Pregnancy Week - 35 Weeks Pregnant

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Pregnancy Week 35

**Please note- Your Due Date is calculated from the date of your last menstrual period, which corresponds to our Pregnancy Week by Week articles.

Week 35

Your Growth and Development
By pregnancy week 35, your baby is still working diligently on gaining more fat to keep her safe and warm in the first weeks after delivery. Your baby's suckle reflexes should be well developed now. If born prematurely at pregnancy week 35, most babies will still be able to breastfeed with little trouble.

Your Growth and Development

Your uterus at 35 weeks pregnant is a whopping 6 inches above your belly button. You may have gained close to 30 pounds by 35 weeks.

Changes in You
You may start having more mood swings from pregnancy at 35 weeks and beyond. You may start to worry incessantly about things that are generally nothing to be concerned about. If this is your first pregnancy you might be worried about the labor and delivery process. As you continue your pregnancy you and your partner might start to worry about whether or not you are prepared to raise a child.

Rest assured, parents have been birthing babies since the dawn of time. Despite your worries, you will likely do a fine job raising your baby from the very second she is born. Most parents have a natural instinct that kicks in sometime around labor and delivery.

Now might be the time to start considering who you want to have present during the delivery. Some people prefer to have many family members present, whereas others prefer the birth to be an intimate experience between two partners. This decision is up to you. Your healthcare provider and nurses will ensure that your wishes are met during your stay at the birthing center.

If you find yourself swinging wildly from one thought to the next, it is time that you start relaxing. One of the best ways to relax is by communicating. Be sure to keep the lines of communication open with your partner have ample opportunities to share your concerns about the changes that are about to occur in your lives.

If you feel that you are having serious mood swings, talk with your doctor, who can help you feel more at ease during this critical time of pregnancy.

One of the best things an expectant mom can do for herself in the last few weeks of pregnancy is to indulge in a full body massage. Massage can be extremely helpful in relieving pain, swelling, discomfort, and fatigue associated with the latter stages of pregnancy. There are numerous spas that offer prenatal massages for expectant mothers. There are even chiropractic clinics and other wellness centers that offer prenatal massage at a reasonable rate.

At this point in your pregnancy, it is definitely worth a little extra, if you can afford it, to indulge in a weekly or bi-weekly massage. Be sure you call ahead to ensure that the therapist is trained in prenatal massage. There are even some studies that suggest that stimulation of certain points may help initiate labor. In three to five weeks, you can start enjoying the benefits of any massage that may or may not trigger labor.

Nursing Pillows
Nursing Pillows Serve Many Purposes Aside From Nursing

Wouldn't it be great if you could buy a pregnancy pillow that doubled as a nursing pillow? You can! Snoozer Pregnancy Pillows are a line of products that act as pregnancy pillows but also as nursing pillows. They are the perfect texture and consistency to support your neck and back while sleeping, but they also provide your shoulders and arms with much needed support while nursing.

Pregnancy pillows aren't just for mom either! You'll find that they are the perfect accessory for anyone suffering from neck, back, or shoulder discomfort in the family. Why not try one today?
Watch our pregnancy pillows video on youtube.com.

Maternity Clothes
Maternity Shirts:
The Best and Worst Selections During Each Stage of Pregnancy

Nothing feels worse that wearing ill-fitting clothing during your pregnancy. This is the case whether you are wearing tops or bottoms. One thing you must invest in during your pregnancy is one or more elegantly designed maternity shirts. Maternity Shirts from Destination Maternity, are crafted with pregnant mothers in mind. They offer the much needed extra space to allow your newborn baby to grow without looking overly bulky or out of style.

In fact, today’s maternity shirts and blouses are much classier and stylish than some versions offered in the past. Not sure what to look for? Keep in mind that your skin might be overly sensitive during your pregnancy. You may want to look for clothes that are made of a cotton/lycra blend, so they are comfortable, breathe, AND stretch a little as your growing belly expands!

Pregnancy Health Tips
By this point in time, your healthcare practitioner might start paying close attention to the position your baby is in. There are several positions your baby may be in, the most common of which include head down, breech and transverse.

Most babies will settle into a head down position near term, or from about 35-36 weeks on. Head down is the safest position for delivery.

Breech birth occurs when your baby is presenting with the buttocks rather than the head first. Three to four percent of babies will actually start labor in this position. A breech position can be more dangerous than a head down position. Usually sometime between weeks 34 to 36, the baby settles into a position that is hard to get out of, as movement becomes more and more restricted as the pregnancy progresses. Typically, by about 36 to 37 weeks, whatever position the baby settles into is likely to be the position they present at during labor. Most babies will settle into a head down position.

The most common breech position is the frank breech. In a frank breech, the buttocks are positioned to come out first and the legs are folded in front of the body. A breech position may increase the likelihood for a cesarean delivery.

In some cases, your healthcare provider may decide to perform a procedure referred to as an external version. This procedure is only performed in a hospital, and it involves your doctor pressing down on your belly to push the baby into the correct position. If your physician must perform a version, he will monitor your baby both before and after the procedure using both an ultrasound machine and fetal heart monitor. A version can sometimes be a painful procedure. Typically, your healthcare provider will perform a version after 36 weeks gestation. This allows enough time to move the baby before actual labor begins.

Breech is the most common alternative position that babies present in prior to labor. A footling breech, when one leg is lowered over the cervix is less common than a frank breech position. Some women are more at risk for breech delivery than others, including:

• Women who go into labor prematurely.
• Women who have had two babies close together, which lends itself to excess laxity of the uterus.
• Women who have excessive amniotic fluid.
• Women carrying multiples, where one or more of the babies is in a breech position.
• Women with placenta previa.

When a baby is in the transverse position, they present sideways. Typically a baby in this position lies with her shoulder or her back over the cervix. This position is much less common, typically occurring in 1 out of every 2,500 births. A transverse position close to the time of delivery may necessitate a cesarean delivery.

The risks for having a baby in a transverse position, increases when women go into labor prematurely, if you have given birth to four or more children, or if you have placenta previa.

You should keep in mind that some babies defy all odds. Some babies will turn at the last minute and still present in a head down position for a natural delivery. If your baby is in an 'abnormal' position, keep in mind that your healthcare provider will be paying close attention to the situation. Your doctor can discuss with you the safety of a vaginal birth if your baby stays in a breech position, and he will also discuss with you a cesarean delivery if your circumstances warrant one.

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