31 Weeks Pregnant
Here's what's happening during Week 31 of your pregnancy:
Your Growing Baby
Your baby weighs between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. She continues to gain weight at a faster pace than she lengthens, which will give her those cute chubby cheeks. She's about fourteen to sixteen inches tall, although individual growth rates vary.
Your baby begins to run out of room as she puts on weight. You should feel about ten kicks an hour. Some care providers suggest keeping a "kick chart" by writing down how many kicks you feel in an hour, so that you are aware if there's a decrease in activity. Other care providers may advise that as long as it feels like the baby's active, there's no need to keep notes. If you do sense a decrease in activity, try drinking a large glass of juice. If that doesn't make the baby energized, or makes her less energized than she usually would be, call your care provider.
Your Growing Belly
By now your sleep is likely compromised, big-time: You probably need to go to the bathroom several times a night and you're also having trouble sleeping because there isn't a comfortable position that works.
The nesting instinct is likely to kick in soon, if it hasn't already, as you attempt to get everything done while you still can, from tying up loose ends at work and reorganizing closets to baking cookies and sorting socks. Take advantage of your pregnant form and get others to pitch in.
Tips & To-Do's
Baby Likes To Move It
Paying attention to a fetus’s movements in utero has been linked with a decrease in stillbirth. That’s why First Candle, the nonprofit group behind the Back to Sleep SIDS-prevention campaign, encourages women to monitor or chart their babies’ kicks beginning in the 28th week of pregnancy. How to do a kick count >>
Things to think about this week
Interview doulas or labor coaches—they book up quickly. Wouldn’t it be great if someone you trust volunteered to be on hand—even sleep on your couch—in case you went into labor in the middle of the night? Do you need a doula >>
