31 weeks pregnant. Baby at 31 weeks pregnant

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

31st week of pregnancy - a lot or a little? Rather a lot! Your baby will be born in 5-9 weeks. Why are the dates so fluctuating? Many children are born a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, while being full-term - their weight is within the normal range, all organs work fully. So it is better to prepare for childbirth in advance. Moms at the 31st week of pregnancy are on maternity leave - there is a lot of free time and there is an opportunity to start buying things for the baby, preparing the room. The body is getting ready too.

Training bouts

The uterus is growing rapidly and its fundus is about 11 cm above the navel. What happens at 31 weeks pregnant? At this time, training bouts may already begin. Paroxysmal muscle contractions occur suddenly and do not differ in regularity. The main difference between prenatal contractions and training contractions is that the cervix opens. How can you know if this happened, according to your feelings?

During training bouts, tension is oftenlocalized in one place - on the right or left, can be felt in the lower or upper part of the uterus. The abdomen protrudes and takes on a more pointed shape. The main thing is that there is no pain during these contractions, although physical discomfort may be observed.

The intervals between these sensations are not equal, contractions usually occur no more than 6 per hour and they do not tend to increase.

Changes in the body of a pregnant woman

What happens to mom at 31 weeks pregnant? Women usually put on weight, not only the stomach increases, but also the chest - it is preparing for feeding. At the 31st week of pregnancy, the rate of weight gain will be from 9 to 13 kg. Such figures should not scare. Only 3-4 kg of this falls on body fat, which is also not a useless load - they protect the pregnant belly from cold and injury. The rest is the sum of the weight of the child, amniotic fluid, placenta, uterus, increased blood volume, mammary glands, additional fluid. Almost half of the weight will go away during childbirth - along with the born baby, water and the placenta will come out. Blood volume and uterus will return to normal soon.

At the 30-31st week of pregnancy, the girth of the abdomen reaches 85-95 cm. The abdomen is usually clearly visible, although it has not yet reached its maximum size. With multiple pregnancies, the belly is very large, and the woman's weight may also exceed the norms established for pregnancy with one fetus.

However, an increase in the load on the spine can exacerbate diseases such as osteochondrosis, intervertebralhernia.

The release of the hormone relaxin does wonders for the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis - they become more flexible and stretchable to facilitate the passage of the baby through the birth canal. Because of this, the gait can become "duck". This temporary phenomenon should not confuse the expectant mother. This happens to almost all pregnant women and goes away after childbirth.

But many pregnant women are pleased with thick and silky hair - also the result of hormones.

Colostrum, a brackish, thick liquid, may begin to come out of the breast, which will become the first nutrient for the baby.

Feeling pregnant

By this time, it is important to understand how labor begins in order to be alert in case of risk of preterm labor. Babies born at 31 weeks of gestation survive but are still considered premature and have many he alth problems. Therefore, with warning signs, you should immediately consult a doctor. If this is done on time, it is possible that the pregnancy can be extended. What should you pay attention to? Pain and heaviness in the lower abdomen or in the lumbar region, thick mucous discharge, which may indicate the discharge of the mucous plug, and even more so the outflow of water. In such cases, doctors determine whether the woman lies down for conservation or will have to deliver.

What happens in the 31st week of pregnancy in a woman's body? Changes in the body, an enlarged uterus and a grown fetus can cause discomfort in a pregnant woman. Firstly, the uterus shifts all the organs of the abdominal cavity upward and they can be squeezed. Compression of the stomach and esophagus, andalso the influence of hormones can lead to heartburn. The capacity of the stomach decreases, its overflow can cause a feeling of fullness in the stomach, so you need to eat fractionally - in small portions. As a snack between meals, it is better to eat fruits, vegetables.

Another common problem in the 31st week of pregnancy is lower back pain. The woman's body weight did not just grow evenly, but concentrated in the abdomen. Therefore, the center of gravity of the body shifts forward. Lumbar lordosis - a completely physiological deflection of the spine in the lower back - deepens, and the load on the back muscles increases.

Another cause of discomfort may be active fetal movements. The baby's muscle mass has increased, and therefore the thrusts may be stronger.

Also, pregnant women sometimes experience calf cramps. They are caused by calcium deficiency and excess phosphorus.

A woman may be haunted by drowsiness and lethargy. The reasons for this are low blood pressure and hemoglobin.

Fetal development

What happens to the baby at 31 weeks pregnant? First of all, he is developing muscles and gaining weight. Its growth is somewhat slower. You can see how fragile preterm babies look and how much stronger full-term babies look. After all, the weight of the fetus at 7 months is only 1600-1800 g, and growth is already approaching that at birth and is 40-42 cm.

The fetus at the 31st week of pregnancy becomes more rounded. An increase in the fat layer smoothes out the wrinkles on the baby's skin. Cheeks become puffy. In the future, in a newborn, subcutaneous fat will provide thermoregulation.

There is very little original lubricant left on the skin of the fetus. It is still present, but its number is decreasing, by the time of birth it will remain very small. Lanugo - a thin fluff that covers the baby's body, will also fall out by the time of birth.

Work and development of organs

At the 31st week of pregnancy, the development of the brain is in full swing. The processes of formation of furrows and convolutions, differentiation of the centers of the cortex continue. The fetal brain weighs almost a quarter of the mass of an adult brain.

The baby's sense organs are actively working and improving. For example, the sense of smell is turned on. Therefore, the composition of amniotic fluid is not indifferent to the fetus. The taste and smell of this liquid depends on the nutrition of the mother. This means that garlic or pungent, odorous spices in a woman's diet can cause real indignation in the fetus, which he will express by jerking his legs and whole body.

