Wow, what a journey it's been! You are now 36 weeks pregnant,- only a week until your baby is considered "full term" and ready to make his or her appearance in the world. In this article, you will learn what to expect at 36 weeks pregnant.
From 36 weeks pregnant until the end of your pregnancy, you should be prepared for labor and delivery at any second! Your full-term baby might be born at any time between 37 weeks and 42 weeks pregnant. So get ready!
36 Weeks Pregnant - What to Expect
Pains at 36 weeks pregnant include Braxton Hicks contractions that continue to plague you. They occur very frequently now, as your body starts to prepare for labor. In the weeks before labor starts, these false contractions may occur intermittently and become rhythmic, and you may even think they are getting closer together.
It can be difficult to tell Braxton Hicks contractions apart from true labor pains, so you should always talk to your doctor or healthcare provider if you're concerned that you may be in labor.
36 Weeks Pregnant and Cramping Other pains at 36 weeks pregnant that you may start to experience are cramps that may feel like menstrual cramps. They may hurt all the day into your vaginal area. While painful, this pregnancy cramping at 36 weeks pregnant is very common. However, you should talk to your doctor about any cramps at 36 weeks pregnant. He or she needs to rule out that you're not in early labor.
36 weeks pregnant and cramping may be related to labor and delivery. Menstrual-like cramping usually precedes labor, and its purpose is to allow your cervix to thin out. If you experience cramps at pregnancy 36 weeks, your doctor will need to check your cervix to see if it is dilating.
If you aren't in early labor at pregnancy 36 weeks, the cramps will most likely go away if you drink a couple glasses of water and get some rest.
36 Weeks Pregnant - Vaginal Discharge Another change you may have noticed at 36 weeks pregnant is more vaginal discharge. The discharge may be increasing and even getting thicker. Don't worry about discharge at 36 weeks pregnant – it's absolutely normal. At this late stage in pregnancy, your mucus may be pink, red, or even brownish after a vaginal exam or after you've had sex. At 36 weeks pregnant, the discharge that you experience just shows that your cervix is more sensitive now.
Also, your discharge at 36 weeks pregnant may be related to the fact that your mucus plug is starting to dislodge itself – a sign that labor is on its way.
Be Prepared for Labor and Delivery at Any Moment With your baby's delivery imminent in the upcoming weeks, you should be prepared for any signs of labor and delivery at 36 weeks pregnant. These include true labor contractions (a painful tightening in your uterus that become increasingly strong and get closer together as time passes), your water breaking, the passing of your mucus plug, and your cervix dilating. If you experience any cramps at pregnancy 36 weeks, this pain may be a sign that it won't be too long before your labor starts.
When you meet with your doctor or healthcare provider, he or she will give you instructions on when to call him and when to head to the hospital. From pregnancy week 36 onward, you will meet with your doctor every week until your baby is born.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy - Pregnancy 36 Weeks If you are like most women, you probably can't wait until your baby arrives. Your pregnancy weight gain at 36 weeks pregnant may be over 25 pounds already. Waddling is a way of life these days, as your baby has probably already descended into your pelvis. It may even feel like you're carrying a watermelon between your legs.
The Return of Frequent Need to Urinate Once your baby "drops" (a process called "lightning") by pregnancy week 36, you will feel increasingly uncomfortable. You will feel pressure in your lower abdomen, and you'll notice that you have to urinate very often - even more frequently than you did in your first trimester! If your baby is positioned very low in your pelvis, you may also feel vaginal pressure and discomfort.
Luckily, you will only have to feel these uncomfortable sensations for several more weeks. Your due date is only four weeks away!
Avoid Traveling by Plane at 36 Weeks Pregnant At 36 weeks pregnant, your doctor or healthcare provider will warn you against air travel. You will want to avoid traveling by plane, since your baby can arrive anytime between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy!
However, if you must travel, keep in mind that many airlines have restrictions on air travel. In the last month of pregnancy, a majority of airlines require you to provide a doctor's letter indicating your due date and stating that traveling does not pose a health risk. This letter must be signed within 72 hours of your flight.
The airlines do not want you to give birth in the air. You won't want to go into labor during your travels, either. Complications can occur at the last moment, and you will want to be surrounded with the latest technology in a hospital setting.
