36 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby’s physical development is almost complete. The bones are hardening, though the skull remains soft and flexible to make the birth easier. The protective vernix caseosa, a waxy substance, and lanugo, (the fine hair covering your baby’s body), begin to diminish.

The baby’s lungs are nearly fully developed, and if born at 36 weeks, they typically can breathe independently, though some might need a bit of assistance initially. The digestive system is almost ready for outside food, but breastmilk or formula will be the baby’s diet for the first few months.

Your baby’s hearing is fully developed, and they might respond to sounds by moving or kicking. Their eyesight is still developing and will continue to develop after birth. At this stage, they can see light and discern shapes.

Has Baby “Engaged” Yet?

Your baby, by now, may well be head down, “engaged”, and ready for birth. If this has not happened yet, you may be offered External Cephalic Version (ECV). This is where your doctor or midwife uses their hands on your bump to gently encourage your baby to turn. It is only successful around 50% of the time however.

Your Body at Week 36 of Pregnancy

Your body continues to change as you near the end of your pregnancy. You might notice more pronounced swelling in your feet and ankles. Braxton Hicks contractions become more frequent as your body prepares for labour.

 

Urinary Incontinence

By now, your pelvic floor muscles will be relaxing around your bladder in preparation for the birth, so you may notice a bit of wee leaking out whenever you laugh or cough! It might be a good idea to stock up on maternity pads, which you will also need after the birth.

Weight Gain

By week 36, you may have gained about 25 to 35 pounds (11.3 to 15.9 kilograms), though this varies widely. Weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy and necessary for supporting your baby’s growth.

Discomforts

Common discomforts during this period include heartburn, indigestion, and increased pressure on your bladder, leading to frequent urination. Sleeping might be challenging due to the size of your bump and movements of your baby.

Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 36

Fatigue

As your body works harder to support the growing baby, you might feel more tired. It’s important to get as much rest as possible, as sleep will more than likely become more challenging once the baby arrives.

Nesting Instinct

In contrast, many women experience a surge in energy, often referred to as the nesting instinct. This can manifest as an urge to clean, organise, or prepare the home for the baby’s arrival.

Emotional Changes

It’s common to feel a mix of emotions such as excitement, anxiety, or impatience. It’s vital to discuss any feelings of anxiety or stress with your doctor or midwife.

Signs of Labour

Be aware of any signs of labour, such as the water breaking, regular contractions, or the baby “dropping” lower into your pelvis.

Preparing for the Birth:

Hospital Bag

Prepare your hospital bag with essentials like clothes for you and the baby, toiletries, and important documents.

Birth Plan

Discuss your birth plan with your healthcare team. Consider options like pain relief, birthing positions, and your preferences for immediate postnatal care.

Your Antenatal Appointment

Around this time you will have an antenatal appointment with your doctor or midwife. It is very important that you attend this meeting even if you don’t feel like it, as you will have your blood pressure and urine checked, along with the size of your bump. This appointment could potentially be life-saving if, for example, it is found that your blood pressure is very high.

 

Week 36 of pregnancy is a time to take extra care of yourself, connect with your baby, and look forward to the wonders of parenthood that lie ahead.

 

It becomes pretty hard to cope with relatives, friends and colleagues announcing their good news, swapping details of their pregnancies and births, sharing stories about their children and doing all the things that you hoped so much to be part of by now. Neither is it easy to deal with people asking you questions about whether you want to have children and it’s possible to become quite isolated from the lives of friends and to avoid family gatherings. You may be embarrassed to ask your GP about it, then once you find the courage to do so, it can be frightening if you are told you have a fertility problem, or it can be a relief if the GP says that the issue can easily be treated. One couple in six needs help to conceive, and it may be the woman who has the fertility problem or the man, or they may both have some degree of infertility – so it’s not at all uncommon. This is often the start of a journey in search of a successful treatment. For some it is a short journey and within months they have the joy of learning they are pregnant, but for others it can be long and difficult, involving fertility specialists or a referral to a fertility clinic. Don’t be surprised if you feel you are on a roller coaster of emotions as you wait for appointments, for more test results, for advice about the recommended treatment and to find out if it’s worked. People talk about the dread, the hope and the disappointment as well as a confusion of feelings – fear, anger, sadness, grief, increasing anxiety and sometimes guilt, so you will not be alone if it’s like this for you. If you’re in a relationship, it won’t be surprising if it’s affected in all sorts of ways by the stress of trying to have a family and needing treatment, because it’s like that for many couples. Ask yourself if your partner understands what you feel? Do you understand what they feel? Can you share this together and support each other? Are you having many more arguments and feeling miserable about it? Has your intimacy and sexual relationship changed? – It’s so understandable if it has. If you’re not in a relationship and have planned to use a donor, it can be such a shock to learn that you have a fertility issue that makes your plans less straightforward and less certain to succeed. It can be a lonely experience to do this alone even when family and friends try to be supportive. It’s crucial to acknowledge that the experience of trying to conceive is a personal and complicated matter. I delve further into how to cope with it in our blog post titled ‘Processing the Emotions of Fertility Treatment’, so be sure to head on over to this one next.