Week 36th of Pregnancy:  What to Expect as an Expecting Mother and the Would-be-Baby

The 36th week of pregnancy means you’ve come to the ninth month of your pregnancy journey. In this week, along with your baby, your body and mind are also under constant flux. 

Don’t worry! The good news is no more than a few weeks away, as your baby is arriving soon, and will be in your arms before you know it. But, you have entered the period where you can give birth to your baby at any time in the coming three weeks. (Babies born before the 37^th week of pregnancy are considered premature or preterm).

At this stage, be aware of your baby’s changes and the changes that are taking place inside your body.

How is Your Baby Developing Inside You?

This week, when you visit the doctor, to check your baby’s weight, and position, you’ll be able to find out several foetal developments. A combination of ultrasound and non-stress test can give you a clear image of the baby inside you:

• Your baby seems less wrinkled than the prior week and looks fuller and fatter. They have gained a pound or two more than the previous week (with fat on cheeks and powerful sucking muscles), thus weighing a little less than 6 pounds. From head to toe, the baby is 34 cm.
  
• Although the baby has grown quite a bit and is healthy by now, it has occupied the entire uterus (womb). The baby’s movement may have slowed down due to this limited space, but you can still feel some movements inside.
  
• Their skull bones have formed, but have not yet fused. On the contrary, the skull bones are overlapping and moving. This movement of the bones is also known as moulding.  In this situation, if your child is born vaginally, your little one’s head may just be slightly misshapen. (However, over the first two years of your child’s life, you’ll find your baby’s head slowly becoming normal and round).
   
• Your baby inside has already started shedding the lanugo or fine hair, along with the vernix caseosa, or the white and greasy substance covering the baby’s body. If your baby’s born now, they may leave patches of greasy skin after birth. Your baby can swallow the hair as well as skin and digest it. That will stay as meconium (a dark green substance) in their bowels, till such time that they are born. The meconium is the first poo after the baby comes out of the womb.
  
• In your 36th-week pregnancy ultrasound, it will appear that the baby has taken the head-down position to make their way out of your womb.  But, if the scan shows that your baby is in a breech position, or lies sideways inside your womb; an Emergency C – Section would be necessary.  If the baby is in head down position and the baby is supposed to be born vaginally, the healthcare provider will put their hands on the baby’s belly and gently apply pressure. This process is known as the External Cephalic Version.
  
• The baby’s brain and nervous system are developing fast. Their sense of hearing will also become very sharp. As such, they will be able to hear noises from outside. If you give birth to your baby at this stage, they will be able to recognise your and your partner’s voice.
  
• The baby’s blood circulation has improved by now and soon they’ll be able to breathe independently. 
  
• The immune system has also developed to keep your little one safe from infections.
  
• The baby’s liver and kidneys are working now.
  
• The baby’s skin has also become soft and smooth.
  
• Their gums are rigid.  

That’s the ideal picture of your baby inside your womb in the 36^th week of your pregnancy. That’s not all! Your baby’s growth has impacted your body in several ways.

How Your Body is Developing This Week

During the 36^th week of the antenatal doctor’s appointment, your provider will check you properly for every health condition that you have – hypertension or blood pressure (Preeclampsia), weight, etc. 

Apart from that, since your baby has taken the breech – position and there is pressure down the pelvis and bladder, you’ll see many things changing in your body.  

• Since your baby is gradually moving downwards and engaged in the pelvis region, you’ll feel a lot of pressure in the lower part of the womb and there will be an uncomfortable feeling of lightening or engagement. But, because of the “baby dropping”, your breathing will be easy.
  
• As your baby is engaged in your pelvis and exerting pressure on your bladder, it’s a no-brainer that you’ll be visiting the bathroom quite often, thus frequently urinating.
  
• At the 36^th week of your pregnancy, as your body prepares for childbirth, you may look out for the signs of watery or vaginal (bloody) discharge (mucous plug). The watery discharge is the water breaking ((the amniotic fluid trickling out). That’s the onset of labour. However, there is an increase in the vaginal discharge with a streak of blood. That means, with your baby’s head pressing the cervix, it becomes sensitive and starts dilating, thus resulting in vaginal (bloody) discharge.
  
• Braxton Hicks contractions (false labour) become stronger by now.
  
• As your body retains more fluid, during this time, your ankles, feet, face, hands, and fingers will be swollen.
  
• As a result of the increasing pressure on the pelvis and uterus preparing you for labour, you’ll also get a feeling of numbness and pain near your legs as well as the lower back. You can feel this pain while you’re sitting, standing, or climbing the stairs.
  
• Your evolved belly will bear stretch marks and make you feel itchy on the skin.
  
• As your stomach is pushed up by the uterus, it may turn out to be taxing on your digestive system. You may feel like eating less for the fear of heartburn, constipation, and passing gas.
  
• You’ll feel physically and emotionally tired as a result of the discomfort around your body.
  
• You’ll have trouble sleeping. Maybe writing “thank you” notes or re-arranging the closet as your nesting instinct may be high around this time.

How to Deal With This Situation?

There are a few things that you need to consider to deal with the 36^th week of pregnancy symptoms. 

• Keep your hospital bag packed. Don’t forget to carry the cord blood collection kit in the bag, in case you’ve decided on cord blood banking for the safety of you, your baby and the rest of your family. Cord blood is rich in blood-forming stem cells that will help treat over 80 life-threatening diseases.
  
• Keep track of your baby’s movements every day. Count 10 movements in two hours. Don’t feel surprised if the foetal movements change.
  
• Keep your feet elevated while you’re sleeping. After all, your swollen feet need some relief.
  
• If the baby is pressing down the pelvis, you can invest in a sling or band to support your belly. 
• Apply moisturising lotion for your itchy belly.
  
• You shouldn’t wait too late for dinner. You can’t stop pregnancy cravings, but you still need to avoid spicy or processed food. Also, have small meals. This will improve your digestion and slowly reduce pregnancy constipation. You can have high-energy snacks to give you strength during labour contractions and have ghee or clarified butter to smoothen your delivery.
  
• Since you need to visit the bathroom quite often, that doesn’t mean that you’d have to cut back on liquids. Keep yourself hydrated. The fluids can help you reduce your swelling too.
  
• Keep yourself physically active. Go for a brisk walk. Perform kegel exercises with appropriate care. 
• Keep the emergency phone numbers ready.
  
• You shouldn’t work in closed rooms without proper ventilation and try not to skip meals. Remember that the growing baby is getting nutrition from you.
  
• Take rest as and when you can.

The ninth month of your pregnancy is the most crucial one. Taking the right steps to enhance your physical as well as emotional well-being is necessary. So, eat right, exercise daily, keep yourself stress-free and stay hydrated. 

You must be feeling tired, but at the same time, you’re very excited that you’re giving birth. It’s challenging, yet beautiful.