31st week of pregnancy: The 31st week of pregnancy at a glance
Your approximately 40 centimeters tall and about 1,600 grams heavy baby can already touch, smell, taste, see and hear in the 31st week of pregnancy. Your pelvis gradually loosens and prepares for the upcoming birth.
The development of your baby in the 31st week of pregnancy
How much should a baby weigh in the 31st week of pregnancy? Your baby is now about 40 centimeters tall and weighs about 1,600 grams. In addition, it shows itself to be the “master of its senses”: it can touch, smell, see and hear. This is how all his sense organs function. Therefore, it is not surprising that your baby masters a perfect game with the umbilical cord. It grabs her and pushes her back and forth. Your child’s lung maturity is also completed in the 31st week of pregnancy.
In the remaining time until birth, your baby grows about one centimeter per week. It will also double its weight again during this period until it has reached about 3500 grams onthe due date. Gradually, your child moves into the right birth position. If it does not do this on its own, there are different ways to push it into the right position, such as theouter turnorthe Indian bridge.
Your body in the 31st week of pregnancy
The hormonal change during pregnancy also has an increased effect on the entire pelvic area in the 31st week of pregnancy. He prepares for childbirth and gradually loosens up. Any accumulation of air in the intestine can now be painful, as the digestive organ can no longer fully expand due to the lack of space. Flatulent foods and sweets should be avoided in case of complaints. Relief is brought by exercise, long chewing of food, mineral earth capsules once a day, a gentle abdominal massage with St. John’s wort oil or, in case of severe abdominal cramps due to flatulence, caraway suppositories once in the evening.
What does a baby look like in the 31st week of pregnancy?
Questions about the 31st week of pregnancy
What helps with headaches in pregnancy?
Due to the reduced performance in the last weeks before birth, even light activities can quickly lead to overexertion. A sign of this may beheadaches. Therefore, allow yourself a few minutes break and put your legs up. Look into the distance or over a green area or close your eyes and try to breathe calmly. Headaches can also set in if you have drunk too little. So check your drinking behavior. A tense neck or sacrum area can also cause headaches. A massage or a visit to the osteopath can help. If nothing helps, you should definitely talk to your gynecologist or midwife.
What is examined in the 3rd ultrasound screening?
In the 31st week of pregnancy, the thirdultrasound examinationat the gynecologist often takes place. Here, the doctor mainly checks whether the child has developed well. The function of the placenta is controlled, as it can diminish in its work with increasing gestational age. The amount of amniotic fluid is also measured to make sure your baby is well taken care of. If the examination reveals abnormalities, it is important to determine an optimal delivery date for the unborn child so that it can be born as healthy as possible and with good starting conditions. All examination results are noted in the maternity record so that other medical assistants are immediately up to date when they need to provide assistance.
Tips and hints for the 31st week of pregnancy
Building children’s room furniture
Feel free to build up the children’s room furniture now, because some materials give off a strong smell. If you set up your child’s room now and ventilate it well every day, you will have fresh air until birth. Also, a new coat of paint should be done some time before birth to have enough time for airing. Be sure to leave the painting to someone else, otherwise the emissions of the paint could affect your baby’s health. And when it comes to paint, make sure to use low-emission and solvent-free dispersion or glue paint.
Running errands for the puerperium
So that you have everything at home after the birth and can treat yourself to the necessary rest, you should already do the errands for thepuerperium, such as non-perishable and quick to prepare food, cotton-coated pads in night size, disposable washcloths for the care of the intimate area, a chamomile concentrate for rinses, nursing teas and a care cream for sore nipples with lanolin, which does not have to be removed before breastfeeding). Your midwife can certainly give you further tips.