35th week of pregnancy: birth is approaching. Who will accompany you?

You are in your 35th week of pregnancy. Every day you are getting closer to your due date, which is in 5 weeks. You are already on maternity leave. Take care of yourself, rest, relax and lovingly prepare a home for your baby, who will see the light of day in just a few weeks.

How is your baby developing in your tummy?

Even at 35 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is gaining weight. He is storing fat and getting plumper. Fat makes up about 15% of your baby's weight.
He is also starting to store fat in his cheeks, which gives him a nice plump look. Now he is storing fat mainly in his shoulders.

The fetal weight at 35 weeks gestation is approximately 2380 g and the length is 46 cm.

His skin is already smoothed and there is plenty of adipose tissue on his limbs.

The fetal skin is covered with a lubricant called vernix, which protects the fetus. The production of the lubricant will continue after birth. It has a protective function against infection, regulates body temperature and protects against fluid loss.

The skin colour is pink and there are fine hairs on the back.

The baby's cheek muscles are developing.

The kidneys are developed and functional. The baby drinks regularly during the day and expels amniotic fluid. The amniotic fluid is changed several times during the day.

The fetal liver begins to function and break down waste.

The lungs should already have enough surfactant. The lungs should be mature.

Fetal breathing movements occur at various intervals with a frequency of 40-60 breaths per minute and with breathing pauses lasting sometimes up to an hour.

The newborn's intestines slowly begin to fill with a pitch called meconium. It is the first greenish stool formed from waste from the liver and intestines.

The fetus is still forming red blood cells in the bone marrow.

The fetus can already make a firm fist.

The head is beginning to be the right size.

The skull remains soft to allow delivery through the head. As it passes through the birth canal, the displaced bones protect the brain.

The baby's intelligence is now developing very rapidly.

It perceives sounds from its environment and responds intensely to them. The auditory system is fully mature. The fetus picks up internal sounds of the mother, such as the heartbeat, the noise of the mother's blood flow, the sounds of digestion. Of external sounds, it responds to music, voices.

Your baby sleeps up to 90% of the day.

The position of most babies is already head down in the pelvis. If it hasn't already happened, your doctor will probably schedule you for a cesarean birth.

The baby is moving regularly, but no longer has enough room for punches and kicks. Rather, you will feel him shifting and bulging.

As the baby grows, there's less and less room in the womb.

The table shows the approximate dimensions of the fetus at 35 weeks, as measured by sonography

For more information on fetal measurements, see the article:
Ultrasound in pregnancy: fetal size, what is fetal biometry?

In twins, there is even less room than in a single fetus. However, both babies are gaining weight, although not as much. In their lungs, the production of surfactant, a substance needed for the first breath, should have already stopped. Babies from a twin or multiple pregnancy are smaller than babies who are in the womb alone. In multiple pregnancies, the weight of the babies is shared, while in a single fetus, everything is concentrated on just one baby.

How does a woman feel at 35 weeks?

You may not gain weight for the rest of your pregnancy. The needle on the scale may steady, despite the baby's weight gain. However, slight weight gain is normal.

As the due date approaches, the fetal movements will also stop. You should still feel that it is moving and that it is okay.

If you notice too much activity or inactivity of the fetus, contact your doctor immediately. Don't wait for a consultation. The doctor will check the fetus and its heartbeat to see if everything is okay.

The movements you feel are probably his little hands and feet moving, him shifting or kicking his ribs painfully.

Whatever the mother's preference for food now, the baby will prefer the same tastes after birth.

During pregnancy in the third trimester, some women experience a variety of problems. Each woman and each pregnancy is individual. While some women are completely free of pregnancy symptoms, others may have all the problems associated with pregnancy.

Itchy skin on the abdomen is common. Your skin is tight, dry, its elasticity is reduced and stretch marks may form on it. Sometimes hives also appear, often at the site of stretch marks, but also on the legs, arms, buttocks and even on the face. Itchy rashes are common in pregnancy. Aloe vera cream or cold compresses can help with this.

Frequent urination is usual, but also leakage of urine in the last weeks of pregnancy. Due to the position of the baby's head in the pelvic bone, you feel that you still need to pee. Your bladder becomes uncontrollable. You may feel unpleasant leakage of urine when coughing sneezing, laughing. Therefore, you better always wear a pad to avoid inconvenience.

Sometimes you may have a headache, which can also be a symptom of pre-eclampsia.

Constipation and subsequent formation of hemorrhoids. You can help yourself by adjusting your diet with fiber and plenty of fluids.

Heartburn and indigestion should subside in the last few weeks. The fetus drops and the pressure on the stomach decreases.

Fatigue is a frequent accompaniment of pregnancy. It results not only from the increased demands on your body, but also from poor quality sleep associated with frequent waking to use the toilet.

During sleep, you may experience snoring.

The panting occurs mainly after some activity. Just climb the stairs to the third floor.

Swelling of the nipples, lower limbs or face is common but can also be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

Varicose veins on your legs may hurt or itch.

Back pain caused by increased strain on the spine is common.

Pain in the hip arises because of the growing uterus and the pressure of the baby.

Hot flashes and increased sweating are caused by pregnancy hormones.

Mood swings. You must have noticed that one moment you are in a good mood and then suddenly your mood changes. The discomfort from the growing tummy, poor quality sleep and the influence of hormones are to blame for the mood swings.

Sensitive and bleeding gums. Your gums are more engorged during pregnancy. You experience increased sensitivity, even bleeding, when brushing your teeth.

