You are so close to the finish line at 35 weeks pregnant! Your due date is a little over a month away, but in just two more weeks you will be considered full-term. At 35 weeks pregnant, your baby is almost fully developed and will spend the remainder of gestation putting on weight and fine-tuning organs like the liver and the lungs. At this point in your pregnancy, your baby weighs in at over five pounds and is about 18 inches long from the top of his head to his heels. He is kicking as often as usual, but the movements aren’t as large as they once were because there is so little room in your uterus now. When you are 35 weeks pregnant, your uterus now reaches up just under your rib cage, which is putting a lot of pressure on your internal organs, and may be making you extremely uncomfortable. It will be over soon, though!
What You Can Expect
You have probably been seeing your doctor every two weeks for the past several visits. After 35 weeks, you will most likely start seeing your doctor every week. Your doctor will check your weight, blood pressure, and check your urine for proteins which are an indicator of preterm labor. Your uterus will be measured, and you will most likely have a pelvic exam. Your doctor will check to see if your cervix is starting to dilate and efface, which is extremely normal for it to do at this point in your pregnancy. She will also ask you if you have any concerns about where to go and what to do when labor begins. You will also most likely have a Group B Strep test done at this doctor’s visit. Group B Strep is extremely common, and many women carry it without knowing. If you are positive for Group B Strep, you will be given IV antibiotics during labor to prevent passing it on to your newborn.
Your Birth Plan at 35 Weeks
Now is also a good time to come up with a birth plan, if you haven’t already. You should discuss this birth plan with anybody involved in the delivery. Remember that a birth plan is just an outline, and every labor and delivery is different. You may be dead set on having a natural, drug-free labor and delivery, but because of complications may end up having a cesarian section. Make your birth plan flexible, but be sure to inform your health care provider if you have a birth plan in place. Things you can include in your birth plan for you and your partner are:
- What type of pain relief, if any, you are going to want
- Who will deliver your baby
- What type of atmosphere you want for the delivery room
- Immediate plans for feeding and after care of your newborn
Many women opt for pain relief during labor and delivery, and many go without. Whatever you choose is up to you. Sometimes women will plan to go medication-free, but once the pain of labor has set in change their minds. You should also decide if you want your baby to be delivered by your doctor, a midwife, or even your partner. Often, once the baby has crowned and the shoulders are out of the birth canal, your doctor or midwife will allow your partner to finish delivering the baby and cut the cord. How you proceed at that point is ultimately your choice. If there are no complications, having your partner help with the delivery is something none of you will ever forget. The atmoshpere for the labor and delivery is something which should be included in every birth plan. You can choose to have soothing, quiet music playing and the lights dimmed, absolute silence, or just background noise. Also, be sure to include what immediate plans you have for feeding and how you want your baby presented to you immediately after birth. If you are planning on breastfeeding, many hospitals will immediately place your baby on your nude chest to help with bonding and nursing within the very first hour of life. This encourages better success with breastfeeding. You have the choice of having your baby cleaned up and then handed to you swaddled, or to have your baby placed immediately on your chest to hold and warm while the placenta is being delivered. No matter what you choose, be sure to have it included in your birth plan at 35 weeks pregnant.
At 35 weeks pregnant, you are almost finished and are probably eagerly anticipating the arrival of your little one. With just five weeks left before your due date, and two weeks before your baby is considered full-term, you could realistically go into labor at any point. It is crucial to get tested for Group B Strep at 35 weeks pregnant so you can be administered IV antibiotics during labor if you are positive. It is also essential to prepare a flexible birth plan for you and your partner at this point. The end is in sight, and you are almost there. With just 5 weeks to go until your due date, take advantage of these last few weeks of your pregnancy to focus on you and how you feel. Once your baby arrives, you may miss the feeling of being pregnant!
