You are now 31 weeks pregnant, which is the beginning of week 32. Your baby weighs about 1.7kg (1,700 grams or 3 lbs 12 oz) and measures about 43 cm from head to toe (just under 17 inches).
Your baby has now put on enough weight to make them look a little chubby! The fine hair that covered their entire body (called lanugo) disappears from their face, but remains on their body. Most unborn babies sleep about 90% of the time, in between short bursts of movement when awake (every 1 to 2 hours). It is common for babies to be active during the evenings, when their mother is trying to sleep, between 9pm and 1am!
What is my body doing at 31 weeks?
Been feeling a lot clammier recently? Well, due to your increased blood flow, your body sweats more as a way of cooling you down. Nice! Make sure you keep well hydrated with lots of cold water.
If you feel numbness or pins and needles in your fingers, especially your thumb and first two fingers, this is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It’s a result of fluid retention in your carpal tunnel – which is a structure in your wrist housing your nerves, tendons and ligaments.
You’re due for another antenatal appointment around now, too, so bring up any issues, worries or questions with your midwife.
If you’ve been feeling the muscles in your uterus tightening from time to time then don’t rush to hospital – you’re probably having harmless Braxton Hicks contractions. These should be quite random, won’t hurt and can last around 30 seconds.
However, if they’re frequent contractions, say more than four in an hour (even if they’re not painful), you notice a change in your discharge (for example, if they're more watery, contain more mucus or are bloody in any way), suffer from cramping, abdominal pain or an increase in pelvic pressure or lower back pain, call your GP or midwife, as these could be signs of premature labour.
Common symptoms to look out for:
Heartburn
Heartburn (indigestion or reflux) is a feeling of burning or discomfort in the chest and throat, usually after eating. Heartburn is experienced by up to 66% of pregnant women and is more common during the last 3 to 4 months of pregnancy.
Emotional reactions
For most potential parents, being nervous or anxious about the labour and parenting is very normal, but often not acknowledged by others. We are lucky it takes around nine months to get used to the idea! If you are feeling anxious, take some time out. Learn all you can about dealing with labour and birth, or a planned caesarean, and research your options for pain management. Contemplate how you feel about having a new baby and accepting this inevitability. Talk about it with your partner or friends to help come to terms with any issues you have. Consider counselling, hypnosis and/or homeopathies to help support you.
Other considerations
Choosing support people
As part of planning for your birth, you may wish to consider having an extra support person during your labour (in addition to, or in place of your partner or primary support person). This decision may be influenced by your choice of caregiver(s) and where you plan to give birth. There is now quite a bit of research supporting the benefits for women having a close female support person during their labour.
Raspberry leaf
Raspberry leaf is a traditional herb that has been used for centuries by indigenous cultures for medicinal purposes. It was not until the 1940's that western medicine recognised its possible use as a uterine tonic for childbirth. It is now estimated that up to 20% of pregnant women take some form of raspberry leaf extract (as a tea, tablet or tincture) during their pregnancy, generally after about 32 to 34 weeks.
Birth preparations
Waters breaking - no contractions
The sac of waters (known as the amniotic fluid) can rupture or break before labour starts, during the labour process or not until the actual birth. If your waters break at home, you should let your caregiver know.
Augmenting the labour
Augmenting means to 'increase or enlarge'. The augmentation of labour refers to interventions used to increase the intensity of labour contractions, particularly after the waters have broken. Augmentation differs from induction, in that the labour has already started in some way. Labour can be augmented using natural therapies or through medical interventions.
Monitoring your baby
Your baby's heartbeat may be electronically monitored during the pregnancy, if your waters break, or during prelabour or labour. This is done using a continuous cardiotocographic machine (CTG), which records the baby's heart rate continuously on a piece of paper.
Meconium stained amniotic fluid
Around 10% of unborn babies open their bowels before they are born. This turns the amniotic fluid green, yellow or brownish in colour. Meconium stained waters can be associated with the baby having a short temporarily reduced oxygen supply at some point in time, or a slowly reducing level of oxygen over a longer period of time.
Acupressure during labour
Acupressure is a simple, non-invasive technique that can be used to support the physical and emotional well-being of women during labour. It may also be used to help stimulate contractions.
What to do this week:
Your baby has now put on enough weight to make them look a little chubby! The fine hair that covered their entire body (called lanugo) disappears from their face, but remains on their body. Most unborn babies sleep about 90% of the time, in between short bursts of movement when awake (every 1 to 2 hours). It is common for babies to be active during the evenings, when their mother is trying to sleep, between 9pm and 1am!
What is my body doing at 31 weeks?
Been feeling a lot clammier recently? Well, due to your increased blood flow, your body sweats more as a way of cooling you down. Nice! Make sure you keep well hydrated with lots of cold water.
