👶Pregnancy Week By Week👶 ◆Week Thirty-Six◆ ◈Third Trimester◈ You’re getting close now. Only 4 more weeks to go before your due date as your baby continues to prepare every day for extra-uterine life. You may have a sense of the calm before the storm at 36 weeks pregnant. You are getting closer each day to holding your baby, but birth is still not so close that it is imminent. For many mothers this is a time of pondering and trying to enjoy the last few weeks of their pregnancy. You may feel a renewed sense of wonder and respect for your body and how it just knows what to do. Or, you may just be feeling as if you’re over the whole pregnancy deal and want the last few weeks to just disappear. Physical changes this week: Emotional changes this week: Sleeping may seem like a far off dream this week. It’s become impossible to lie on your tummy and lying on your back is not advisable, so sleeping on your side becomes the only option. The problem is, you’ve only got two sides to alternate from so you may end up feeling a bit achy around your hips and thighs. Surround yourself with comfortable, supportive pillows in your bed and consider getting a padded under blanket to use under your bottom sheet. They actually work. Get used to having to go to the toilet a few times a night. Your uterus is becoming so big that your bladder doesn’t need to fill with much urine to make you feel you simply have to go. Avoid changing too quickly from a lying position to being upright and let your blood pressure adjust. Leave the bathroom light on at night to guide your way. At 36 weeks pregnant clumsiness is a fact of life and you need to make sure you minimise your risks of stumbling over something in the dark. Your midwife or doctor will be encouraging you to attend ante-natal appointments weekly from now until you have the baby. The usual range of checks will be made including your urine, blood pressure, weight, and uterine size. Your fundal height will be measured to see if it matches with your dates. If there is any discrepancy, you may be sent for an ultrasound to check the size of the baby, the amount of amniotic fluid and the placental size.In those quieter moments of your day, pull your top up and look at the movement going on in your tummy. You’ll be able to see the outline of a little foot, an elbow or a knee. If you gently poke with your fingers in response to those movements, you’ll find your baby prods back. Get your partner involved in these little moments so he feels involved in your pregnancy too. If he talks to the baby though your abdominal wall, the baby is likely to move in response to his voice.Your pelvic bones will be separating and loosening in these last few weeks which can mean you feel sore and aching. You’ll find yourself subconsciously placing your hands on your lower back, your tummy and your hips and even grimacing. You’ll be giving other pregnant women understanding looks and know just what they are going through. Warm showers or baths, massage, rest and just being kind to yourself are all good ways to get through these final weeks.If your baby’s head engages in your pelvis this week, you’ll find you’re able to breathe more easily. Your lungs and diaphragm can actually expand a little more and move into their normal positions. Well, almost. Emotional changes this week: Sleeping may seem like a far off dream this week. It’s become impossible to lie on your tummy and lying on your back is not advisable, so sleeping on your side becomes the only option. The problem is, you’ve only got two sides to alternate from so you may end up feeling a bit achy around your hips and thighs. Surround yourself with comfortable, supportive pillows in your bed and consider getting a padded under blanket to use under your bottom sheet. They actually work. Get used to having to go to the toilet a few times a night. Your uterus is becoming so big that your bladder doesn’t need to fill with much urine to make you feel you simply have to go. Avoid changing too quickly from a lying position to being upright and let your blood pressure adjust. Leave the bathroom light on at night to guide your way. At 36 weeks pregnant clumsiness is a fact of life and you need to make sure you minimise your risks of stumbling over something in the dark. Your midwife or doctor will be encouraging you to attend ante-natal appointments weekly from now until you have the baby. The usual range of checks will be made including your urine, blood pressure, weight, and uterine size. Your fundal height will be measured to see if it matches with your dates. If there is any discrepancy, you may be sent for an ultrasound to check the size of the baby, the amount of amniotic fluid and the placental size.In those quieter moments of your day, pull your top up and look at the movement going on in your tummy. You’ll be able to see the outline of a little foot, an elbow or a knee. If you gently poke with your fingers in response to those movements, you’ll find your baby prods back. Get your partner involved in these little moments so he feels involved in your pregnancy too. If he talks to the baby though your abdominal wall, the baby is likely to move in response to his voice.Your pelvic bones will be separating and loosening in these last few weeks which can mean you feel sore and aching. You’ll find yourself subconsciously placing your hands on your lower back, your tummy and your hips and even grimacing. You’ll be giving other pregnant women understanding looks and know just what they are going through. Warm showers or baths, massage, rest and just being kind to yourself are all good ways to get through these final weeks.If your baby’s head engages in your pelvis this week, you’ll find you’re able to breathe more easily. Your lungs and diaphragm can actually expand a little more and move into their normal positions. Well, almost.means you having to make a mental shift away from work. This may come as an absolute relief or cause you to feel sad, especially if you’ve enjoyed your working life and found it fulfilling. Becoming a parent means a change from how we view ourselves and where we now fit in with the world. Give yourself time to adjust. Changes in your baby this week: Your baby weighs around 2.7 kilograms this week and measures about 51 centimetres long. If it were born at 36 weeks, it would probably not need any special care and would be able to breath for itself. There is a possibility that it could have some small issues with feeding and sucking though.Your baby’s bowel is filled with meconium, the sticky, black tarry substance which will form its first bowel motion. Some babies will pass meconium while they are still in the uterus and this can be a sign that they are distressed. If this happens, the amniotic fluid can become stained and changes from being clear and watery to having a greenish tinge. If your waters break and you notice this, it is important you are checked by your midwife or doctor quickly.Your baby’s skull is a complex structure and the bones within it will not fuse until it is older. During birth, it is important that a baby’s skull can mould and adapt to the shape of the mother’s birth canal. If this is your first pregnancy, your baby’s head may start engaging or dropping into your pelvis this week.At 36 weeks your baby is getting into position for delivery. There isn’t enough room now for it to do tumble turns and its movements are fairly restricted. If your baby is in a position other than head down, you will need to discuss delivery options with your midwife or doctor. -Kia 💚
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 10:04:58 +0000