The baby continues to gain weight, almost about half a pound each week from now onwards. The mother’s body is also undergoing continuous changes to support the growing baby. In
Pregnancy Week 31 the changes occured in the mother and the baby are summarised below.
Changes in the Baby
Physical Changes
The pace of growth slows down in this week, but the baby is still gaining weight and growing in length. Now the
baby’s weight and height are 3.5 pounds and 16 inches approximately. Increasing fat deposits render the skin a pinkish colour giving the baby a newborn look. The nails almost cover the finger tips now.
Internal Changes
The baby’s brain is developing rapidly in this week. Except lungs all other organs have fully developed. The bones begin to grow and strengthen. Therefore the
baby’s requirements for calcium, protein and iron must be met through balanced nutrition and medical supplements.
The placental blood flow supplying nutrients also helps in producing urine. By
week 31 baby is urinating several times into the amniotic fluid. Alongside the baby is also swallowing the amniotic fluid. In
Pregnancy Week 31 by measuring the levels of amniotic fluid with an ultra sound can give important insight into the internal health of the baby. Excess amniotic fluid (Polyhydramnios) in the amniotic sac may mean that the baby is not swallowing properly or it could be having some gastrointestinal obstruction. Insufficient fluid (Oligohydramnios) is an indication that the baby is not urinating properly and some urinary system defect may be present.
The baby’s immune system is substantially developed to survive in the outside world. The skull bones have still not fused, and a soft spot remains. It gets covered by hair by this week. In
Pregnancy Week 31 the testis starts dropping down from the body into the scrotum if you are pregnant with a boy.
Sensory Development
Baby’s eyes are completely developed and can blink its eyes in Week 31. The irises also respond to light and dark. Studies reveal that baby listens to music by this time. In fact it also shows preference for certain types of music.
Changes in the Mother
Now the baby occupies almost the entire uterus. Its movement slows down because not much space left for it to move around. During 31st week of
Pregnancy the stretching of the uterus to accommodate the growing baby is accompanied by aches and pains especially in the back and the pelvic area. The rib cage and the pelvis are sore with the uterus expanding to fill every available space in the abdomen. The mother also experiences severe heartburn and leg cramps. By now most of the ladies are anxious for the pregnancy to end and baby to be born. The discomforts during this period can be lessened by adopting right posture, exercising regularly and eating smaller portions at a time. For more information regarding your pregnancy visit
Week by Week Pregnancy.
The milk glands in the breasts start producing clostrum. Clostrum is the first milk. It is highly nutritious for the babies because it provides nutrients and calories in the initial stages till the breasts starts producing milk.
In this
Pregnancy Week 31 the mother feels the Braxton-Hick contractions more strongly. They are fake contractions and must not be confused with
pre-mature labour. Those ladies expecting multiple babies must start packing their baby bag now because delivery may happen any day now. Others have a few more weeks to go and can spend their time practicing the breathing exercises in preparation for real labour.
