35 Weeks Pregnant

At 35 weeks pregnant, the baby moves a lot and the vitality of fetal development is impressive. The strong movements can be surprising at this stage. The famous waves make pregnancy even more impressive for first-time parents.

At 35 weeks, fetal development is complete. Now the baby gains about 30 grams per day, and the accumulation of fat is necessary for the baby to gain weight properly. Know that the baby’s weight gain is not proportional to the mother’s weight gain.

Baby’s development

At the 35th week of pregnancy, the baby already has the exact features with which they will be born. All their organs are fully functioning, except their lungs, which are still maturing. At this stage, they are producing fluid to ensure they don’t stop working when the baby is born and starts to breathe¹.

A baby at 35 weeks measures about 46.2 cm and weighs 2.383 kg. They are in the final stretch of development and are now gaining weight daily. Their movements are becoming less frequent due to lack of space in the uterus. But you can still notice sudden movements marking the belly, especially when an elbow or a foot sticks out.

At this stage, the baby’s kidneys are already working² and their liver is able to filter substances properly. The amount of amniotic fluid is decreasing every day. This is because the baby is taking up more space in the uterus, which has grown to be 100 times larger than its normal size.

How the mom is feeling

Mom is in the home stretch! Now anxiety may start to take over for you and dad. But know that these moments that seem to drag on are the best for feeling the baby move, and I recommend enjoying every one of them. Every pregnancy is different. Even if you have more children, each pregnancy is unique and has its particularities.

If it’s a twin pregnancy, from now on you need to be on alert. Usually, deliveries happen between 35 and 36 weeks. Of course, there are always exceptions. There are not so rare cases where pregnancy reaches 39 weeks with no issues.

At 35 weeks of pregnancy, practice contractions, sleepless nights and cramps can bother mom. But don’t worry, labor is almost here! And when you see your baby’s little face, everything, absolutely everything, becomes worthwhile, and the sense of reward is the best in the world! Mom, if you haven’t ordered the souvenirs yet, now is more than the time! Baby will soon arrive and it’s a race against time to have everything ready for their much-anticipated arrival.

Plan to rest as much as possible, especially if you work outside the home and haven’t started maternity leave yet. Taking a good nap after lunch or putting your feet up makes a big difference. At this point, it’s common for your OB-GYN to schedule fortnightly or even weekly prenatal visits to monitor you more closely.

At 35 weeks pregnant, it is likely that you will be asked to do the group B strep test to check if you need to take antibiotics during labor. Don’t worry, it’s a very simple test with very fast results!

External factors

Queen of peeing! That’s how pregnant women may feel at 35 weeks. It would be great to have a lymphatic drainage session³. It helps eliminate fluids and increases urine output. Staying hydrated is essential, so have the right drinks like coconut water, water, natural juices, and avoid teas that may make you need to pee more. Some drinks, such as certain teas and soft drinks, are diuretics. Keep an eye on your blood pressure because pre-eclampsia is dangerous at this stage.

Have you decided what type of delivery you want? Usually, your health situation can already give you and your doctor an idea of which delivery is safest for you. Do you want vaginal birth or cesarean?

Photo: Cambridge Brewing Co.