors and having sonograms every week. This will help the doctors apprised of the baby’s condition. It is very important at this stage of the pregnancy that the doctors continue to monitor the baby.
No comments:
Post a Comment