Week 35 of Pregnancy: All You Need to Know

Baby Development

How is my baby growing?

Week 35 of pregnancy baby development should mean that your baby has grown as much as they can. While your baby might have grown as tall as they can inside your womb, they still have room to pack on some weight. The baby should gain a pound or two before heading out into the world. 

Week 35 of pregnancy baby development is found in the third trimester of pregnancy. During the third trimester, your baby’s fat percentage has gone up, giving your baby a chubby look. This is because week 35 of pregnancy baby development is a week where weight gain is ramping up. During this period, your baby should be gaining about half a pound every week.

By week 35 of pregnancy baby development, your baby has grown so much that there might not be enough room for punches and kicks. Your baby has graduated to rolling and wiggling, shifting inside the womb from time to time. This also means that your baby is getting ready for their final push out into the world, by positioning their head pointing towards your cervix.

Body and Life Changes

How is my body changing?

By week 35 of pregnancy baby development, you may notice colostrum leaking from your nipples. Colostrum is breast milk. It is highly nutritious, and one of the simple signs your body is developing to accommodate and care for your baby. You might also find your breasts to be heavier and streaked with blue veins. To avoid discomfort, you may use a support bra.

Week 35 of pregnancy baby development can also see you gain as much as 25 to 30 pounds. Additional weight gain in the following weeks is possible, though the opposite may also occur. 

The amount of amniotic fluid in your womb peaks at week 33 to 34, and it will start to diminish by the 35th week. Amniotic fluid, which is commonly known as the water when your “water breaks,’ smells distinctly different from urine so it should be easy to distinguish one from the other. However, it can still cause confusion in mothers since the urge to urinate frequently is still a common occurrence during this time. 

This frequent urge to urinate comes from your baby shifting positions. The baby’s exit posture presses down on the bladder constantly. 

Here are some possible physical and psychological changes you may be going through:

• Colostrum development
• Impatience
• Palpitations
• Amniotic fluid starts diminishing
• Emotional meltdowns
• The breast may be streaked with blue varicose veins
• Frequent urination
• Aches and pains in the hips and pelvis
• Constipation
• Itchy skin

What should I be concerned about?

By week 35, you only have five weeks left until you introduce your baby to the outside world. It might be a good idea to have a plan in place on what to do when your water breaks. It is a good idea to start packing a bag of essentials for that trip to the hospital, and keeping emergency contacts on speed dial. You should also be mindful and pay attention for any signs of labor. While it may be premature to give birth by the 35th week of pregnancy, your baby has a high chance of surviving birth during this period.

Pay attention to any of these pregnancy symptoms:

• More regular, stronger, and longer contractions
• Constantly feeling out of breath
• Fatigue
• Heartburn
• Watery, milky leakage (colostrum) from your breasts
• Hemorrhoids
• Swelling of ankles, fingers, or face
• Low back pain with sciatica (lower back to your hips and buttocks, down each leg) 
• Tender breasts 

Your Doctor Visits

What should I tell my doctor

Mention any of the symptoms above if you have them. Your regular check-ups with your doctor should be enough, though doing practice runs to the hospital might be a good idea starting now.

Childbirth options

The Philippine Department of Health’s Safe Motherhood program seeks to provide safe and accessible pregnancy and delivery options to Filipina mothers. In line with this, the Department of Health encourages facility-based birth, or birth done in hospitals, as opposed to at home or anywhere else. This is to lower the mortality rate of childbirth in the country.

What tests should I know about

Your doctor may perform a third-trimester ultrasound scan to check if your baby is already posturing for childbirth. Your doctor might encourage you to perform exercises such as yoga, swimming, or pelvic tilts.

You might also want to take a biophysical profile. It’s a normal ultrasound that can monitor your baby’s heart rate, muscle tone, movement, breathing, and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby. A non-stress test and electronic fetal monitoring may also be included in the test. 

Action plan

Here are some things to do by week 35 of pregnancy.

• Try a breastfeeding class
• Keep your feet elevated to reduce swelling
• Try to stay active by going on walks
• Research on a birth plan
• If you are still working, take a break
• Practice runs to the hospital
• Keep anxiety low and relax