35 Weeks Pregnant – What to expect

You’re 35 weeks pregnant!

You’re getting close to the home stretch now.

Feeling plenty of fatigue and heavy in your pregnancy is part of the territory these days.

Hang in there, mama, it won’t be much longer.

Or you could be one of those blossoming, glowing women, who enjoy every day.

When you think about how close you are to your due date, the reality of how little time you have to go might hit you.

If you’re wondering what you might experience at 35 weeks, read on for some helpful tips and advice.

How many months is 35 weeks pregnant?

Have you been wondering how many months pregnant you are at 35 weeks?

Remember, in pregnancy we count 1 month as 4 weeks. That means at 35 weeks you’re 8 months pregnant. You’re so close to 9 months now. Probably just a few weeks to go before you meet your baby!

What should I do at 35 weeks pregnant?

Some women enjoy collecting items and objects they can use as visual reminders of their strength and power during labor.

You don’t have to give birth at home to set up your own positive birth space. No doubt you have a birth plan and you are checking this over with your care provider.

Think about what you’d like to take into the hospital to help you cope during labor.

Be sure to read Creating Your Birth Space – 5 Things You Need To Do for tips on how to set up the perfect space to labor and birth. 

Have you thought about sleeping arrangements when you bring the baby home?

Most newborns love the closeness and comfort of co-sleeping, but there is a lot of misinformation out there that can put parents off.

Check out our articles covering co-sleeping topics and more:

• Where Should Your Baby Sleep? Deciding Where Baby Will Sleep
• Rolling Onto Baby While Co-Sleeping – Should You Worry?
• 5 Sleep Options For Your Baby – Where Will Your Baby Sleep?

As long as you have safe sleeping space and a car seat to bring your baby home in, the rest can be organized quite easily.

35 weeks pregnant symptoms

At week 35 of pregnancy, your uterus is now right up to your rib cage.

This can make breathing a little difficult. It’s also getting tricky to bend down to pick anything up or put on your shoes.

Your uterus is an amazing 1,000 times its normal non-pregnant size!

Right now all of your internal organs are being squashed. This affects how much you can eat and how often you experience reflux or heartburn.

Try eating small, frequent meals rather than three larger ones.

If heartburn is a problem, find out what you can do to relieve it in Heartburn During Pregnancy – Remedies and Relief.

Your bladder is also being squished by the baby, which means more frequent urination. Try to avoid drinking too much fluid right before bed.

Needing to wee often is probably interrupting your sleep – assuming you’re getting any between the pregnancy insomnia and restless legs.

Restless leg syndrome is one of the most irritating pregnancy symptoms because it happens when you’re lying down, trying to sleep (remember sleep?!).

If you have trouble sleeping and restless legs are a problem, take a magnesium and potassium supplement.

If you include foods such as bananas, dried fruit, nuts, and avocado, you can also increase your intake of these minerals.

Be sure to read Restless Leg Syndrome During Pregnancy for more suggestions.

You could also try an Epsom salts bath, which alleviates the aches and pains you’re probably feeling in your back and hips.

35 weeks pregnant tired

It’s quite normal to feel tired in pregnancy. However if you’re really low in energy, on a daily basis, and feeling so tired you can’t function, or even get out of bed, you could have more than usual going on.

It’s possible you have low iron levels, or pregnancy related anemia.

Anemia occurs when your blood has a lower than normal amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin.

It is due to iron deficiency or folate deficiency; both are becoming very common in pregnancy.

Folate is a vitamin found naturally in certain foods like green leafy vegetables. The body needs folate to produce new cells, including healthy red blood cells. During pregnancy, women need extra folate.

You also have an increased volume of blood at this stage of pregnancy. This makes your red blood cells more ‘spaced out’ and increases the chances you will feel the symptoms of low iron – including fatigue.

You might need iron supplementation; it’s best to discuss this with your care provider.

To help you make an informed decision about the best way to treat low iron, be sure to read Anaemia During Pregnancy – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment.

35 weeks pregnant cramping

Braxton Hicks contractions (practice contractions) are nature’s way of helping your body prepare for labor.

It’s pretty amazing to see how hard and tight your belly can get.

Just keep in mind these practice contractions shouldn’t be painful, and they should ease if you move about.

Cramping can be a sign of preterm labor, especially if you have any bleeding or spotting.

If you experience any bleeding with regular contractions, make sure to contact your doctor immediately.

35 weeks pregnant pain in top of the stomach

If you’re feeling some pain or discomfort at the top of your belly, it could be heartburn.

For some relief, you can try over the counter medications. Chat to your pharmacist or your healthcare provider for advice about what’s appropriate for you to use.

You might also have a stomach bug or food poisoning. Either of these will usually be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and a high temperature.

Speak to your healthcare provider about appropriate ways to manage these symptoms.

Pain just under the ribs can indicate preeclampsia – a condition that only develops during pregnancy. Other symptoms of preeclampsia include elevated blood pressure and protein in your urine.

Check with your doctor if you have any concerns about pain during pregnancy.

