This is a week of fast weight gain for both mom and the baby. With mostly mature body systems by now, baby can open and close their eyes at this week in pregnancy as well as receive signals from all other senses.
Each week is bringing you closer to your delivery, and with this comes an increased sense of anticipation. It’s normal to be nervous, just make sure to share your feelings with a supportive friend or loved one.
Continue to use these quiet days to finish tying up those loose ends. Your desire to prepare and nest may be starting (though it often doesn’t until days before delivery for some women) and you may want to shop, get baby’s laundry washed and even pack a hospital bag. It’s certainly quite early for a trip to the hospital, and if your labor started now, your baby would require a high level of care for many weeks.
Baby’s Development
Still gaining that ½ pound per week average, your baby is near it’s delivery length at around 18 inches. Weighing in at 3 ½ pounds these last several weeks are essential to baby’s growth while he or she packs on at least another 3 to 5 pounds .
The baby’s lungs are developed and they are able to inflate and deflate as your baby practices breathing motions. Not really needed until after delivery, lung tissue is beginning to secrete surfactant—a necessary agent for elasticity and lung flexibility. Babies born with too little surfactant often suffer from stiffness, and respiratory difficulties.
Baby’s hearing is now 100% completed and can hear sounds and voices clearly inside the womb. The skin is pink at this stage of pregnancy and won’t change too much in color before birth. The baby’s bones are hardening nicely and they will still need all of the calcium they can get before they are born, so mom’s diet is especially important now.
Now able to urinate, a baby may produce about a half a liter of urine every day. Your baby’s well-being may be assessed through the use of a biophysical profile sometime between now and your due date. Fetal breathing, non-stress test results, amniotic fluid levels and other indicators can tell your doctor how your baby is tolerating life inside.
Changes With Your Body
Your weight gain is estimated at 21 and 27 pounds. It is entirely possible that you have gained more weight. The majority of you weight gain is comprised of the baby’s weight, placenta, extra blood, water, the uterus and amniotic fluid. The ligaments and muscles and supporting the back are becoming relaxed and loose to prepare for childbirth. By now, you will notice a change in your breast size as they prepare for lactation, so make sure that you have a supportive bra.
Some women may begin to leak colostrum early during their pregnancy, while others never leak at all. No matter what your body does, it does not mean you cannot successfully breast feed.
Some moms-to-be will experience Braxton-Hicks contractions. Some women feel these contractions back in the second trimester, and others never have them at all. These painless, irregular contractions have sent many women to the hospital sure they were in labor only to be sent home. If you think you are having contractions, make sure to contact your doctor and follow their orders.
What To Expect
At this week of pregnancy, the baby is taking a significant amount of nutrients from the food that you are eating. Try to keep taking in healthy foods as long as possible. If you have not given up smoking, it is not too late. The ultimate idea is to quit right away. Increasing fatigue will make sleep more challenging and you may find yourself craving a nap during the day. If possible try to sneak one in when you can.
You will continue to experience frequent urination until the baby is born. Normally, this wouldn’t be difficult but if you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep then the constant getting up and down can be frustrating.
Be patient with all of these changes—they will be over soon enough.
Tips/Advice
This may be a good week to handle the paperwork process for maternity leave. If you haven’t already discussed the issue with your supervisor or human resources department, make sure to do so. If you need to cut back on hours, talk with your boss openly and modify your job requirements if there is a significant amount of standing or lifting involved.
April 24th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Thank youfor providing this insight. I do not want to sound harsh, but when I first started reading I was really interested, as I kept reading, there were/are so many grammatical errors and misspellings that I began to wonder if the information was all trustworthy. I would consider proof reading each week for errors. The more errors a reader sees, the less valid the site may seem.
Thank you,
May 12th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Then go read it somewhere else, maybe get a book.
May 21st, 2010 at 11:26 pm
I thought this had a lot of usful informmation, like you were reading my mind lol. This also had a lot more than I have read anywhere at once. Good job.
August 21st, 2010 at 4:58 pm
How about bending over, I still clean and work full time as a dr's assisstant. My husband says women give birth all the time… i can bend its harder to get back up.. but im
not hurting the baby right??
