Pregnancy Week By Week : 31 Weeks Pregnant - What To Expect
Hello, lovely mommies. You are just a handful of weeks away from giving birth to your wonderful little baby. As you begin to get closer to y...
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Hello, lovely mommies. You are just a handful of weeks away from giving birth to your wonderful little baby. As you begin to get closer to your motherhood in the real sense, you are probably fighting your bodily discomforts and breathlessness. All these will go in a jiffy and other things will keep you occupied in a couple of months. If you want to find out how quickly you are progressing towards the final stage of your journey, read further.
Baby Development
Your baby is sleeping longer
As your baby is getting bigger and longer, it is time for him to get longer spells of sleep. By the end of this week, you will notice a 'rest and wakefulness' pattern in your baby's movements. The sleep helps your baby to pack on more pounds as it is preparing to see the light of the day soon. It is also dreaming with an increase in its REM sleep periods.
Development of the five senses
The little brain of your little one is on a growth overdrive and developing very rapidly. It has to complete making trillion of brain connections by the time of birth. That is quite a lot and therefore the brain is taking no respite from its work. Thanks to this progress in its brain development, your baby's five senses are also becoming stronger and sharper. Once the baby is born, all the five senses have to be deployed for survival and to perceive the world in its own light.
Thumb sucking is more prominent
True that your baby is putting in longer periods of sleep and is awake and active only at certain times during the day. But in that short span, it is practicing a lot of moves such as swallowing, pedaling, punching, hiccupping and the most recent activity – sucking its own thumb.
Head movement
If you could see your baby now, it would surprise you to see that the little one can move its head from side to side as if saying 'no'. The muscles and the bones are becoming stronger to help your baby make head movements.
Size of your little one
Your tiny tot is over three pounds by the 31st week of your pregnancy. It is gaining the pounds quickly and the fat cells are making it nice and plump. The baby measures around 16 inches head to toe. Your baby is now comparable to a nice big butternut squash.
Body Changes & Common Symptoms
Feeling of being out of breath: Do you feel your uterus pushing out your belly button? That's because it is now more than a couple of inches above your belly button and is pressing against all the organs in that region. Your diaphragm is also getting pressed and hence you may experience shortness of breath even when doing nothing in particular. Many organs are pressing against your lungs and you are short of air. This breathlessness will continue till your baby moves down to the pelvis when the time of its birth is near.
Anxiety pang and headaches: With increased blood flow in your system, and increase in the blood pressure, you may suffer from mild to severe headaches. Try to avoid general over the counter drugs and consult your doctor before popping any pain killers. Also, you may experience anxiety pangs due to all the new things happening to your body. The worry and anticipation about the near future may also make you restless and anxious. Avoid crowded places and heated conversations as much as possible. Try to find calm dark spaces to soothe yourself.
Back pain: With so much pressure exerted on your back because of the weight of your uterus, you may get the occasional back pain that may sometimes become quite intense. Your spine has curved a little in order to make space for the heavy womb and hence it is stressed causing you some agony. A good idea is to learn and practice prenatal yoga to relieve yourself from the intense body aches and back pain.
Feeling clumsy and fuzzy headed: Are you feeling clumsy and forgetful? It is normal to feel this way because you are not just carrying your weight but also your baby's weight inside of you. Also, the cell volume in your brain is shrinking. Why? Because that is what happens in pregnancy and so the fuzzy brain is aptly called the pregnancy brain. Once you give birth, the cells in your grey matter will come back to its normal and you will feel much less fuzzy and clumsy.
Health Tips
As the days are getting closer and closer, sit back and enjoy the last few weeks of your pregnancy. You can start planning the room decoration and take up hobbies such as knitting (your little one will love its mom-made booties and mitts.)
