Compared to the previous weeks, the baby has put on even more weight and is almost reaching three point four pounds. His size has increased too and by now his overall height from the top of the head to his little toes to about fifteen to sixteen inches. 31 weeks pregnant is in the third trimester. There are only a few weeks left until the baby will be born and its movements in the womb during this time are much more controlled as if the baby knows what it is doing.
They are no longer random, or sudden as before which can be seen as a sign of maturity in the growing baby. More and more layers of fat continue to collect below the skin so that the baby gets a fuller shape on the legs and hands and does not look as boney as before. At 31 weeks pregnant, the space in the mother’s womb has reduced greatly as the baby needs space to grow. When the baby fills up more of the space in the womb, it becomes a lot harder for it to move around.
Remember that the amniotic fluid has also decreased; therefore any movement made by the baby to turn or move a leg is felt more by the mother. When she does make such a move, you may be forced to sit down for a moment because of the impact. One major change that takes place for a 31 week pregnant woman is that this is the time when the baby turns ‘upside down’. The baby usually grows in a sitting position in the belly of the mother, however for the sake of a normal delivery; they usually turn over at around the 30th week of pregnancy into a position that will make it convenient to be born.
This however, does not usually apply for every mother as some of them will turn head down later, during the remaining weeks. However, if the baby fails to turn head down before the time of birth you can still have your baby normal. Another amazing thing that happens at 31 weeks pregnant is that the baby has started developing consistent sleeping and waking patterns. If you are very keen, you will notice that there are times when the baby is very quiet and there are times they are very active.
The quiet times are when it is asleep. There are also times when the baby is asleep without any movement of the eyes and times when it is awake and active, with a lot of eye movements. 31 weeks pregnant also means experiencing several false labor pains that are caused by the tightening of the uterine muscles. It is also interesting to notice the protruding belly button at 31 weeks pregnant.
This is normal because the baby has put pressure on it from inside causing it to protrude. You may also notice that your breasts have started producing liquid called colostrums in preparation for breast feeding. Putting on nursing pads is one such way of controlling this leakage.