If you feel numbness or pins and needles in your fingers, especially your thumb and first two fingers, this is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It’s a result of fluid retention in your carpal tunnel – which is a structure in your wrist housing your nerves, tendons and ligaments.
You’re due for another antenatal appointment around now, too, so bring up any issues, worries or questions with your midwife.
If you’ve been feeling the muscles in your uterus tightening from time to time then don’t rush to hospital – you’re probably having harmless Braxton Hicks contractions. These should be quite random, won’t hurt and can last around 30 seconds.
However, if they’re frequent contractions, say more than four in an hour (even if they’re not painful), you notice a change in your discharge (for example, if they're more watery, contain more mucus or are bloody in any way), suffer from cramping, abdominal pain or an increase in pelvic pressure or lower back pain, call your GP or midwife, as these could be signs of premature labour.
Common symptoms to look out for:
- Shortness of breath: Finding it hard to catch your breath? Yup, it’s pregnancy’s fault again. As your uterus pushes on your internal organs, your lungs feel crowded and it’s harder for them to expand fully, meaning you might experience an unpleasant or uncomfortable feeling of shortness of breath. This may improve towards the end of your pregnancy, when your baby drops lower in preparation for delivery. Sleeping on your side may give your lungs more space to breathe in the meantime.
- Backaches: Your growing belly can impact your back, as it will have to curve to accommodate the new weight. Try to attend some prenatal yoga classes to protect your back and relax your mind.
- Headaches: It’s those pesky hormones again that might cause you to have headaches, as well as pregnancy fatigue. To get rid of migraines or tension headaches, take 15 minutes to lie in a quiet, dark room, or put an icepack on your forehead or the back of your neck while you relax. Don’t take any medication before checking with your doctor first.
Heartburn
Heartburn (indigestion or reflux) is a feeling of burning or discomfort in the chest and throat, usually after eating. Heartburn is experienced by up to 66% of pregnant women and is more common during the last 3 to 4 months of pregnancy.
Emotional reactions
For most potential parents, being nervous or anxious about the labour and parenting is very normal, but often not acknowledged by others. We are lucky it takes around nine months to get used to the idea! If you are feeling anxious, take some time out. Learn all you can about dealing with labour and birth, or a planned caesarean, and research your options for pain management. Contemplate how you feel about having a new baby and accepting this inevitability. Talk about it with your partner or friends to help come to terms with any issues you have. Consider counselling, hypnosis and/or homeopathies to help support you.
Other considerations
Choosing support people
As part of planning for your birth, you may wish to consider having an extra support person during your labour (in addition to, or in place of your partner or primary support person). This decision may be influenced by your choice of caregiver(s) and where you plan to give birth. There is now quite a bit of research supporting the benefits for women having a close female support person during their labour.
Raspberry leaf
Raspberry leaf is a traditional herb that has been used for centuries by indigenous cultures for medicinal purposes. It was not until the 1940's that western medicine recognised its possible use as a uterine tonic for childbirth. It is now estimated that up to 20% of pregnant women take some form of raspberry leaf extract (as a tea, tablet or tincture) during their pregnancy, generally after about 32 to 34 weeks.
Birth preparations
Waters breaking - no contractions
The sac of waters (known as the amniotic fluid) can rupture or break before labour starts, during the labour process or not until the actual birth. If your waters break at home, you should let your caregiver know.
Augmenting the labour
Augmenting means to 'increase or enlarge'. The augmentation of labour refers to interventions used to increase the intensity of labour contractions, particularly after the waters have broken. Augmentation differs from induction, in that the labour has already started in some way. Labour can be augmented using natural therapies or through medical interventions.
Monitoring your baby
Your baby's heartbeat may be electronically monitored during the pregnancy, if your waters break, or during prelabour or labour. This is done using a continuous cardiotocographic machine (CTG), which records the baby's heart rate continuously on a piece of paper.
Meconium stained amniotic fluid
Around 10% of unborn babies open their bowels before they are born. This turns the amniotic fluid green, yellow or brownish in colour. Meconium stained waters can be associated with the baby having a short temporarily reduced oxygen supply at some point in time, or a slowly reducing level of oxygen over a longer period of time.
Acupressure during labour
Acupressure is a simple, non-invasive technique that can be used to support the physical and emotional well-being of women during labour. It may also be used to help stimulate contractions.
What to do this week:
- Think about the birth plan: Start thinking about pain medication during labour. You don’t have to decide yet, but it’s good to be prepared and understand all the options, whether you know you want pain relief, you’re sure you don’t, or you’re happy to wait and see how you feel on the day. You could sign up for a childbirth education class with your partner, where you can learn all about medical pain relief such as epidurals, as well as drug-free approaches such as breathing techniques.
- Start packing! You should also start thinking about what to pack in your hospital bag. Preparing in advance means all you have to do is leave the bag by the door, and if your baby arrives earlier than expected, you’ll have one less thing to worry about when rushing to the hospital!
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