Third Trimester: When You Are 31 Weeks Pregnant

Another one week passed by and now you are in the 31 weeks of pregnancy. You may feel excited, but sometimes you would feel anxious about your little one. Let's see both of your developments during this week. How Big Is My Baby? Image Credit: theconversation.com You can imagine the size of your prince to the size of a coconut. He is currently weighed about 1.5kg and 41cm long. He is on a rapid pace in approaching his birth length and will gain around 3-5 pounds before you give birth. Baby's Development When You Are 31 Weeks Pregnant At this stage, he is still developing his brain functions and cells along with other movements too. Sometimes you would not feel his movements because he is "super busy" with sleeping and you would notice different patterns of his actions, wakefulness, and rest too. Apart from being busy sleeping, he is also packing up his schedule with pedalling his feet and sucking his thumbs vigorously. Brain's Development Right now, his brain is continuously developing at a significant and rapid pace, and indirectly he is now able to control the temperature of his own body. These means that he is no longer depends on amniotic fluid for warmth. He would swallow amniotic liquid and pee that back out - up to several cups per day. Also, he can pick up signals from all five senses and process information. Image from Adobe Stock Skull and Bone's Development Along with the maturity process of his brain, his bones are also hardening. Not all, but most of them are except for bones on his skull will remain soft and flexible. This will help him to pass through the birth canal much easier soon. When he is delivered, he will have soft spots on his skull, which is called fontanelles. Fontanelles will start to close several months after he is born and some of them will take up to 18 months (or more) to close fully. Mommy's Body Changes Breast's changes Not only your belly is growing, but your breasts too! You would need to buy a new bra with an extra size or maternity bra. Make sure to purchase the correct one so that you won't feel uncomfortable while wearing one. Plus, a maternity sports bra will be the coolest alternative because it can provide additional support to your breasts. Also, during this trimester, you may face leakages from your breasts too. That is why nursing pad is a must-have item during this last trimester. But, bear in mind that not all mommies will face the leakages of colostrum as some won't face it at all. Symptoms When You Are 31 Weeks Pregnant These are symptoms once you are entering the 31st week of pregnancy: Hand Pain This pain is usually known as carpal tunnel syndrome, which happens because of the tissues in your hands got swollen up and pressed on the nerves in that part. Your hands will feel numbness and tingling sensation, but there is no need to worry about this sign. Practically it will go away once you give birth but do mention this to your doctor so that he can help you to ease the discomfort. You can also use a wrist splint and do not put much stress on your hands like doing many works. Lay it down in comfortable positions. Discomfort from the baby's movement As your belly is growing and you are also feeling more exhausted, you may get annoyed at some point with the movement of your baby; his kicks and jabs. But actually, this is a good sign which shows that your baby is active and you should continue counting his kicks as a daily routine. Feeling tired Feeling exhausted during this stage is normal since your body is regulating with the presence of another creature. Just make sure to have enough rest and sleep but if you have trouble to sleep at night, take power naps during the day. Besides, do exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. Skin itchiness This is not uncommon, especially at several parts like belly, breast, and buttocks. Just keep yourself hydrated and gently apply moisturizer at those particular parts. Your Bucket To-do List! Decide who would accompany you during labour. Usually, pregnant women will choose their partners as the one that will support them in the labour room. But, if your partner is working oversea or couldn't accompany you, you may ask for a friend or family member to accompany you. Additional Tips for 31 Weeks Pregnant Sleeping positions You will face trouble to sleep at night because you cannot find the right positions to lay back. There is a recommendation from experts; try to lie on your side with one or both knees bent. You can also put one pillow between your knees and another one under your belly. Another alternative is to go for one of those full-length pregnancy pillows. Sex during pregnancy Doctors confirmed that sex during pregnancy wouldn't cause any harm to your baby. Just try to experiment and find comfortable positions as your belly is growing bigger, especially as you are in the last trimester. But if there is any complication, like vaginal bleeding, please do check with your doctor. Breastfeed or Formula feed You should start thinking on how you would feed your little one soon, whether by breastfeeding or formula feeding. You can ask opinions from your doctors, and this may be varied after your baby is born. Maybe you plan to feed him with formula milk, but he cannot tolerate it, so you need to breastfeed him then. So, start thinking about this and learn how to breastfeed. While waiting for the time to arrive, stay tuned with Motherhood Story for more Weekly Pregnancy update.

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