Take it easy at 36 weeks pregnant and enjoy preparing for labor and delivery!
Fetal Development at 36 Weeks Pregnant Your baby at 36 weeks pregnant, may weigh as much as 6 pounds and is as long as 18.6 inches (possibly longer!). Now that your baby is almost full-term, he or she will continue to pack on the pounds and will grow longer as your pregnancy week by week draws to a close.
Space is running out in your uterus by pregnancy 36 weeks, so your baby is spending his or her time curled up with the legs and arms folded against his or her body.
Your baby at 36 weeks pregnant has started shedding the lanugo (the downy layer of fine hairs) and vernix (waxy-like substance) that has covered most of his or her body up until pregnancy 36 weeks. Lanugo and vernix protects your baby's skin from its immersion in amniotic fluid throughout your pregnancy week by week. Some babies are born still covered with these two substances, but lanugo and vernix will disappear shortly after birth.
During pregnancy week 36, your baby's lungs are structurally developed, however if your baby was born this week, he or she may need help with breathing. The air sacs in the lungs are producing surfactant, a substance that keeps the air sacs open when your baby takes her first breath.
Your baby at 36 weeks pregnant, your baby's heartbeat still beats very fast, between 110 and 160 beats per minute. Even after he or she is born, your baby's heart will continue to beat faster than yours. His or her heart rate will not slow down for a couple of years.
Overview of Pain Relief Options During Labor and Delivery By pregnancy 36 weeks, you are most likely ready for this baby to be born. With your due date looming in less than a month, your thoughts are often drifting to your labor and delivery. If this is your first pregnancy, you may be nervous about the pain of childbirth.
To alleviate many of your fears at pregnancy 36 weeks, you should take some time this week to research your pain relief options. Call your hospital to see what they offer, and discuss this with your doctor or healthcare provider.
As you are doing your research, keep in mind that every woman experiences and tolerates pain very differently. Some women have a high pain threshold and only require focused breathing and relaxation techniques to get through their labor and delivery. Other women will require pain medication to help them cope.
Pain Relieving Drugs Available During Labor and Delivery
There are two categories of pain-relieving drugs:
Analgesics
These drugs offer pain relief without a total loss of feeling. They reduce your pain, but don't always completely stop it.
Systemic analgesics are given as injections into one of your muscles or a vein. They lessen your pain and you will not lose consciousness. They affect your entire nervous system, rather than targeting a specific area.
Regional analgesics are often the most effective form of pain relief during labor and delivery. They include epidural blocks, spinal blocks, and combined spinal-epidural blocks.
Regional analgesics are often the most effective form of pain relief during labor and delivery. They include epidural blocks, spinal blocks, and combined spinal-epidural blocks.
With an epidural block, you will lose some feeling in the lower areas of the body, but you will stay alert and awake. You may receive an epidural block after your contractions begin, or later in your labor. An epidural block is given in your lower back, below the spinal cord. Pain relief typically begins ten to twenty minutes after the medicine has been injected.
During a spinal block, you will get an injection in the lower back to numb the lower half of your body. It offers good and immediate pain relief, but it only lasts for an hour or two.
Anesthesia
These medications block all feeling and sensations, including pain. They also block muscle movement. If you receive local anesthesia, you will have numbness and loss of feeling in a small area. With general anesthesia, you will lose consciousness and feel no pain. In most cases, anesthesia is only used at the time of surgery.
Talk to Your Doctor About the Best Pain Relief Option At 36 weeks pregnant, you should have a conversation with your doctor or healthcare provider about the best pain relief option for you. Make sure to learn about the pros and cons of each choice.
Remember that although pain relief during labor and delivery is generally safe, it does come with some risks and side effects.
Is a Medicated Labor Right for You?
During pregnancy 36 weeks, you may decide that a medicated labor and delivery is not right for you. You may want to attempt drug-free methods first. These include relaxation and breathing techniques, hypnosis, and acupuncture.
Keep in mind that even if you have made up your mind about a natural childbirth experience at 36 weeks pregnant, it's okay to change your mind at the last minute. Don't feel disappointed if you decide to have a medicated labor and delivery. All that matters is that you deliver a healthy baby!
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