What to expect at 31 weeks pregnant
Your baby
Baby is continuing to plump up this week as it prepares for a rapid growth spurt – while it now weighs about 1.5kg it will more than double its weight by birth.While the skeleton and bones continue to form, baby’s skull is not yet fused together and won’t be until after the baby is born, so that the head can fit through the birth canal during labour. The soft skull then allows for the rapid growth of the brain over the first few years of the baby’s life, with the posterior fontanelle usually closing up around 4 months of age and the anterior fontanelle starting to close from around 6 months but not fully closing until around 18 months.
How you’re feeling
Feeling clumsy or off balance? As your bump grows your centre of gravity changes and you might find yourself feeling a little less graceful than usual and this is especially true in the final trimester. With your bump making you front heavy, combined with the natural deterioration of your core muscles throughout your pregnancy, combined with general pregnancy tiredness – can mean you are less on your game than usual. Take it easy, don’t rush and wear sensible shoes (ditching the high heels as much as possible).
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Weekly tip
Have you had a baby shower yet? You might want to think about it in the next few weeks before you get too big and too tired to enjoy it. Enlist some close friends and family to help you with the organisation – a baby shower, or even just an afternoon gathering at a pub or café, can be a good way to catch up with all the people that want to see you before you give birth, in one hit.
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Dr Christine Catling Follow +
Dr Christine Catling, a midwife for over 25 years, is the Director of Midwifery Studies at UTS. She believes research, innovation and good quality midwifery are pivotal to the well-being of mothers and young families. Christine has extensive experience in antenatal education, policy development and research, and has published on workforce issues, homebirth, vaginal birth...
