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Pregnancy Calendar Week 35

Previous Week: 34 | Next Week: 36

You're 35 Weeks Pregnant!!!

The baby is now probably a healthy 5 1/2 pounds and about 17 or 18 inches in length. Even those limbs are getting plumper and more filled out. The liver is functioning, processing wastes and the kidneys are fully developed. If the baby were to be born this week, most likely there would be no serious complications.

Pregnancy Symptoms You May Feel During Week 35

At this point in the pregnancy, you've probably gained between 24 to 29 pounds. Sometime soon some of that pressure against your diaphragm will lessen, and your breathing will be easier again. That's because near the end of the pregnancy, the baby will descend deeper into the pelvis. This is called lightening. The downside: the baby will then be putting much more pressure on your bladder, leading to frequent bathroom breaks and possibly urine leakage, especially when you laugh, sneeze or cough. Doing Kegel exercises will help with the leaks. However. the constant running to the bathroom cannot be avoided. Don't curtail liquids to lessen the urine output, you need those fluids. Be sure to completely empty the bladder as well, and lean forward a bit to help with that. Just be certain to hold on to something, as your balance is not the best at this point.

Visit With the Obstetrician

You probably will begin seeing your doctor every week or so and soon you might get word on if the baby is head down, or get your cervix examined and some indication if you've begun to efface or dilate. Some doctors prefer not to do those exams until later in the pregnancy, but if yours does, and you are told nothing is happening yet don't despair. Everyone has their own timing and pattern, and just because nothing has happened yet doesn't mean it's going to take forever. However, it is a good idea to find out more about Cesarean sections, as it is a fairly common occurrence and the more prepared you are, the better. Ask your doctor what the standard protocol is. Would your partner be allowed to view the birth, and sit at your head during the procedure? What can you expect if you have a C-section at the hospital where you are giving birth. Being prepared for the possibility will ease some fears later if it becomes a reality.

Preparing for Baby

Soon you will be needing a new doctor in the family, your baby's first doctor. Will you be using a family doctor or a pediatrician? Have you started scouting out a doctor for your little one yet? It's not too soon to start. Many doctors have waiting lists, or may not even be taking on new patients, so you should talk to friends and your physician and get some recommendations and begin making phone calls. Consider the doctor's style and personality and experience, but also practical issues like location and insurance coverage.

Pregnancy Lifestyle

Have you given any thought to the grandparents in planning the birth? How are they going to be involved? Will you invite them to come to the hospital during labor, or wait til after the birth? Will someone be coming to stay with you after you bring baby home? What do you want the baby to call both sets of parents? Grandma? Nana? Pop-pop? Believe it or not, this can be some huge stuff in families, and giving it some consideration and conversation now might head off misunderstandings later when you'll likely have neither the energy nor the mental strength to deal with it all.

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