Another month, and you will hold your little bundle of joy in your hands! With your due date just around the corner, the 36th week of pregnancy marks the beginning of an all new roller-coaster ride. After acquainting yourself with your swollen legs, round-looking body, frequent urination, and consistent fatigue, the last 4 weeks of pregnancy could be joyous and exhaustive at the same time.
While you sit back and relax (not quite!), read through these amazing things that happen during your 36th week of pregnancy, which make you go from wow to eww!
The 36th Week Of Pregnancy: Ups And Downs
1. Resting And Relaxing, All You Need To Do
After having been through morning sickness, weird cravings, uncountable aches, and peeing every now and then, you are entitled to rest and relax completely during this phase. Science says, “a relaxed mother gives birth to a relaxed baby.” Make the most of this quote and the time to treat yourself with a much-needed break you deserve. An Epsom salt bath could be a good idea.
2. Knowing Your Baby Is Good To Come Out
By the 36th week, your baby is fully functional and weighs about 5–6 pounds, slightly lesser than the normal birth weight of 7.5 pounds. So over the course of the next 4 weeks, your baby gains around 1 ounce every day. That makes it big, comfortable, and cozy inside your uterus, while you too are growing big and uncomfortable, outside!
3. Getting leaky everywhere, You Bet
Literally, period. Your urge to urinate often gets to an all new level and you see yourself in the restroom every 30 minutes. Your uterus is so big now that your bladder undergoes an existential crisis.
On the other side, in some women, the breasts fatten and tend to release a white fluid called colostrum. This is the nutritious fluid ideally produced during the first three days of your baby’s birth, followed by the production of breastmilk. Since hormones react at different levels in different women, some of them might have leaky breasts beginning the 36th week. Keep some nursing bras and patches handy.
4. Braxton Hicks, You Sure Deserve Some Kicks
Braxton Hick contractions are false contractions which begin as early as in the second trimester. But, they are most significant during the third trimester. They are intermittent, do not have a pattern, and often subside with time, without increasing intensity. They are worse than your menstrual cramps and seem to mimic actual contractions, making you hopeful about delivering the baby. The fact is, the time has not just come. In case the contractions intensify, see your doctor immediately.
5. Swollen Feet, Your Long-Term Friend
You, by now, have probably gotten used to swollen feet. With a full-grown belly, it might now be difficult to get a glimpse of those swollen, yet “your” feet. But, they still need attention, however inaccessible they are. Make sure you put up your feet on a heap of pillows or on the edge of the couch at the end of the day. It doesn’t just relax you, but also helps regulate the fluid retention in your feet efficiently.
6. Maternity Leaves, The Time Is Finally Here
It is best if you avail your maternity leaves as you enter the 36th week. Given, you have only 4 more weeks to stay pregnant, it is time for you to take a break from your work and embrace your upcoming motherhood. Staying mentally, emotionally, and physically fit during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy impacts the process of childbirth to a great extent. So, take that well-deserved break and chill.
7. Fatigued? Well, Just A Few More Days
Pregnant women are perpetually tired most of the time. Their bodies are putting all the extra effort to grow, nurture, and support another life within them. This in itself is a miraculous yet tiring task. The last few months of pregnancy could tire you to extreme levels. Keep yourself sufficiently hydrated, eat a healthy diet, and get a lot of rest.
When you choose to rest, keep your water bottle, snacks, TV remote, book, and cell phone handy. It might also be difficult to get comfortable in one position in one go, but once you are, stay there and relax.
8. Your Belly Grabbing Attention? Just Enjoy It
By 36 weeks you obviously look completely pregnant. Your visits to the supermarket, early morning walks, or just a stroll around your house might grab people’s attention. Greet them with a smile and be gentle when they ask you about your health. We know, you are tired and the hormones are causing a havoc within you, but why not embrace the greetings with a smile, while not being grumpy?
Apart from these, it is also the time to pack your bags for the most awaited event and baby-proof your home. You have created and nurtured a human being within for so long, enjoy the final month, and hug your motherhood!
