35 weeks of pregnancy is the middle of the third trimester. The period when a woman is already beginning to prepare for the birth of a long-awaited child. There comes a moment of expectation and anxiety, as if the birth did not begin ahead of time.
How many months of pregnancy at week 35?
Very often, the terms that the obstetrician-gynecologist designates differ from the terms that the expectant mother considered herself. In this case, both versions of the calculation are considered correct. And the differences occur for several reasons:
The obstetrician-gynecologist considers the beginning of pregnancy not from the moment of the alleged ovulation and conception, but from the moment of the beginning of the last menstruation before pregnancy. It is with the onset of menstruation that the maturation of the egg, which has been fertilized, occurs. The woman starts counting from about the middle of the cycle, when she assumes ovulation. Accordingly, already at this stage there is a difference in terms of about two weeks. There are even concepts of obstetric and fetal timing.
The midwife month consists of exactly four weeks. As a result, exactly 280 days or 10 obstetric months pass from the beginning of the last menstrual period until the moment of delivery. The expectant mother, as a rule, looks at the term according to the usual calendar. As a result, for the doctor, the gestational age is 8 months and 3 days, and for the woman, the ninth month of pregnancy has already come.
What does a baby look like at 35 weeks old?
At this time, all the baby's organs have long been formed and now it is actively growing and gaining muscle and fat mass. Although each child is individual, but at this time they all have approximately the same height. The norm is about 45 centimeters. The baby already has a rather large weight - about 2 kilograms 400 grams. The size of the child is getting closer to the norms of the newborn. Now the fruit can be compared in size and weight to a head of red cabbage.
At 35 weeks, the baby undergoes the following changes:
- Lanugo almost completely disappears on the whole body. Now the baby's skin is clean and covered with only vernix.
- The nails on the fingers and toes grow slowly and get longer.
- Now the baby is actively accumulating subcutaneous fat. As a result, the child begins to acquire more rounded and plump forms.
- The bones of the skull at this time should remain soft in order to pass without problems through the birth canal on the appointed day.
- The baby's eyes turn blue. Melanin in the cornea is not formed until some time after birth. Now, the color of the eyes can vary from gray to dark blue.
- A baby at 35 weeks is already head down in the uterus. But if doctors diagnosed a breech presentation when the child is in a different position, then you should not be upset. If weight and all other indicators allow, then natural childbirth is possible and quite widely practiced. But if there is a risk of damaging the fetus, then it is better to agree to a cesarean section.
Due to the fact that the free space of the baby is becoming less and less, the range of motion is reduced.
The baby seems already fully formed, but he is not yet ready to be born. And if contractions begin at this stage of pregnancy, then experts will try in every way to prevent childbirth. If, for some reason, the birth cannot be stopped, then you should not panic. With a high degree of probability, the child will not even need any additional equipment.
Feelings of a pregnant woman at 35 weeks
Week 35 is the middle of the third trimester. The period when a woman, although she is already on official maternity leave, is still very tired. The belly is already quite large and protrudes strongly forward. It is difficult for a woman to walk and do any household chores for a long time.
The weight gain at this time on average is already about 12 kg. But there are also cases when the body weight of the expectant mother increases by more kilograms. Especially the increased weekly weight gain is typical for women who are expecting twins.
Among other things, the expectant mother may experience the following sensations:
- Pain and pulling sensation in the pubic bone due to increased pressure from the uterus.
- Severity. Due to her large belly, a woman cannot perform some seemingly simple actions. For example, some pregnant women at 35 weeks are not even able to tie their own shoelaces. The spouse's support during that period is very important.
- Feelings of anxiety and fear. Although the hormones at this stage have subsided, but the woman has to overcome childbirth and the anxiety from the approach of this stage in life does not let the woman go.
- Insomnia. In the ninth month, it is already quite difficult for a woman to take a comfortable sleeping position. She had long forgotten about falling asleep on her stomach. The supine position is also unacceptable due to the fact that the child can squeeze a large vessel - the inferior vena cava. Positions remain on the side. Special pillows for pregnant women in the shape of a sickle or a horseshoe are helpful.
- Small swelling and heaviness in the legs can be considered the norm at this time. But in any case, it is necessary to tell the doctor in charge of the pregnancy about their presence.
The 35th week of pregnancy is the time when a woman can begin her nesting period. There is an irresistible need to change something in the apartment, make repairs, rearrangement or change the interior. The expectant mother wants to add comfort to the house, where the child will live very soon.
False and training contractions
Among all the possible sensations, at this time the woman is most worried about the presence of contractions. There are two types of contractions during this period: mock contractions and Braxton Higgs training contractions. They differ from the real ones in that they pass painlessly in the case of training, or have very little pain in the case of false contractions. Their purpose is to train and prepare the uterus for the upcoming birth. False contractions also contribute to the smoothing and shortening of the cervix. It is quite easy to distinguish them from real ones:
- False contractions are localized only in the lower abdomen. Real contractions are characterized by painful cramps throughout the abdomen.
- Pain from false contractions is low. They can completely pass if you just lie down and rest. If labor has begun, then neither rest, nor massage, nor a warm shower will help the pain subside.
- The number of false contractions does not exceed 5 per hour. Labor pains become more frequent every hour.
- False contractions are characterized by their randomness. Real contractions only intensify each time, their duration increases, and the intervals between contractions decrease.
Recommendations for the expectant mother
A woman at this time should carefully monitor her condition. Influenza and colds are now highly undesirable. After all, very soon the birth will begin, and a weakened body is useless in this matter. Coughing can trigger abdominal pain. And if childbirth begins at the moment when the woman is sick, then she can be placed in a separate block and not allowed immediately after giving birth to the baby.
At 35 weeks of age, wiggling your baby can be very painful. The kid can inadvertently hit the expectant mother in the ribs. To soothe a child who is playing out, you can stroke his belly or turn on calm music.
The belly may already sink. If this happens, then this is a sign that the child is gradually sinking lower and lower and preparing for childbirth. Do not be intimidated by this. The time lag between lowering the abdomen and giving birth can be quite long. The same goes for cork. A woman can see how clots of mucus begin to come out along with normal secretions. This is the cork. Its discharge can last for several weeks and this process does not mean at all that labor pains will arise very soon. But after the cork has moved away, the woman should not have sex, so as not to infect.
Now the expectant mother should monitor her psycho-emotional state and avoid stress. Better to prepare to meet your baby and enjoy your pregnancy.