35 weeks pregnant symptoms not to ignore

At 35 weeks you are preterm, which means if your baby was born today it would be considered premature.

If you have any of the signs of labor at 35 weeks it’s vital you contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Symptoms of preeclampsia that you can’t ignore:

• Headache with visual disturbances
• Constant pain in abdomen or anywhere else
• Really sudden swelling in your legs, ankles, hands, feet and face
• Mid sternum chest pain.

Other symptoms not to ignore:

• You feel like your baby isn’t moving, or has reduced movement
• You have vaginal bleeding
• Your water breaks. It might be clear. Yellow-green indicates meconium might be in the amniotic fluid.

You must contact your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms.

Can I hurt my baby sleeping on my right side?

You can sleep on either side. It’s preferable to avoid sleeping on your back, but you’ll find this isn’t comfortable at all after about 28 weeks pregnant.

Sleeping on your left side allows for maximum flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta. It also means there is less pressure on major blood vessels.

Side sleeping also enhances kidney function, which means better elimination of waste products and less swelling in your feet, ankles, and hands.

Try a pregnancy pillow to find a comfortable sleeping position when you’re lying down in bed.

Can my waters break at 35 weeks pregnant?

Normally your waters will break when you go into labor, or during labor. If your waters break before 37 weeks this is called preterm premature rupture of membranes, or PPROM.

If you suspect your waters have broken at 35 weeks pregnant you must contact your doctor immediately.

Things you should know:

• Usually, there are copious amounts
• Put on a sanitary pad
• Monitor the color of the fluid
• It could mean your baby needs to arrive soon
• Take all your bags with you to the hospital, as you might have an extended stay.

For more information be sure to read Premature Rupture Of Membranes – When Your Water Breaks Prematurely.

Is baby fully developed at 35 weeks?

Your baby at 35 weeks isn’t quite ready for birth and life outside the womb.

If born now, your baby would most likely need support in a special care nursery. However, most babies born at week 35 catch up to their full term peers quite quickly.

Premature Babies – What To Expect Week By Week has helpful information about preterm babies.

Do babies born at 35 weeks have to stay in the NICU?

The answer is likely to be yes – for a short time at least. Preterm babies might need to be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or even readmitted to the hospital after discharge.

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is by far the biggest risk for babies born at 35 weeks pregnant. They can’t regulate their temperature very well either, due to low birth weight. They’re also at a higher risk for infections and possible feeding problems.

Baby boys seem to have more trouble than preterm girls.

Baby at 35 weeks – movements

Over the months since you first felt your baby move, you’ll have come to know the normal pattern of movement.

Each baby has an individual pattern of movement. Some babies move more in the evening when the mother is resting, and some are more active in the morning.

Certain babies kick all the time and some seem to punch!

The key thing to note is whether that pattern changes, or you feel reduced movements.

In either case, you need to contact your doctor or midwife immediately for an assessment.

There are a few outdated practices that suggest you just lie down, or have a cold drink, and the baby will move. Another myth is your baby’s movements slow down in the third trimester. This isn’t correct and can be dangerous advice.

Babies do sleep, and this should be part of their usual sleep-wake pattern.

Make sure to contact your healthcare provider if you are in any doubt about your baby’s movements.

Be sure to read Do All Babies Go Quiet Before Labour? for more insight into baby movement.

35 weeks pregnant baby position

At 35 weeks pregnant, you can start paying attention to your baby’s position in utero. Now is a great time to check your baby’s position, as you have time to make adjustments if the baby is breech or not turned head down.

Breech babes are a variation of normal and can be birthed vaginally with minimal concern. But you do need to have a care provider who is experienced with vaginal breech and can support you on the day.

Your baby’s position will determine how your labor progresses and how your contractions feel. You just need to have a plan or strategy on how you will cope with this.

Some tips that might help your body in pregnancy:

• Optimal fetal positioning with Spinning Babies
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractics
• Relaxation – let that oxytocin flow.

Chat to your midwife or doctor or for more advice.

More information can be found in Optimal Fetal Positioning – How To Make Birth Easier.

What does a baby at 35 weeks look like?

For the next few weeks, until birth, your baby will continue to gain weight.

Your baby’s arms and legs are getting chubbier.

Even though his brain is growing, his skull is still quite soft. This allows the skull bones to overlap during his descent through the birth canal.

There’s a lot of fetal activity now, with fewer big rolling movements and more jabs and pokes.

Your baby’s hearing is fully developed. This means he’s paying attention to the sounds outside the womb.

Some women might notice their baby reacting to sounds and voices they recognise. Your baby will know your voice, and your partner’s, by the time he is born.

Vernix, a coating on your baby’s skin that protects it from the amniotic fluid, continues to become thicker than in previous weeks.

Around this time, however, the fine hair called lanugo, which once covered his body, is almost gone.

35 weeks pregnant baby weight in kg

At 35 weeks your baby is the size of a honeydew melon. Your baby’s weight is about 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) and could measure around 47 cm (18 inches) in length.