Pregnancy Week 36

How big is your baby? Your baby will be weighing in at around 2.622kg (5.78 pounds) and measuring 47.4cm(18.66 inches). How big are you? If you have not yet dropped (your baby has moved down into the birth canal) youruterus should now sit about 5.51 inches (14cm) above your bellybutton and about14.17inches (36cm) above your pubic symphysis. Your weight gain should be around 24.8-29.76 pounds (11.25-13.5kg) by this week. How is your baby developing and growing

• At this stage your baby may form dimples at the elbows and knees as fat is stillbeing deposited under his/her skin
• If your baby hasn’t already dropped into the birth canal by now, then he/she maydo so soon from about now.

How is your baby presenting? At this point of your pregnancy your healthcare provider should be able to tellyou how your baby is presenting, for example if the head is down or if it may bein a breech position. Usually around weeks 32-35 you can feel the baby’s head in your lower abdomen belowthe umbilicus, sometime the baby’s head may not be hard enough to be identifiedas the head. The head will become harder as calcium is deposited in the fetal skull. Usually by the end of the 36th week your baby will have settled into it’s birthposition, although it is still possible for it to turn again. Changes in you From now onward your body is going to become more efficient at converting storednutrition into energy. It is also not uncommon for pregnant women to lose some weightfrom this point forward as a result of this. Your developing baby is going to place more strain on your circulatory system, andat the moment about one sixth of your total blood volume is contained within theblood vessels in the uterus. You may also begin to see in an increase in swelling and fluid retention from this point forward. This is a common symptomand will affect 40% of all pregnant women. 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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