At 36 weeks in, you have officially entered the last phase of your pregnancy journey. With just one month till delivery, your baby is almost ready to enter the world and is chubby and pink within your belly. They only have a few things remaining in order to finish up their development.
The size of the baby
Your baby is roughly the size of a papaya or a bunch of bananas.
Weight/height of the baby
The weight of your baby at this stage is around 2.65-3 kg while the height of your baby is roughly 45-48cm. Your baby will grow a little bit more till the time of delivery.
About your baby
Your baby at 36 weeks is pretty much fully developed and will not experience much changes from now till the time they’ll be born. Your baby starts opening up his/her eyes at this stage and can suck on their thumb, breathe easily and respond to different voices. The circulatory system of the baby is completely formed at this point, with the immune system still gearing up. The digestive system of the baby is still not mature enough as the baby has not started eating while in the womb, and will take 1-2 years to be fully developed.
At this point, your baby’s skull has flexible and soft bones in order to easily pass through the birth canal. Soft hair covering your baby is nearly gone or will disappear completely by the time of delivery. The bowel of your baby will begin to store the first poo, also known as Meconium which will be excreted after delivery.
About your body
You’ll experience waddle walk at this stage as you try to keep yourself balanced with the big bump. At week 36, you should have gained 9 – 13.5 kg thus far. The caloric count of a pregnant lady increases at this stage, and the uterus will be positioned near the ribcage. Your baby’s head starts dropping downwards, causing your bump to be less visible.
The symptoms which you’ll experience during the pregnancy stage include increased vaginal pressure, increased mucus discharge, easy breathing, frequent urination, swollen feet and ankles and Braxton hick’s contractions where you experience false contractions.
Do & Don’ts / Advice / Checklist / Tips
• Eat frequent and smaller meals in order to stay active and healthy
• Sleep well at night to avoid exhaustion and fatigue
• Choose the perfect pregnancy bras so that you feel comfortable after the delivery
• Try enjoying the last weeks of pregnancy, stay relaxed and stress-free
• Perform some light exercises in order to stay active and super healthy
• Get the baby room ready
• Practice relaxation and breathing techniques that will help you during labour
• Prepare your hospital bag
• Keep your birth plan ready, where you will go, who will you call and what time you’ll need
• Create all the contacts to whom you can call during an emergency