August 28th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
I'm 31 weeks pregnant and i feel alot of pressure down there.And every time i take a walk i start felling pain down there also why is that?
August 30th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Could Pregnant Woman go into labor during their 31 weeks?
September 5th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Hi Esther, maybe you are suffering from Symphisis Pubis, pelvic pain caused by the loosening of ligaments around the pelvic girdle? Your midwife or physio could advise you on how to minimise pain.
September 7th, 2010 at 7:45 am
hi esther yes you will find that some woman can go into labour as early as 24 wks
September 17th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
im 31 weeks pregnant with my first and i am also have the pressure in that area. i brung it up to my doctor and he checked me. he said that my baby was in a head-down position. and since the baby's head is bigger than the foot or the butt being in that area its going to cause the pressure. next time u go to the doctor bring it up with him/her.
September 27th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
can i hurt d baby by bending over?
October 13th, 2010 at 7:40 am
i was told it would hurt you more than the baby!
October 28th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
90% chance it will make it with close care and few problems
November 1st, 2010 at 5:25 pm
i am almost 32 weeks pregnant. i feel sharp pain in my vaginal area and alot of pressure as well. some cramping and hard time peeing but feel like i have to pee all of the time. not getting much sleep and cant get comfortable at all. any advice. ive spoken to my doctors. they said its all normal but havent checked me at all. im haveing contractions but they are not painful. please help.
November 8th, 2010 at 6:02 am
I had to go to labor and delivery for all these symptoms a couple days ago. Turns out I was 1 cm dilated and had started going into labor. They gave me two shots of steroids for the baby's lungs to strengthen faster because they think she might come early.
November 8th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Try not to worry. Sounds like everything is stretching and that is where those pains are coming from. You are having Braxton Hicks- these are just "fake contractions" I am 30 weeks with my fifth and I have all the symptoms that you are describing. Your doc is right, it is all normal.
November 30th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Im almost 31 weeks now. It a girl i cant wait intil she here with me. I konw how everyone feel this is number two. My son is 4. It want so fast.
November 30th, 2010 at 2:58 am
You should squat instead….:)
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Squatting is better for the baby and your body. Every pregnancy is different. Some women’s body can handle more physical activity depending on activity levels pre-pregnancy. Working as an assistant and working in a factory are very different types of activity. Work as much as you can or want to, but don’t over do it. Baby needs you to be well rested and healthy.
December 7th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
she was saying it was very INFORMING, not "lack of"
December 9th, 2010 at 11:14 am
i am 31 weeks prengnant and i am prengnant with a GIRL i cait wait and til she here and i love my baby
December 9th, 2010 at 11:15 am
my first baby died on nov.15.2009 and now i am prengnant with a girl and i was 16 with my first and now i am 18 years and i ave a fanice now
December 15th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
does it really really matter??? we are all pregnant here and gramatical correctiveness is SO the last thing on anyones mind….so go be nasty somwhere else
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:04 am
I am amazed by the errors in the article and many of the comments. Scary…
December 27th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
im 31 weeks, iwork hard almost every day so i feel the baby is very low and that shes gonna come out, is that normal?`
January 3rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
yes you can..my sis had one of hers at 30 weeks…im feelin same symptoms and im a lil worried..its my 5th but the more babies you have the more you feel symptoms:)
January 3rd, 2011 at 5:34 pm
I have read that some women experience that…the feeling like the baby is going to "fall out".
January 9th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
im 30 weeks pregnant and i cant sleep at night due to very painful leg cramps, i toss and turn in agony all night. The only thing that stops my legs from hurting is lying flat on my back but i hear its not good to lay on your back. This is terrible:(
January 10th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
im 31 weeks i have the same problem.try stretching before you lay down. also a cool bath before bedtime helps me to.
January 10th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
HUH????
January 12th, 2011 at 7:31 am
Get a life and go to another website for information. WERE THERE ANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THAT KRISTEN????
January 12th, 2011 at 8:47 am
Slow down, you are putting stress on your baby!
