At thirty-five weeks pregnant, it's nearly time to give birth to your beautiful baby! Now you’ve reached 35 weeks, your baby is bigger than ever, and your body and symptoms just keep on changing.
With only around five weeks to go until you meet your new arrival, they're busy developing that chubby baby look, building up their body fat before they say hello to the world. You might be thinking about starting your maternity leave, with so much to do to prepare for little one's arrival! And there's lots going on with your body right now that may be making you feel the struggle of these last few weeks all the more.
Find out what you need to know at this exciting stage about your baby and your body, including what symptoms to expect, and other things you should be doing at 35 weeks pregnant.
How many months is 35 weeks pregnant?
At 35 weeks pregnant, you're about half way through the eighth month of your pregnancy. You belly looks like it's about to pop, and that's because your baby is almost ready for their debut!
Things might be getting a little cramped in your belly now, but you'll still be able to feel baby moving, and these amazing movements will continue in week 36 up until you give birth.
What’s my baby doing at 35 weeks?
Your baby's getting impatient in there, and you might start to notice movements in your belly begin to feel a bit different from week 35.
Your baby's movement at 34 weeks
Now there’s less room to move around, your little one might actually start to push rather than kick - and if they do, you may get a little preview and see a teeny weeny foot imprint through your bump. Friends and family will love this, but some might be freaked out.
Now they are so close to being a fully functioning little human being, little one will spend most of the rest of your pregnancy putting on weight, which means they will only get bigger and take up even more space in there.
Because of this you'll find that baby may not be somersaulting anymore as there just isn't the room in your womb! The number of kicks should remain around the same though, so make sure you’re monitoring this and checking in with your doctor or midwife if you have any concerns.
How is my baby's body developing at 34 weeks?
Most of your baby’s basic physical development is now complete - with fully developed kidneys, and their liver even processing some waste products. Your baby's rapidly growing brain means their head weighs more too - which translates to even more pressure on your bladder than usual - what fun!
How big is my baby at 35 weeks?
Last week (week 34) your baby was the size of a cantaloupe or pineapple. Now your baby is the size of a honeydew melon, measuring over 18 inches long and weighing around five and a quarter pounds. It's not over yet though - they'll keep gaining weight until the delivery day, and have that gorgeous, plump, squishy look that makes babies so adorable.
Common symptoms to look out for at 35 weeks pregnant
With so much happening in your body right now, you're going to be dealing with soe of these side-effects...
Constipation
Sorry to break it to you, but this pesky symptom probably won't go away until birth. If you have tried all of the natural solutions (drinking water, soluble fibrous foods, prunes etc.), ask your doctor if you can take a fibre supplement. It's better out than in, right?
Pelvic, back or abdominal pain
Discomfort is very common at this stage, and you'll be feeling it in every part of your body so close to the birth. It's a god sign though. It means your body is getting ready for delivery. Your ligaments are loosening so that it's easy for your new bundle of joy to enter the world. The best thing you can do is try to take it easy and get enough rest. A friendly massage from your partner wouldn't hurt.
Frequent Urination
If the toilet is the most frequently visited area of your home right now, you’re like most pregnant women at this stage, who just can’t stop peeing. This is because your growing uterus - which now reaches up under your rib cage - is crowding all your internal organs and putting pressure on the bladder.
Your baby’s new position, head-down in preparation for delivery isn't helping things either. They are putting even more pressure on your bladder, meaning you’ll need to urinate even more than usual. Rest assured, this will all be over soon!
In the meantime, lean forward when you pee to make sure you’re emptying your bladder as much as possible, and practise your Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles and prevent incontinence.
Bleeding gums
Yup, pregnancy hormones are to blame once again, and this time, they’re responsible for swollen, tender and bleeding gums.
Make sure you’re brushing and flossing regularly - don’t be put off by any blood, this is perfectly normal! If it's bothering you, make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C to boost gum strength - who needs an excuse to grab another glass of orange juice?
Make sure you visit your dentist for advice if the bleeding persists, as you don’t want to risk ending up with gingivitis or tooth decay.
Stuffed up nose
Thanks to those good old pregnancy hormones, the mucous membranes in your nose often swell, leading to a stuffed nose. A box of nasal strips can help unclog those nostrils.
Braxton hicks
At 35 weeks pregnant, braxton hicks contractions are likely to increase. Your body is preparing itself for labour and your stomach might feel hard and tight. Keep an eye on them in case it's the real thing though! Rest up and say hydrated.
Panic attacks
In fact, some women have such an extreme reaction to approaching their due-date that they have panic attacks – there’s an actual condition called tokophobia which means ‘fear of childbirth’. If your anxieties are overwhelming you, then speak to your antenatal team who will do all they can to help and reassure you, and can even offer counselling in extreme cases.
What is my body doing at 35 weeks pregnant?
Your blood pressure will be checked regularly by your doctor or midwife. If they find it’s getting higher, they’ll advise you to rest a lot more and maybe even do more tests because they want to prevent pre-eclampsia.
This is also the time when some women are advised they may need a caesarean. One in five births in the UK are C-sections. It could be because of concerns about the position or safety of the baby - for instance, if it’s breach - or because your doctor thinks it’s safer for you both. But if you don’t feel sure, research it thoroughly, ask all the questions you need to, and if you’re not comfortable, seek another opinion.
Looking after yourself at 35 weeks pregnant
The NHS asks - have you had the whooping cough jab yet? They say it's usually offered to pregnant women between 16 and 32 weeks – but it's not too late to have it now!
The antibodies in the injection pass from your blood stream, through the placenta and into your baby to provide protection for them in the window between when they're born and their first vaccination at eight weeks.
Even though you're already 35 weeks pregnant and there may not be enough time for this protection to be transferred at this stage, it's still a good idea to protect yourself from whooping cough so that you don't catch it and then pass it onto your newborn after birth.
Talk to your midwife or doctor about having the jab if you haven't been offered it or if you have changed your mind about having it.
Is it too early to start maternity leave at 35 weeks?
According to Citizen's Advice you can start your maternity leave, if you're eligible, any day from 11 weeks before your due date.
Maternity leave in the UK is 52 weeks. Gov.uk states that while the 52 weeks leave is optional, by law you must take 2 weeks Compulsory Maternity Leave after giving birth, or 4 weeks if you work in a factory.
With so much to plan and organise, you may want to think about starting your maternity leave before baby arrives. This is a personal choice, of course, but remember - once baby's here, there will be no rest for the wicked!
Things to do this week:
Talk to your partner, friends or family if you’re feeling worried about giving birth. It’s absolutely normal to be nervous about what to expect when it comes to labour, and with your due-date in plain sight, you're likely to start feeling a mixture of emotions, which can cause some anxiety and overthinking.
Rest assured that a lot of women are worried and self-conscious about things like pooing in labour (it happens all the time - your midwife will deal with it and you probably won’t even notice), screaming, shouting and swearing (they’ve heard it all before), and not looking your best (frankly you’ll be so busy giving birth that will be the least of your worries on the day).
Also, don’t stress about the safety of your baby – it’s the job of your medical team and midwife to do everything they can to keep you both safe and healthy and make sure that you have the best possible birth experience.
Now might be a good time to start thinking about pain relief and your birth plan if you haven't already, especially if you're feeling anxious about your birthing experience. There are so many forms of pain relief and birth options available to new mums, it might be worth chatting with your midwife to find out what options are available to you.
Proud aunt to her teen niece, Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.