You have now officially entered the last phase of your pregnancy. You are more pregnant than ever. Your big belly would now be so big that you probably won’t be able to see your own feet. You would notice how a lot of discomfort kicks in at pregnancy week 31. This discomfort arises from the baby expanding in the uterus and when it does, it puts a lot of pressure on all your organs around it.
Here is an interesting read on 31-week pregnant symptoms and all that is related to it.
“A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart until the day you die.” –Mary Mason
Who once used to keep you up at nights now snores away with you. The one who used to make you feel like your emotions are overflowing now shares a bite into your humble food and breathes through you. The fetus now grown and strong inside you rumbles around letting you know he is ready for the world.
Table of Content:
- Month and Trimester || Symptoms || Fetal Development || Baby Position ||
- Activities || Diet || Exercise || Ultrasound || How To Overcome Stress ||
- Medical Tests and Scan || Tips and Precautions || Checklist ||
Thirty One Weeks Pregnant: What Month and Trimester Are You In?
You are in your seventh month of pregnancy and in the third trimester. 31 weeks pregnant baby weight is about 3.3 pounds. This means a 31-week pregnant baby size is about the head of a zucchini. It is also about 16 inches in height.
See More:30 Weeks Pregnant
31 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms:
The entire of the 40 weeks explained prior to this is further segregated into three stages. The first trimester is when the mother is yet to get used to the changes rapidly occurring in her body. The next trimester is referred to as the golden trimester where the baby and the mother form an understanding well enough. The third trimester, the 31st week considered in it again sees the problems reoccurring.
Here is what happens to you and your body.
1. Back Pain:
Right about now you would feel a sharp pain shooting down your spine right in the middle of the night. You would wake up with a jolt and lie down for hours trying to make the pain go away, but as long as you are on your back it never will. This is because with the baby growing inside, the space he requires slowly closes in on him. As a result, when you are laid down on your back, he pushes around for more space and eventually pushes your spine back to accommodate and make space for him. Avoid this by sleeping on your side. To overcome this uneasiness, try sitting up straight, as this restricts the movement of your baby. However, do not do this all the time, since this hampers his playtime inside your womb.
2. Subsidiary Problems:
The usual problems during the first weeks of the pregnancy will be back now. The frequent urination is back along with irregular bowel movements. Never before have you woken up at four in the night to rush to the bathroom but now you just might. Besides this, the sorry appetite of yours might give way to indigestion or heartburn which is due to the overproduction of female hormones messing with the other body hormones. One way to overcome this situation is to limit your liquid intakes like coffee, tea and sugary drinks.
3. Mask of Pregnancy:
While some have a glow about them during this phase, there are some for whom this shining scarf of pregnancy might not be flawless. They end up experiencing a mask of pregnancy that masks our face along with irrelevant body parts. The back acne, the stretch marks are just a side effect of the brown blotches or freckles your face sports now. This too is to be blamed on the female hormones which would subside once the 40 weeks are over. Aloe Vera is your friend now, and you need it for a favourable experience with your skin. Of course, it does not solve your marks, but most certainly works on the way of reducing it.
4. Breathlessness:
Breathlessness is a common issue faced by women during pregnancy. This is mainly due to the growth of the fetus, which put pressure on the blood vessels and the oxygen supply to the brain and leads to difficulty in breathing. Expansion of the ribs also happens during pregnancy, and doctors recommend not to wear tight clothes as they might compress the ribs, leading to breathlessness.
5. Clumsiness:
A feeling of clumsiness creeps in due to being overweight and the pain caused during heavy contractions. Women feel ungainly and studies show that one-quarter of the women fall during pregnancy. Adding to the hormonal changes affects the muscles in the pelvis, which is the main factor for falling down. Oedema in the leg causes tingling sensation due to the pressure put by the fluid retention on the nerves.
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31 Weeks Pregnant Fetal Development:
1. Change in Movements:
Until a certain point of time, the baby has no sense to reciprocate, but as days go by the baby’s sense starts growing. Slow and steady he recognizes the surroundings he is in. He recognizes the factors keeping him alive and his body masters the art of normal human body functions. This all piles up to the point where he can work on his own. Now his muscles stabilize and he can move them at will. This is when the movements begin. The initial stage records the baby tumbling around rolling by, but by the 31st week, the movements change. The baby now starts kicks and punches letting the mother know he feels cramped in the place.
2. Hearing Aid:
The baby’s ear is now working in full form receiving noise and changing it to sense as the brain impulses kick up to work full speed on it. A human ear can only decode a sound when not only the ear elements work together, but also when the impulse heard or received can be perceived and decoded by the brain. By the 31st week, the brain has already started taking up a proper shape and now can receive impulses and work on it. This is why your baby’s audible detection of your voice and surrounding may not be a surprise to you. She can now hear your voice, any specific music or stories that you read.
3. Double Himself:
By now your baby weighs a good 3.5 pounds and with his growth spurt ending, he now measures up to an 18 inch give or take. Half of this weight belongs to the now fat layers growing underneath the skin. The arms now start to take up a chubby shape along with the gut and thighs. The amniotic fluid in which your baby was afloat all this time now begins to reduce itself to provide more space for the growing baby.