January 12th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
i worry a lot about going into early labor as well. I think it's a pretty natural feeling for any mom who gets to reach this point and worries all the time about the baby being healthy and full term….did your sister's baby survive and was the baby perfectly normal?
January 18th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
Kristen not all of us are perfect like u. Why don’t u write your own since your so worried about it.
January 24th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I think Kristen is right, it is hard to trust a website when there are so many errors. I normally don't read this one because of that but I wanted to see these comments. I'm not perfect either but the website worries me too.
January 26th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Yeah, this site is pretty terrible.
January 26th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
I really don't think these people are being nasty. I think several responses WERE on the nasty side, perhaps a bit hormonal and edgy?? not sure. Agreed, that if you are going to have a site that you want to be deemed credible, it would be best to check for errors first before posting, in order to keep it looking educated and informative. I too, am 31 wks pregnant, and have gone through some of the things listed here, as well as being edgy! lol not judging, some things were helpful, and some people do need to ease up a touch too!
February 5th, 2011 at 3:02 am
alot of you women are giving medical advice, and are not doctors. I advice any of you women to go to see a professional with ANY problem big or small, A t the end of the day this is your unborn baby that were talking about!!!!
February 15th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
cant tell you how to stop them from coming on .. but whenever I feel them coming on I immediately pull back my foot and it stops them . that way I dont have to feel the pain.
February 15th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
I am so looking 4ward 2 holding dis little fellow dat has been super active lately…love him so much
February 17th, 2011 at 12:23 am
A close friend is hospitalised in premature labour right now. Thanks for providing info on how developed a baby is at 31 weeks.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:52 pm
how many weeks or months are you kristen
February 24th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
I believe they are sharing experience as Jordan already specified that her doctors said it was normal. Apparently she has already spoken to her doctor over these concerns. The advice given is legitamate to say the least. There is a difference between medical advice and experience, though I agree to the fullest seeking medical attention is always best.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Kristen is right. I would hope someone who is offering medical advice that many women rely upon could construct coherent sentences. There is absolutely no excuse for the type of grammatical errors that appear on this site. What if the same negligence that is applied to the composition of the passages is applied to the advice that is given?
February 26th, 2011 at 12:05 am
I just like to read different websites they are all helpful in many ways..everyone is gonna have an opinion regardless i’m 31 weeks prego with my fourth and every birth and every women is different it’s ridiculous when people argue on a website be real…lol we’re talking about our innocent babies here…just like any doctors you see they’ll tell you one thing n one will tell you another I guess it depends on their education and what school they went to..but yeah everyone’s not always gonna agree…..
February 27th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Yup, there was an error. You should have a comma after 'in that'. It should look like this, sweetheart: WERE THERE ANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THAT, KRISTEN????
March 6th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
I’m wondering why everyone is worried about grammar when nobody asked any of you
smile and enjoy the experience of being pregnant instead of being
to spell check this article. What is wrong with you people. Calm down and stop trying to
work yourselves up.
control freaks. Don’t worry about others grammar and just check the facts if you are so
worried about the accuracy of this website. Last thing we all need is to get our panties in
a twist over some stupid words or commas that aren’t correctly written. Grow up and get over yourselves.
Save the drama for your mama. Think happy thoughts. It’s better for your baby.. I mean that
in the nicest way possible. No hard feelings to anyone who takes this wrong or personally.
March 6th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
Well said katie
March 7th, 2011 at 10:25 am
LMAO @ everybody concerned about the grammar n the article. Seriously!!!! U shouldnt be reading these articles in place of talkin to ur doctor if u really wanna know whats goin on with u personally. Ur not supposed to trust the net that much even if it was written perfectly.
March 7th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
I'm the same way and i'm at 30 weeks, and it really hurts to move…. I can't even get out of bed by myself.
