31 Weeks Pregnant

At 31 weeks pregnant, you are getting closer and closer to your due date and your baby is still growing. Your baby is likely to weight around 3.3 pounds or more and be at least 16 inches long. That is a big jump from last week! Your baby is getting closer and closer to the weight that he or she will be at birth.

Your Baby’s Development at Pregnancy Week 31

At lot of the development now is to prepare for living outside the womb. The lungs will continue to develop and your baby will be practicing the breathing much more. The brain will also continue to develop while the heart beats strongly. The lanugo will still be there, waiting for more fat to develop on the bones. This will take some time but it will get there very soon.

Movements will feel a little more uncomfortable at 31 weeks pregnant, some may even be painful. This is simply due to the space in the womb just getting that much smaller and your little one turning so that he or she is ready to be born. The kicks and jabs are likely to be around your kidneys, liver and even your bladder. This will make the frequent need to pee even more frequent.

Many babies start to turn to the head down position during this time. This is getting ready for birth. If your baby doesn’t turn at 31 weeks pregnant, there is no need to worry too much but you could talk to your midwife about it. There are some tricks that you can do to help your baby turn, including scrubbing the kitchen floors and sitting on a stability ball and rocking your hips.

Changes in You

As you get to 31 weeks pregnant, your bump will be taking over. You will be much larger and growing rapidly, which makes movements much harder. When you walk, you may find that you waddle more and you will struggle to see your toes. Simple, everyday tasks will become a chore and you may need to start asking friends and family for some help.

Your body will be getting ready for the birth of your baby. This means that more pregnancy hormones will be released to help with relaxing the ligaments and muscles in your hips. This will affect all of your joints though, so you may find that your knees, back and even shoulders start to feel pain. This is normal and should disappear shortly after the birth.

Symptoms at 31 Weeks Pregnant

You main find that you find it a little difficult to breathe. This is because as your womb gets higher, your lungs have less space. This is not a danger for you, but it will mean that you need to take is easy when you are at pregnancy week 31. You will not be able to run a marathon and it is unlikely that you will have the energy to do a lot.

Doing exercise is still good for you but opt for ones that will not cause too much discomfort and breathing problems – swimming is an excellent form, and so is yoga. This breathing discomfort will go away in the next few weeks when your uterus drops into your pelvis. This is known as lightening.

Heartburn or indigestion are extremely common at 31 weeks pregnant and is extremely painful. This will be caused worse if you opt for large and stodgy meals. Take your time to eat your meals slowly and opt for smaller and more frequent ones. Your digestion is still acting much slower, which is part of the relaxing hormones that are being released. It will go away after the birth. The good news is that you can take heartburn remedies to help you if it really gets to be a discomfort.

You may find that your vision is blurry during this stage. Due to the amount of hormones and blood in the system, the eyesight can change considerably during your pregnancy term. It can go back to normal afterwards but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t.

Enjoy your time at 31 weeks pregnant. Spend some time writing in a journal or creating a letter for your bundle of joy. This is a great chance to tell your baby about your worries, fears but the love you have for him or her but keep the letter for a few years later.