Pregnancy Week 31

How big is your baby? Your baby will be weighing in at around 3.31 pounds (1.502kg) and measuring 16.18inches (41.1cm). How big are you? Your uterus now sits about 4.33 inches (11 cm) above your bellybutton and about12.20 inches (31cm) above your pubic symphysis. Your weight gain should be at around20.94-26.78 pounds (9.45-12.15kg) already. The weight which you are gaining may also be making you feel a little clumsy andharder for you to do the everyday things you could easily do before. By this stage of your pregnancy your uterus will fill a large part of your stomachand you may start to feel the pressure from your uterus under your ribs. You mayalso start to experience back ache on a more regular basis now that your baby andstomach are placing more strain on your lower back. How is your baby developing and growing Should you go into labor and your baby is born today he/she will be able to:

• Breath
• See
• Listen
• Remember and learn

Your baby’s growth and weight may begin to slow down a little now, but althoughthis is slowing down the internal organs will continue to grow and develop. Forthis reason it is important that you maintain a healthy eating plan and ensure thatyou are meeting the requirements of calcium, protein,iron and folic acidespecially. You will want to especially pay attention to your calcium intake as this is especiallyimportant from now until your pregnancy is complete. This is because over the remainingweeks of your pregnancy ossification is taking place and the calcium will be requiredto help your babys skeleton develop efficiently. Pregnancy and Sleep At this late stage of your pregnancy and with your stomach being the size it is,you may find yourself spending many hours awake at night as you battle to find acomfortable position for you to sleep in. Finding a comfortable sleeping position while pregnant can be extremely difficult. Here are a few quick pointers to help you sleep:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday.
• Don’t drink too much fluid at night, or you will be up for toilet breaks all night.
• Avoid any caffeine from the afternoon onwards.
• Exercise on a regular basis.
• Sleep in a cool bedroom, around 70F (deg C).
• If you do experience heartburn at night, try sleeping propped up.

Visit our Media Center for pictures of your growing baby Tell Us About Your Baby Remember that you can tell us about your baby and you can receive a week by weekupdate as to how your baby is growing and developing post pregnancy. This includesinformation and articles on:

• Baby development & milestones
• Nutritional requirements & feeding
• Sleeping patterns
• Caring for and teaching your baby
• And so much more

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