4. Involuntary Actions:
In the 31st week, the baby’s reflex actions have taken up a broad range. The ultrasound now not only reveals his hearing capability loud and clear, but doctors say if you flash a bright light right in the middle of the belly button your baby just might respond to it by either moving his head away or towards the light. By now those flittering little peepers have somewhat gotten used to the sensitivity of light. The other reflex action now involves yawning which can be noticed if lucky by catching a moment of it on the ultrasound. He may even have his favourite sleeping position that might be clear this week. These subtle actions this week will prepare your baby for the outside world.
5. Breathe Away:
With time the baby’s lungs are developing more and more. this does not happen in a day, but would require some time, but be assured by the end of this week he would have a sound lung expanding and contracting to the now red blood cells produced by none other than himself. The lungs maturing slowly also helps the trachea or the windpipe to open up so that baby no longer requires the mother’s umbilical cord to take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
See More: 32 Weeks Pregnant Fetal Development
6. Heart:
The food and oxygen supply from the mother through the placenta is doing the work for the fetus heart to function. After birth, the work is taken care of by the lungs of the baby. During the third week of the fetus growth, the heart starts to beat and by 30th week the baby is already on the pelvic floor ready to come into the world.
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Baby Position:
A 31-week pregnant baby position is somewhere in the middle of a growth spurt. He/she will also start to accumulate fat under the skin. The baby is also very active now, which is a good sign. The baby is vertical with head down and feet upwards towards your chest.
31st Week Activities:
During 31st week it is not possible to do all the activities like what was done during the first and second trimester due to the growth of the fetus which causes more stress on the muscle and affects the centre of gravity of the women, which will lead to imbalanced posture and exert pressure on the spinal cord.
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Diet and Exercises During 31 Weeks Pregnant:
31 Weeks Pregnant Diet:
- If you are a vegetarian, tofu and soybeans should help you with your protein level maintenance. On the other hand, if you are a non-vegetarian your usual lean meat content should do just fine.
- For the healthy development of blood cells in your child, do not forget your iron supplements and folic acid in your diet. Spinach and bananas should be your hot choice.
- Dairy products should be present in the scene as well. You cannot take calcium supplements as a substitute for natural diet products.
- Your balanced diet should include essential vegetables as well. Cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes and beans are our personal picks.
- Fruits can be a great breakfast source and a good way to start your day and your diet. They can also serve as your snack time supply.
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31 Weeks Pregnant Exercise:
- Breathing asana is highly recommended; that helps in clearing the airway passage and purification of lungs.
- For a perfect pregnancy squat; foot apart angulated to the level of the shoulder and hands raised out and parallel to the floor and slowly lower down into a squat position with heels on the ground and knee should not protrude out in front of the foot and with the back straight. Breathing while getting up and breathing out while getting down into squat position.
- It may seem strange, but at this stage with the baby bump growing on you right up, sleeping in your usual position will be difficult and more like an exercise you need to master.
- For the 31st week of pregnancy, walking is the best way of exercise which does not need any apparatus
- Aqua aerobics can be done to ease down pressure on the feet.
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Sex During Pregnancy in 31stWeek:
Sex or intercourse is not advised during the last trimester. Controlling emotional factor is the key for normal delivery and reduces the chances for any sort of infection.
31 weeks Pregnant Ultrasound:
This week when you go for your ultrasound, you will notice how the baby actually looks, almost ready to come out. It is perfect with all the right organs. You will be able to clearly see the limbs and track the movement. A 31-week pregnancy’s baby movements will often include regular kicking.
See More: 33 Week Pregnancy Care
A 31 weeks pregnant belly is a belly that is constantly expanding. The skin will stretch further and you will notice the stretch marks forming too. Remember to wear only comfortable maternity clothes and loose-fitting pants.
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How To Overcome Stress During Pregnancy:
- Cherish your new phase that is soon about to arrive. Enjoy with people around and make the environment more positive.
- Reducing workload and working hours.
- Be honest about yourself to your partner. Parenthood is right for both of you. Do not stress and overburden yourself by not sharing anything.
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Medical Tests and Scan While 31 Weeks Pregnant:
Monthly checkup can also help in detecting chromosomal abnormalities during the early stages as well as in the last trimester with help of scan and blood checkup and any birth defects can be diagnosed at this stage with help of ultra scan or tissue related scan with MRI
- Soreness– Acetaminophen. Do not indulge in ibuprofen and naproxen.
- Allergy– Antihistamines and Loratadine. Shun use of Pseudoephedrine and decongestants like Phenylephrine.
- Cough– Dextromethorphan.
- Constipation- Metamucil. Avoid mineral oil.
- Heartburn- Antacids.
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Tips and Precautions to Take During 31 Weeks Pregnancy:
- Pampering yourself might be a good idea at this stage since you need to feel better and uplift your mood.
- Doing knitting work or painting helps stress level to reduce
- Weigh your health and your risks, and decide what is best for you. Do not let others pile their decisions on you and work you up.
- Go for regular checkups to avoid stress about how baby’s health. This is not only necessary but also stops ruining your health when you worry about the whole situation. 31 weeks pregnant pains are common. Know when to talk to your doctor.
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Checklist:
- Start clothes shopping for your baby and get him/her some colourful toys to make your room more vibrant.
- Shop for some maternity clothes, including loose-fitting pants and comfortable brassieres.
- Make a list of things to carry on your labour day.
Relaxing with yoga and positive vibes will be a good saviour this week. You will do well with your pregnancy, the way you have so far. Make yourselves as comfortable as possible. 31 weeks pregnant pains are nothing to worry, only if it becomes intense, should you care.
