You are 36 weeks pregnant or in your 37th week of pregnancy (counting from the first day of your Last Menstrual Period).
Keep in mind that this information is approximate. Each pregnancy is different and growth rates vary. For variations and details, please talk to your doctor.
What’s happening to the baby?
- Congratulations! Your baby is officially full-term now. Baby can be born any time in the next 2 or 3 weeks. Babies born before this are called pre-term and babies born after week 40 are called post-term. Even if your baby is now considered full-term, it might benefit the baby to stay extra days in your body - as the baby gains essential fat and the lungs mature further. The baby will continue her rapid weight gain, growing at the rate of nearly one ounce or 28 grams a day.
- Baby's fingers have enough strength to support his grasping reflex. This is where baby clenches his fist when you stroke his palm.
- The baby may even be able to turn towards a bright light that is shined on her.
- Your baby is about 46 centimetres long (Crown to heel length) and weighs about 2.7 kilograms.
What’s happening to mom?
- Basically, your body is busy preparing for childbirth…
- The baby may have moved downwards, lower in your pelvis. This is called “lightening”. It happens later in women who have had babies earlier. This will relieve discomforts like heartburn and breathlessness but your uterus will start pressing more on your urinary bladder, making you go to the bathroom even more often.
- Your doctor will start examining you for signs of impending labour. The doctor will check your cervix dilation (opening of cervix for baby’s exit via the birth canal) and the cervix effacement (How soft or thin the cervix is to allow the baby’s exit via the birth canal).
- You might even lose your mucous plug (mucous membrane that seals your cervix and prevents bacteria from entering your uterus). When you lose your mucous plug, you might notice a vaginal discharge that is thick and yellowish like mucous, and tinged with blood. It is also called a “bloody show”. If you lose your mucous plug, call your doctor and do not engage in sex (bacteria can enter your uterus).
- Even if you dilate, efface or lose your mucous plug, it does not necessarily mean that you are going into labour in the next few hours. It could be days and even weeks before you go into labour. But your body is preparing for labour.
- The doctor will also examine the position of the baby. The baby should be in the heads-down position in your pelvis by now. If the baby is not in this position, the doctor might wait a little and then take actions to change the position of the baby manually. Read about breech babies.
- Your doctor might conduct a Group B Strep Screen (GBS) for you. The GBS screen involves a pap smear and a urine test to screen for the GBS bacterium in your vagina. Exposure to GBS during childbirth can cause serious infection in the baby. This is a routine test and the doctors like to play it safe and around 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, screen all women for GBS. If you test positive, then you will be given intravenous antibiotics to kill the bacteria (to prevent infecting the baby) during labour. If for some reason, you do not get this screen completed before childbirth, do not worry. The doctor will give you this antibiotic during childbirth anyway to be safe. But you might not want to take unnecessary antibiotics, so get the GBS screen.
- If working, you might now be on maternity leave. Make the most of it and try to stay calm and relaxed. Stress and anxiety can make your muscles tense and hinder the production of oxytocin, a hormone that helps labour progress naturally.
Checklist for mom
- The most important thing for you right now is to stay calm and relaxed. Stress and anxiety can make your muscles tense and hinder the production of oxytocin, a hormone that helps to make labour progress naturally. Some relaxation tips:
- Make sure you are very well rested and get adequate sleep. Take at least one nap in the middle of the day along with your sleep at night.
- Meditate. Many women say that meditation also helps them to tune in better with their changing bodies and their baby. There are many different ways to meditate. You need to find the one that works for you. Basically, going to a quiet spot, closing your eyes, first letting all thoughts just flow and then focusing on one thing (a repetitive chant, picturing something pleasant etc.) are all some basics that are a good start.
- Continue your walks.
- Have a warm bath when you feel stressed.
- Talk to your spouse or a friend or someone close to you about your anxieties. You will feel lighter.
- Get a relaxing massage.
- Be organised, get things done but after a point just go with the flow.
- Practice the breathing exercises or other exercises you might have learnt in your childbirth class.