Image Source: 1
Baby Development
Your baby is sleeping longer
As your baby is getting bigger and longer, it is time for him to get longer spells of sleep. By the end of this week, you will notice a 'rest and wakefulness' pattern in your baby's movements. The sleep helps your baby to pack on more pounds as it is preparing to see the light of the day soon. It is also dreaming with an increase in its REM sleep periods.
Development of the five senses
The little brain of your little one is on a growth overdrive and developing very rapidly. It has to complete making trillion of brain connections by the time of birth. That is quite a lot and therefore the brain is taking no respite from its work. Thanks to this progress in its brain development, your baby's five senses are also becoming stronger and sharper. Once the baby is born, all the five senses have to be deployed for survival and to perceive the world in its own light.
Thumb sucking is more prominent
True that your baby is putting in longer periods of sleep and is awake and active only at certain times during the day. But in that short span, it is practicing a lot of moves such as swallowing, pedaling, punching, hiccupping and the most recent activity – sucking its own thumb.
Head movement
If you could see your baby now, it would surprise you to see that the little one can move its head from side to side as if saying 'no'. The muscles and the bones are becoming stronger to help your baby make head movements.
Size of your little one
Your tiny tot is over three pounds by the 31st week of your pregnancy. It is gaining the pounds quickly and the fat cells are making it nice and plump. The baby measures around 16 inches head to toe. Your baby is now comparable to a nice big butternut squash.
Body Changes & Common Symptoms
Feeling of being out of breath: Do you feel your uterus pushing out your belly button? That's because it is now more than a couple of inches above your belly button and is pressing against all the organs in that region. Your diaphragm is also getting pressed and hence you may experience shortness of breath even when doing nothing in particular. Many organs are pressing against your lungs and you are short of air. This breathlessness will continue till your baby moves down to the pelvis when the time of its birth is near.
Anxiety pang and headaches: With increased blood flow in your system, and increase in the blood pressure, you may suffer from mild to severe headaches. Try to avoid general over the counter drugs and consult your doctor before popping any pain killers. Also, you may experience anxiety pangs due to all the new things happening to your body. The worry and anticipation about the near future may also make you restless and anxious. Avoid crowded places and heated conversations as much as possible. Try to find calm dark spaces to soothe yourself.
Back pain: With so much pressure exerted on your back because of the weight of your uterus, you may get the occasional back pain that may sometimes become quite intense. Your spine has curved a little in order to make space for the heavy womb and hence it is stressed causing you some agony. A good idea is to learn and practice prenatal yoga to relieve yourself from the intense body aches and back pain.
Feeling clumsy and fuzzy headed: Are you feeling clumsy and forgetful? It is normal to feel this way because you are not just carrying your weight but also your baby's weight inside of you. Also, the cell volume in your brain is shrinking. Why? Because that is what happens in pregnancy and so the fuzzy brain is aptly called the pregnancy brain. Once you give birth, the cells in your grey matter will come back to its normal and you will feel much less fuzzy and clumsy.
Health Tips
- Try double voiding to avoid frequent urination: The trips to the bathroom have become frequent once again in the last couple of week. A good way to avoid this situation of frequent urination is to try the double voiding technique. Once you finish the job, sit back and try to pee again. This will empty your bladder completely. This way you won't feel the need to go to the washroom too frequently.
- Have safe sex: If you are worried about being intimate with your partner because you feel the baby might feel it, stop worrying. With your doctor's approval, you can continue love making. Just don't be too adventurous and stick to safe positions and movements. Your baby will not be affected by the act at all. So why give up on your love life!
- Keep a tab on your sugar craving: Some women who have probably never had a sweet tooth may suddenly crave sweets. It is okay to indulge in your sugar cravings, but make sure you don't overdo it. Too much sugar in your system can cause problems later. The sugar acids may also affect your teeth and cause decay and cavities.
As the days are getting closer and closer, sit back and enjoy the last few weeks of your pregnancy. You can start planning the room decoration and take up hobbies such as knitting (your little one will love its mom-made booties and mitts.)
Image Source: 1