More frequent errands coming in the form of abdominal hardening, which is how the uterus prepares for labour. The errands come irregularly and last for a short time. They disappear after changing position, after rest.

If you start to feel regular abdominal cramps at regular intervals, your back starts to hurt or the contractions become painful, visit your nearest maternity hospital. Get checked to see if it is premature labour.

What you should pay extra attention to:

• amniotic fluid drainage
• bleeding
• pain when urinating and urinary tract infections, which are common in the last trimester of pregnancy
• foul-smelling discharge
• fever and chills
• swelling
• changes in vision
• severe headaches

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to tell your doctor immediately and then visit the hospital.

Look out for the first signs of labour, such as mucus plugs coming off, amniotic fluid draining and the onset of contractions coming at regular intervals with pain, similar to menstruation and back pain.

How to tell if it is a mucus plug, amniotic fluid or just urine outflow (table)

For more detailed information about the onset of labour and its symptoms, see our article, When does labour start?

What can you observe?

Your growing belly will slowly begin to sink down. This will improve your breathing and relieve heartburn, but it will be offset by even more frequent urination. This is caused by the fetus dropping into the pelvis and the increased pressure on the bladder.

The appearance of brown spots on the face is caused by hormones and the subsequent increased pigmentation of the skin. These manifestations subside after birth, during the sixth week.

The brown line on the abdomen is more pronounced.

During pregnancy, sensitivity to odors increases due to hormones.

Your breasts are full and contain colostrum, the first nourishing milk for your baby. By expressing colostrum, your breasts prepare for breastfeeding.

Your belly button arches and points outwards.

The number of brain cells decreases during pregnancy, so you forget more often. You forget the groceries, why you went to the store, where you left your keys, your cell phone, whether you turned off the stove at home. Pregnancy does change a woman's brain because of hormones, but also because of poor quality and lack of sleep. These changes in your life also affect your ability and ability to concentrate. But forgetting is quite common, whether you are pregnant or not. Men are never pregnant and forget too. For you, this condition is only temporary, after giving birth your brain returns to normal.

What examinations are waiting for you at 35 weeks?

Between 35 and 38 weeks, a vaginal swab will be taken from your vagina. It will be taken to see if you have a streptococcal infection, which the baby could contract during delivery. A streptococcal infection could cause an infection in the newborn. If it is present, intravenous antibiotics are given.

During the consultation, your protein, sugar and urine blood will be checked, your blood pressure will be taken, weight gain, uterine growth, fetal positioning and echoes will be recorded. The doctor will check for swelling of the lower limbs. He will ask about symptoms such as headache, changes in vision, vaginal discharge. If you are suffering from any symptoms or feel that something is not right, ask the doctor. He is there for you, he will be happy to help you and check that everything is okay.

Talk to your obstetrician and agree on the type of delivery. If your pregnancy is going well, it is up to you which method of delivery you choose. You can choose a spontaneous delivery without analgesia or with epidural analgesia. In case of complications, a caesarean section is performed and planned.

If the baby is deposited pelvic end in the birth canal or you have a multiple fetal pregnancy, your doctor will inform you about cesarean delivery. He or she has probably already mentioned it to you.

If you are planning a cesarean delivery, you will need an internal and anesthesiology evaluation before your scheduled delivery date.

What if the baby is born prematurely?

By the 35th week of pregnancy, all organs are developed. If your baby were born now, he would most likely make the adaptation without any problems. However, by the end of the 36th week, he is still considered borderline immature. The lungs are already mature, with plenty of surfactant. Due to the lack of fat reserves, he will probably still be transferred to an incubator to prevent hypothermia.

In the case of twin births, both babies should adapt well. Given their lower birth weight and lack of fat reserves, they will most certainly be transferred to an incubator. In the incubator, they will be monitored to see if their lungs and other organs have had time to develop sufficiently.

What can we recommend?

• Try to get enough sleep and rest.
• Adequate fluid intake is important to keep hydrated despite frequent urination.
• Try to avoid stress, don't be unnecessarily nervous. Your baby can feel it. Think that soon you will have a baby at home and you will enjoy its presence.
• Don't lift heavy objects and don't strain yourself.
• Don't forget to move around and take walks to help you change your thoughts. Moving around will give you the fitness you will need when you give birth.
• Practise Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor. You will recover faster after giving birth.
• Don't forget to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Talk to your baby in your tummy. He can hear you and will recognize your voice after birth.
• Regularly lubricate your skin with creams to prevent itchy skin and stretch marks.
• Relax, pamper yourself while you can. Emotional and mental well-being is important for you and your baby.
• Use sanitary pads to prevent inconvenience caused by urine leakage and possible amniotic fluid drainage.
• Breast pads will protect you from colostrum spots.
• Do a check of your maternity items to make sure you have everything ready and prepared.

Have you thought about who will accompany you during labour?

If you haven't taken antenatal classes yet, it's high time.

Your birth companion can be your partner who will share the arrival of your longed-for baby with you. Instead, your best friend, sister or mum can support you. If you can't decide, nowadays it is possible to get a midwife. A midwife will not only accompany you in the last days of pregnancy and during the birth, but also offer you expert help. A doula is a trained helper who will do everything to make your birth a beautiful experience full of joy at the anticipated arrival of your baby. She will be your mental and physical support throughout.

You can read more about midwives in our article Who is a midwife and what is her role?

Find out more about the next weeks of pregnancy in our summary article.