Pupils still distinguish only light and darkness. Color vision will come after birth. In response to a bright light directed at the stomach, the baby squints. The stretched tissues of the abdomen let the light inside and the uterus cannot be called a completely dark place. Children born at this time often have vision problems, the so-called retinopathy of prematurity. There are several hypotheses for this. One of them links eye problems with too early contact with air, the other with light too bright for an unprepared retina.

In the hair and iris of the child continues to accumulatepigment. But the iris lags behind the hair in this process, so hair color can vary at birth, and it's not uncommon for everyone's eyes to be light blue, changing color by 6 months.

The internal organs are already formed, they are gaining mass, and some of them are starting to work. For example, the pancreas secretes insulin, while the liver secretes bile.

Baby's teeth are covered with enamel. Despite the fact that up to 6 months they will not yet be visible, the fetus has the rudiments of not only milk teeth, but also permanent ones. Nutrition of a woman significantly affects their formation.

Motor activity of the baby begins to decline, because it is already too crowded in the womb. Usually the fetus takes the position that it will have during childbirth. In most cases, this is head presentation - when the baby is upside down, the head is directed towards the exit from the birth canal. But there is also a breech presentation, when the fetus is located head up. This is also not scary and many of these children are born legs and buttocks forward. But if complications occur during childbirth, you have to resort to a caesarean section.

Nutrition during the 31st week of pregnancy

Pregnant food, as before, should be he althy and varied. Calorie content should be gradually reduced, because weight gain can go especially intensively. The diet should include all types of products - fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat, dairy products, eggs, fish. You need to avoid fried, smoked. In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, s alt intake should be reduced, in contrast to the beginning of pregnancy, when many feel likes alty and that's okay. Now excess s alt can lead to preeclampsia - late toxicosis, which is much more dangerous than the early one and can be the reason why a woman is placed in storage. This disease, which awaits some women at the 31-32nd week of pregnancy, is characterized by increased pressure, swelling and the appearance of protein in the urine. Heavy foods like mushrooms can be difficult to digest. After all, the protein chitin, which mushrooms are rich in, is the material that makes up the shells of insects.

You have to be very careful with spices. Such a bay leaf, familiar to our taste, is considered especially dangerous. Substances in its composition affect the hormonal background. Outside of pregnancy, this action will be useful - tonic, increasing mental performance. But during pregnancy, the same can provoke preterm labor.

It is important to consume allergenic foods in moderation. Some can be completely abandoned, some - eat in moderation, without reaching fanaticism.

Eat small portions. And the stomach, pressed by the uterus, will no longer fit, and there will be no excess weight. Also, don't eat too late. This applies not only to caring for the figure. If you eat before going to bed, the food will not have time to leave the stomach before the supine position has been taken. This often leads to heartburn - in a horizontal position, acid with food debris enters the esophagus more easily and irritates its walls.

It is not always possible to get all the necessary substances from food, so doctors often recommendpregnant women take vitamin D with calcium - they are often in short supply and poorly absorbed. But you should not take vitamins without a doctor's recommendation.

Physical activity

Most women are less active when they go on maternity leave. True, changing the mode can be used for regular walks in the fresh air. You can supplement them with gymnastics for pregnant women, yoga, Kegel exercises for the pelvic floor, swimming.

Exercise at 31-32 weeks of pregnancy can already be aimed at preparing for childbirth, for example, developing proper breathing. There is no need to overdo it when playing sports. Injury activities should be avoided. With severe fatigue, dizziness and the slightest discomfort in the abdomen, exercises should be stopped.

However, a completely passive lifestyle is also not the best option. Not only will this lead to excess weight, but it also threatens with edema and blood pressure disorders. It will be difficult for a woman’s weakened body to cope with childbirth, because childbirth is a huge physical load. At the same time, you need to treat yourself with care, pregnancy itself is also a burden - both increased body weight and increased work of internal organs to remove toxins and supply the child with useful substances.

Sleep

In the 3rd trimester, sleep disturbances in pregnant women are not uncommon. At first, this may be due to the influence of hormones, then the stomach becomes so large that it does not allow you to take a comfortable position. From the 28th week, sleeping on your back is not recommended. heavy stomachcompresses the inferior vena cava. The mother feels dizzy, short of breath, lethargic, and the fetus may suffer from a lack of oxygen. Therefore, you need to choose a position on the side. Lack of sleep can be compensated by daytime sleep, because there is time for this. Evening walks and airing the room can also improve the quality of sleep.

Risks

As already mentioned, preeclampsia can be one of the possible complications. It can go into even more dangerous states - preeclampsia and eclampsia. In such cases, artificial delivery is performed regardless of the term in order to save the life of the mother and child.

One of the dangers can be amniotic fluid leakage. To make sure that everything is in order, you can buy a special test at the pharmacy. The test pad helps to identify amniotic fluid. In case of a positive result, you will have to go to the hospital.

Premature birth

If regular contractions occur, you also need to urgently be hospitalized. If childbirth cannot be prevented, do not panic. A child born at the 31st week of pregnancy is considered premature, but almost everyone survives, and 85% grow up as he althy people and live a full life. If a child was born at such a time, he can live outside the mother's body, because all his organs have already been formed and have begun to work. However, they do not work at full strength, so the baby requires medical attention. Such children go through a difficult period of nursing.

Later they mayto lag behind others in terms of body weight, height, and pace of psychophysical development. When evaluating the development of such a child, one cannot be guided by the standards for full-term children. Premature babies “catch up” with their peers in a year, two, and in severe cases even three years. However, when exercising with a child, it can be achieved that, in terms of psychophysical development, he will practically fit into all standards, despite and despite the smaller size of the body, he will sit down, walk, talk at the right age.