PREGNANCY WEEK 35 ~ HEALTH and FITNESS

35 WEEKS PREGNANT

Ready as you’ll ever be! At 35 weeks, some moms-to-be feel like they have a ton of stuff left to do before baby’s arrival. Others can barely wait for baby to make his or her debut. Either way, try not to stress; baby will show up when he or she's ready, and won’t care if you haven’t checked every little detail off your list. As long as you’ve got a safe place for baby to sleep and an infant car seat for the ride home, you’ve already got baby’s basic needs taken care of.

How Big Is Baby at 35 Weeks?

At 35 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as a pineapple. Baby measures about 18.2 inches from head to heel. From here on out, he or she won't get much longer, but will keep plumping up. Your 35-week fetus now weighs about 5.3 pounds, and will put on a pound or more of baby fat before you meet him or her.

35 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months?

35 weeks pregnant is seven month and about three weeks pregnant. This is the last week of your eighth month. Just about five more weeks left!

35 WEEKS PREGNANT SYMPTOMS

As you wrap up your eighth month, you’re probably feeling some of these 35 weeks pregnant symptoms:

Frequent urge to pee. Yup, your bladder's being pressed on by baby (or babies, if you’re 35 weeks pregnant with twins), who’s likely sitting pretty low in your pelvis, getting ready for birth. Don’t let the extra trips to the bathroom deter you from drinking lots of water though—dehydration puts you at risk for preterm labor, so drink up.
Constipation. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: make sure to get plenty of fiber in your diet. If you’ve tried everything and are still struggling with constipation, ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to take a fiber supplement or a stool softener.
Aches and pains in the hips and pelvis. These ouchies are continuing—and you may even be feeling a few new ones. While you’re dealing with discomfort, look on the bright side: It’s a sign your body is getting ready to deliver your baby. Yep, all of this pain actually has a purpose! Your ligaments are loosening so that baby can make his or her way out of your uterus and into the world.
Braxton Hicks Contractions. At 35 weeks pregnant, you may have noticed an increase in the number of contractions you're having. It’s kind of crazy how hard your belly can get! Just keep an eye on those contractions; rest when you get them and drink lots of water.

35 WEEKS PREGNANT BELLY

Growing, growing, growing. Yup, baby and you. Now that you’ve reached 35 weeks pregnant, your uterus has grown to about 1,000 times its original size, a number that might sound exaggerated to everyone else—but to you it probably feels more like a million. You can expect to gain about a half-pound each week until you give birth.

35 weeks pregnant is a good time to review the signs of labor. You may think this is early, but about 11 percent of singleton moms give birth prematurely, while moms who are 35 weeks pregnant with twins are just about considered full term at this point. To recap, here are the signs of actual, real deal, call-the-OB-and-grab-your-hospital-bag labor:

Water breaking. You’ll know your water has broken if you’re experiencing something that’s less like discharge and more like a flow of water. It can happen in a big gush (like in the movies) or in a slow trickle that just keeps coming.
Painful contractions. Those Braxton Hicks have nothing on real contractions. If suddenly you’re feeling pain in your 35 weeks pregnant belly or back, instead of some mild tightness, it could be time.
Regular contractions. True contractions happen regularly and don’t stop—they’ll keep getting more and more frequent and more painful. Your doctor will probably tell you at what point to call her and let her know about your contractions. A good rule of thumb is to call when contractions are about 5 minutes apart for a first pregnancy. If it’s not your first, call earlier—more like when they’re 10 to 15 minutes apart, since second (and later) labors tend to be much shorter.

Unsure if any 35 weeks pregnant symptom could be a sign of labor? Always call the doc just to be safe.

35 WEEKS PREGNANT ULTRASOUND

Baby’s hearing is now fully developed, and your 35-week fetus responds best to high-pitched noises. If you are pregnant with a boy, you would see on a 35 weeks pregnant ultrasound that his testes have probably fully descended (bet you hadn’t thought about that one!).

This week or next, you may have a Group B Strep Test. For it, your doctor will take a swap of your vaginal area and rectum and have it tested for bacteria called Group B Strep. This bacteria is common and isn’t going to make you sick, but it could be harmful to baby if he or she is exposed to it at birth, so knowing whether you have it is important. If you do, you’ll be given antibiotics during the birth to prevent exposure, and that’s that. Easy peasy.