March 9th, 2011 at 8:22 am
Katie,I agree with you
March 10th, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Oh my goodness, I'm 31 weeks and active duty military. I want to quit so bad. The levels of stress they put on you in general are ridiculous. 0630 formations every morning, four of those is do physical fitness which at this stage is walking, spinning (yes, spin class), yoga, and step aerobics. Seems like much but it keeps us ready to pop the kid out. We only have a 6 month wait post pardum and they are free to deploy us for a year after that. They take our spouses away from us while we're pregnant and deploy them (most of the time). Majority of us are miles away from our real families. Good luck with us trying to see our ob's. We have to go to the emergency room after hours, of courses. You don't get an ultrasound until 20 weeks prego and about once a month get to actually talk to your "assigned" ob whom of which may not be the one to deliver your baby. i know we all make our own career choices, but ladies if you really want to be a mommy don't join the military. It isn't what it's cracked up to be. Yes, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, but if something makes sense in the military, then obviously it's wrong. They make things harder on you.
March 13th, 2011 at 12:15 am
I am a Registered Nurse and I believe that most likely your leg cramps are coming from a lack of calcium. If you don't drink at least 3 large glasses of milk a day or take calcium supplements besides your prenatal pill each day, then the baby will take the calcium from your bones and this can increase your risk for osteoporosis later in life. Position changes aren't the answer, you must make sure to get more calcium and talk to your doctor about the recommended amount for you.
March 13th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
I am almost 31 weeks pregnant with baby #2 due May 19th, I have been feeling pressure and she feels very low, with my son I gained 90lbs and it was completely different, with this pregnancy so far Ive gained about 19 and it seems I feel every movement (which is great) she is very active, I guess the pressure is because she is growing like crazy
March 14th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Wow I am due on the 19th as well. The dr. dont expect me to go that far since I am having twins. One boy and one girl.
March 18th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Try taking a calcium, magnesium supplement. I have to take two a day to keep my leg cramps away!
March 19th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
lack of potassium is more likely. eat some bananas.
March 19th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Having Baby Boy on may 20th! So excited! exsausted but happy! baby boy is so active mostly all night long.:) started having noticeable BH contrations some quite Pianful scared me into going into L&D but not dialted or efaced at all so all is well but notice i get em alot when standing for long periods of time.
I know its wierd but i always wonder if im gonna know when i actually go into real labor everyone tells me i will im sure i will just really excited!
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:59 pm
i am 31 weeks & 18 yrs. old…this was an unplanned pregnancy…but me and my boyfriend seemed to adjust to the fact that we are parents…i was 4 months when my boyfriend finally told me he cheated on me with another girl…i was so devastated…i still am…i dont know what to do?
March 23rd, 2011 at 9:03 am
Im 31 weeks and due on May 29 and having bh contractions . I never had these with my first daughter. So I relate with you about not knowing if this is real labor or not
March 24th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
i should be worried about ur baby not grammar…n why would u trust a website? trust a doctor!!
March 24th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
true…i agree with u completely!
March 24th, 2011 at 8:59 pm
thats what we have doctors for…to correct the advice given from anyone whether its a website or a person we kno.
March 24th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
i feel the same way!! im 31 wks…and he is so active. supposedly im due may 25th but i think he's gonna come earlier than that.
March 24th, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Im 23 yrs old and 31 wks preggo and having my first boy. he is a very active little fellow. I love him very much and cant wait to see him. Im sue may 25th but i believe he will come before then. I sometimes feel a sharp pain down there but it goes away quickly…im thinkin its the BH contractions from what i've read here and from other resources. My belly is starting to feel heavier! But thank God so far everything is going well. Hope everything goes well for the rest of you ladies and ur babies. And lets not be so worried about grammar and websites…i believe as long as ur doctor says u n ur baby are ok and u trust his knowledge…everything should be fine.
March 24th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
i took potassium pill it really works
March 26th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
congratulations!!! im 22 and 31 wks pregnant. im expecting my first baby girl =) my girl is expected the 28th of may and i can not wait for her to come out. you must be so excited, i know i am.
