8 months 3 weeks
3rd Trimester
5 more weeks to go
At 35 weeks, your uterus has grown to about 500 to 1,000 times its original size! You might experience the need to “nest”. Nesting is an urge to clean and prepare your home for the baby's arrival. Indulge in it, if you feel so, but don’t lift weights. Braxton Hicks or ‘practise contractions’ strike some women. The womb contracts and tightens with your bump becoming hard to touch; it then relaxes again, becoming soft. Unlike true labour, these are unpredictable and non-rhythmic. By this time, your baby is floating in about a litre of amniotic fluid. It will now gradually decrease until you give birth. The baby’s kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products.
अष्टमे गर्भिणीगर्भावाददाते परस्परम् त्रोजो रसवहायुक्तेः पूर्णत्वाच्छलयत्यपि तस्मात्तत्र मुहुर्ग्लाना मुहुर्हष्टा च गर्भिणी त्रत्ययं चाप्नुते तस्मान्न मासो गरायतेऽष्टमः॥ (काश्यप संहिता)
Ayurveda says due to immaturity of the foetus , oja remains unstable and swings back and forth from mother to foetus and from foetus to the mother through rasa-carrying channels. Because of these swings of oja, mother and foetus tend to become happy or dull alternately. If delivery takes place, the life of either mother or foetus is in danger. Hence, this month is not suitable for delivery.
Brain development is happening this week with more and more neural connections forming and neural networks becoming fairly more complex. Did you know that the weight of a baby's brain grows by a third during the last 4 to 5 weeks before full term? At the other end, the kidneys are now fully matured and are functioning, processing waste products. The fully developed liver is also now able to process some waste products
Daily activity has a nice cycle of sleep and wakefulness now. With the uterus thinly stretched, more light is visible and so the baby might be looking forward to nighttime for sleep. With less space in your uterus now, your baby’s movements have shifted from kicks and punches to rolls and wiggles
In these final weeks, putting on fat is important. In particular, the baby’s shoulders in particular are padding up for the journey through the birth canal.
As the brain cells multiply to make the baby super-smart, the skull is still soft. This is so that the baby is able to squeeze more easily through the birth canal.
Headaches in this phase are common. Fresh air and deep breathing really works. Do keep a daily schedule of yoga in which you fill yourself with oxygen. Severe headaches can be a sign of preeclampsia.
Many pregnant women experience swelling in their legs and feet which is because of fluid retention and also because when the uterus puts pressure on your veins, the return of blood to your heart gets reduced and that causes swelling. Changes in hormone levels also trigger swelling. If you have been doing the iMumz Yoga all this while, you will see the benefits.
While increased vaginal discharge is common, if it is thick in consistency now, it could mean that you’re losing your mucous plug, which has been protecting your cervical opening. This plug comes out before delivery, but losing it doesn’t mean that you’ll start labor immediately. Some women lose their mucous plug up to 2 weeks before delivery.
This burning sensation in your chest and throat is because of ‘Relaxin’, the hormones during pregnancy that relaxes the valve between your stomach and esophagus. This allows stomach acid to come up into your esophagus, which, in turn, causes heartburn. Check the diet tips on the iMumz App to manage this nicely.
Your gums may still be bleeding or tender now. To boost gum strength, get plenty of vitamin C. Drink an extra glass of OJ, sprinkle berries on your oatmeal or cereal and toss tomatoes in your salad.
If you are a first-time mum, you might notice a tightening of your uterine muscles, occasionally. You may be experiencing some contractions as your body gets ready for the real thing during labour.
Some pregnant women who have been coping with varicose veins in their legs note that they are now aching and itching. The same veins in the rectum are called hemorrhoids. Sit in a tub of warm water for relief.
Managing varicose veins
Tailadhara is a wonderful Ayurvedic procedure which works for varicose veins. It helps to reduce the pain associated with ‘vata dosha’ , swelling and also prevent the clot formation in the veins.
How to do Tailadhara
Warm some sesame oil to a temperature that is just slightly higher than that of your skin. Dip a soft cotton cloth in the oil and squeeze this warm oil using your thumb as a channel on the swollen, purplish veins in a downward direction.
Collect the oil below on a plate and use it again. You will need to reheat it when using it again. Do not massage on the varicose veins since that increases the dislocation of the clot if at all it is present in the vein.
The iMumz App has helpful tips in its feed section and the nutrient rich weekly diet plans backed by Ayurvedic science base to help you manage pregnancy fatigue.
Check the baby's position
During this busy time of preparation, it's more important than ever to maintain your energy and strong health with balanced nutrition and regular exercise.
Let’s go ‘Fresh and Veg’ this week. Fresh veggies like tomatoes, cauliflower, beans, sweet potato, carrots, and peas give you vitamins and fibre, too!
iMumz provides micro nutrients week by week for your pregnancy nutrition. Diet charts and recipes are made by mothers to give your daily dose of health for your baby and you.
Pregnancy backache if usually due to the following reasons:
What is important to note is that a pain in the lower side of the back at Week 35 could signal preterm labour. Take a note of how it is feeling. Is it coming in waves and travelling to the front of your abdomen? Is it not getting between when you try to change your position?
Diarrhoea is a common complaint of women throughout pregnancy. If it happens in Week 35, it could (again, not necessarily) signal labour.
It is known to occur right before labour or a couple of weeks before labour. If it is a couple of weeks before your due date, a premature birth should not be expected. Still, keep monitoring and don’t medicate without the doctor’s advice. Have lots of fluids.
The iMumz App has yoga exercises and webinars that can help you manage pain with a good sense of control and diets to manage tummy troubles.
Certain foods and drinks can bring on labour
Here are some foods that pregnant women are wrongly advised to have:
Blue and black cohosh (Actaea racemosa that is a herb that many women use for menopause symptoms): There is evidence to suggest that these roots may cause fetal heart failure and stroke, as well as maternal complications during labor.
Pineapple: If you find it tasty, eat it! But, it will only give you heartburn, not contractions.
Castor oil: This oil may cause uterine irritation and contractions, but they are often a result of diarrhoea rather than labor.
Spicy foods: There is no proof that eating spicy foods will induce labor. They can cause gastrointestinal upset and heartburn, however.
Deep Belly Meditation
Yes, this special form of meditation has immense power.
Place your hands on your belly, gently cradling the baby. Observe the sensations felt beneath your hands. Do you feel a gush of warmth? A movement?
Breathe slowly, in and out. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to immerse itself in your belly.
If a thought arises, let it float away, as if it were a cloud in the sky. Try doing this for five minutes each day, gradually adding more time each week to reduce your anxiety and fear about labour. This conscious exercise, if done daily, will create a bond and a pact with the baby.
There's a lot of power in our words. When we speak of something, we believe in it. It affects our consciousness, our nervous system, and our way of being. During challenging yoga poses, try saying "Strong Amma, breath. Breathe in for the baby."
This same mantra will come in so handy during labour, too.
Download the iMumz app now to access a rich repository of specific meditation options suited for different phases of pregnancy.
The award-winning iMumz App is helping 350,000 + women make their pregnancies healthier and happier.
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