Pregnancy Week by Week - 36 Weeks Pregnant
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. From this point until the end of your pregnancy week by week, 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!
At 36 weeks pregnant, your Braxton Hicks contractions 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.
With your baby's delivery imminent in the upcoming weeks, you should be prepared for any signs of labor and delivery during pregnancy week 36. 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.
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.
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.
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!
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 during pregnancy week 36 and enjoy preparing for labor and delivery!
At 36 weeks pregnant, your baby 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 week 36, so your baby is spending his or her time curled up with the legs and arms folded against his or her body.
Your baby 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 36 weeks pregnant. 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.
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.
By pregnancy week 36, 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, 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.
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.
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.)
During pregnancy week 36, 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!
Read About Your Pregnancy Week by Week - 37 Weeks Pregnant
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