March 30th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
I am 31 weeks pregnant and this will be my third child . All pregnancies are diffrent with my son I gained 50 pounds and my daughter I only gained 10 she weighed more than him. just do the best you can cause whatever god wamts told happen its gping told happen . So really is spelling so important were ond here for our babies
March 31st, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Hello Ladies! I am 30½ weeks with b/g twins and my Dr. put me on light bedrest because of all the pelvic pressure I am having. Both my children are head down so they are definitely putting pressure on me. However, is it normal to feel this pressure even when im laying down? BTW, we are all a little off our rocker due to hormones, so calm down with the grammar arguement.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
I think some of you women who post comments like, “Go be nasty somewhere else” or “You shouldn’t be worried about grammatical errors” need to quit being so darn hormonal. Everyone has their own opinions. Yours seem to count, can’t others. Why criticize? I’m sure they have a life just like you, so who are you to judge just because they stated their opinion on the matter at hand.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:19 am
I don't know how you're doing it. You are definitely 100 time stronger than I am!! I am 31 weeks with my #2 and haven't excercised much this time around. I was quite active with my first but went into pre-term labor at about 29 weeks. I was on bed rest from then on but fortunately, the baby came on the due date. I think i may have exerted myself too much with the first one so I decided to just chill and do stretches and walking with #2, which has worked out just fine.
Thanks for all you're doing in the military!!!
May 1st, 2011 at 11:17 pm
I don’t get it…many of u say u are 31 wks and due May 25th, some sd May 19th??? I’m 31weks as of yesterday, 4/30 and my due date isn’t till July 3rd! Yes I had a sono and I’m correct on counting my weeks….just getting scarred to see everyones due date is in late May?? I want to make sure I’m prepared with baby stuff, furniture, clean house, etc!!
May 2nd, 2011 at 4:06 pm
im 31 weeks pregnant and im due july 2nd
May 4th, 2011 at 1:48 am
The reason they have different due dates is cuz they posted like 5 weeks ago, so they are like 36 weeks+ now!! I am 31 weeks and due July 8th
May 4th, 2011 at 10:21 pm
im due the same day!
May 5th, 2011 at 6:41 am
Im due on July 2nd!!! So excited!!!!
May 5th, 2011 at 6:44 am
Shea, my LMP was Sept 26th, and my due date is July 2nd. So being that your due date is AFTER mine, and your LMP was BEFORE mine….I think your date may be off??
May 6th, 2011 at 1:13 am
Michelle ….. same Due date as i. mine’s a girl.
May 18th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
look at the date that they posted the date
May 24th, 2011 at 6:50 am
Hi i’m due july 27th and i’m getting anxios about the birth .
May 25th, 2011 at 9:14 am
Im 31 weeks pregnant,my baby normally gets so active during the day esp yesterday.But today i get less kicks from her..does that mean shes asleep?Is it normal that babies change sleeping/waking patterns?
May 25th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I am 31 Weeks and 5 days pregnant!i am 24 y/o…and i am carrying a gurl!her name is MESSIAH(child of GOD)i am so excited to go on and deliver her…and i dont feel nervous ,i am just so0ow!EXCITED to see and l0ve her m0re!
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:21 am
About the grammer, we are adults about to brong a life into this world correct? So quit being little high school caddy drama queens ok? Remind you, you are a mom now so act like one. Thanks
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:23 am
Oops i made a spelling error :/ dont get all worked up now ladies
July 9th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
It’s fun to read the different sites and talk to different pregnant womaen and even compare your self but to be honest you can barely trust a doctor little a website its only here for insight a general idea not medical advice
July 11th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
I think it’s nice to see other mom to be helping each other. By the way, do mot worry about the typos and grammatical errors, I compared these information with other website and it checks out.
July 19th, 2011 at 9:18 am
im 30 weeks today! im so anxious. i lost my first child alost 8 years ago, and am feeling so guilty at times for being happy. but ive had dreams where the other child tells me its ok to be happy. i also feel like im going crazy reading so many websites and books and magz. im having my first son and wish i had another pregnant momma who was close to where i am so we could meet and just compare notes. cause lord knows my hubby, is so clueless. lol. he had his first child 20 years ago and thinks he knows everything.
July 28th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
based on the number of errors in everyone’s comments – i would say you’re all right where you should be.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:50 am
All we need is d valuable info and not the grammar so long as we read it and it makes sense then dat shd be enuf pls. Stop putting stress on d baby