- Stock up on nutrients and muster up all your energy for childbirth and the baby. Have a nutritious diet. Vegetarians, have your milk and daals. Non vegetarians, have eggs and chicken soup.
- Prepare mentally for successful breastfeeding. It can be a challenge in the first few days especially for first time moms. Some key pointers for successful breastfeeding:
- Contrary to the popular notion, it does not come all that “naturally”. You have to know the basics and be focused on the baby and breastfeeding and “work at it”.
- At the same time, mom and baby have natural instincts for breastfeeding, so stay “tuned” to those. For example, the baby has the “rooting reflex” and as soon as he smells you, he will instinctively try to open his mouth and latch on to your breasts.
- In first day, the tricky thing can be for the baby to “latch on” properly. This means that the baby should grab the nipples with the areola (the dark area around the nipples that activates milk production) properly. You should ensure that the hospital nurses verify that the baby has latched on properly.
- Refresh Parentree articles on breastfeeding - Breastfeeding tips, Common questions about breastfeeding.
If you have not already
Ideas for dad
- Help mom to relax and practice the breathing and other exercises she might have learnt in the childbirth class.
- Help mom by lending her a hand in the remaining pre-baby domestic and shopping chores.
- Make sure that your car is full with petrol or diesel. You might need to take mom to the hospital any time in the next few weeks.
- Do remember a gift for the older sibling that the “baby will give”. These small gestures can help the older child feel special and secure and help her adjust to the new baby and the changes in her life.
- What about a gift for mom for all that she has and is going through? It can range from something lavish to a small token. Remember the idea is to make her feel cared for.
- Are you anxious about your new role as a father? Learn about childbirth, breastfeeding, new born care to support mom. But remember once the baby comes, things will come naturally.
- Of course, you and your spouse will need to be a team to “divide and conquer” (divide responsibilities for raising your family). But sometimes being “hands-on” and handling baby care tasks like changing nappies, bathing, burping the baby can help you in bonding early with your baby.
In case you have not already:
- Confirm that you have registered at the hospital and know the logistics of getting there (the driving directions, where to park etc.).
- Make sure that have your camera (batteries etc.) ready for the big day.
- You might also want to have a small bag ready in case you have to rush to the hospital with mom. Remember to keep the mobile numbers of your friends and family so that you can “SMS” them when the baby is born.
- Many women find themselves doing some furious cleaning, organising the house and in general preparing for the baby a couple of days or even hours before labour starts. This is often called “nesting”. In fact many think that nesting might be a sign of impending labour. Even if there is no scientific evidence to prove that nesting occurs right before labour starts, there could be another practical explanation of nesting - that there is lot to do to organise and prepare for the baby and it needs to be done and many times, it is left for the last days.
- In Indian culture and folklore, there are many traditional foods that are supposed to be good for the new mom and help in breastfeeding. Indian mothers get a lot of advice from their grandma, mother, mother-in-law, your “40 day special maid or nurse” and just about everyone. Most of these are harmless and worth trying although there is no scientific evidence supporting these, as long as they are not in excess. Some tips:
- NO. Avoid ghee. Some amount of ghee is okay but anything more will just add empty calories and will not benefit you or your baby.
- OK (but be careful and verify quantity with your doctor). Fenugreek (methi) seeds to boost your milk supply. But use it carefully. Fenugreek is used by diabetics to lower blood sugar. When taken in excess, it could lower your blood sugar. Discuss this with your doctor and determine what quantity is optimal. Do not eat fenugreek before you give birth. Fenugreek may induce labour and delivery.
- OK. Taking ajwain and fenugreek water in moderation to help the baby with gas is harmless and worth trying even if there is no scientific evidence supporting these.
- OK. Daliya (milk with porridge or cracked wheat). It is nutritious and is said to help boost your breastmilk supply.
- OK. Hot “yellow moong daal khichdi” (rice with yellow “moong” lentil). With minimal spices (just cumin, turmeric, salt and asaefotida). Nourishing, soothing and easy to digest (not causing gas in the baby).
- Do not forget to read - Lactating Indian mothers - Healthy foods and Lactating Indian mothers - Meal planning
Useful Parentree articles for this stage of pregnancy