At 35 weeks pregnant, your baby probably weighs more than 5.3 pounds. He or she could be measuring as long as 18.2 inches from head to heel. You should expect your little bundle of joy to pack on at least two pounds and a few extra inches by the time he or she is born.
At 35 weeks pregnant, your baby is still working diligently on gaining more fat layers to keep him or her safe and warm in the first weeks after delivery.
Space is getting limited in your womb, so your baby won't be doing any major flips or somersaults in your uterus. Your baby's kicks are probably getting painful and uncomfortable.
Fun Fact: Girls' lungs typically mature faster than a boy's. For this reason, little girls who are premature have less trouble breathing than boys who are the same age.
Your little one's suckle reflexes should be well developed by now. If born prematurely at pregnancy week 35, most babies will still be able to breastfeed with little trouble.
At 35 weeks pregnant, your baby's lungs are maturing. They're producing surfactant, a substance that coats the lungs and keeps them from sticking together. Premature babies often don't have enough surfactant, so they often need help breathing.
At 35 weeks pregnant, your uterus is a whopping six inches above your belly button. You might think you can get any bigger, but you still have five more weeks until your due date, and 2 more weeks until your baby is considered "full term."
From pregnancy week 35 until you deliver, you will be having your prenatal visits every week. Although you're probably dying to know when exactly you'll deliver, your doctor's guess is as good as yours. Some women will deliver a full-term baby at 37 weeks, while others have to wait until they're 40 weeks along.
During 35 weeks pregnant, this is the perfect time to start making practice runs to the hospital. You should already have your hospital bag packed and ready to go; the infant car seat installed in the car. Ask your partner to drive you to the hospital or birth center. Find the best routes (and the fastest) to take, and take into account the different times of days. Learn where to park. These practice runs will make the big day much easier and stress-free.
At 35 weeks pregnant, your hormones are probably driving you crazy. Mood swings are common in the last month of pregnancy. You may start to worry about the pain of labor and delivery, and whether you'll be able to handle it. You may also be concerned over whether or not you're prepared to be a mother.
Although mood swings are normal, it may help you if you talk to someone who has gone through childbirth before. Take a deep breath and relax. Women have been birthing babies since the dawn of time. Despite your worries, you will likely do a great job of raising your baby from the very second he or she is born. Most parents have a natural instinct that just kicks in when they see their baby's face for the first time.
Stretch marks might be an eyesore at 35 weeks pregnant, but they're a reminder of the physical sacrifice you're making for your little bundle of joy. At least 50 percent of all mothers-to-be will develop stretch marks in pregnancy.
Helpful Tip: If you feel that you are having serious mood swings, talk with your doctor, who can help you feel more at ease during this critical time of pregnancy.
You're more likely to develop them if there's a family history of it or if you're having twins or multiples. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to prevent or minimize the appearance of this pregnancy symptom. Stretch marks will fade away and become less noticeable in six months to a year after you have your baby.
Sleeping is difficult at 35 weeks pregnant. Your huge belly makes finding a comfy sleeping position hard, and you're probably battling sleep disturbances. Leg cramps and waking up several times a night to go urinate doesn't help you sleep any better. Sleeping with a maternity pillow may help some women.
Helpful Tip: One of the best things an expectant mom can do for herself in the last few weeks of pregnancy is to indulge in a full body massage. Massage can be extremely helpful in relieving pain, swelling, discomfort, and fatigue associated with the latter stages of pregnancy.
Fatigue is a pregnancy symptom that may accompany your sleep disturbances at 35 weeks pregnant. If you're having trouble sleeping, it's no wonder you're feeling so tired during the day. Try to save up your energy for the big day and take naps and breaks whenever you can.
Braxton Hicks contractions continue to get stronger at 35 weeks pregnant. Although these false labor pains shouldn't be regular or getting closer together, they can be painful at this stage in pregnancy. When a Braxton Hicks contraction strikes, take a small rest or change your position. Sometimes, a short walk can make the abdominal tightening go away.
Nesting Instinct at 35 Weeks pregnant
At 35 weeks pregnant, you may have a sudden and uncontrollable urge to clean your entire house from top to bottom. It's called the "nesting instinct," and it's common in the third trimester of pregnancy. The nesting instinct is a universal phenomenon in nature. Just like a mama bird would make a nest for your new baby birds, you may want to clean and organize to prepare your home for your newborn baby.
Every woman experiences nesting differently than the next. At pregnancy 35 weeks, you may want to reorganize your entire house from top to bottom. Another pregnant woman may want to have brand new bed sheets and linens for her home. Some women go crazy in the kitchen and clean every nook and cranny.
This sudden burst of energy that you get to clean may cause your husband to scratch his head. After all, you have been exhausted until now. (Fatigue is a common symptom at 35 weeks pregnant.)
When the nesting instinct kicks in, make sure that you take it easy. At 35 weeks pregnant, you have gained upwards of 30 or more pounds. It's easy for you to tire out, and you want to save all your strength for the challenge of labor and delivery.
If you haven't yet experienced nesting, don't worry. Not every woman will go through a nesting phase. Remember that each pregnancy is different!
You may have gained close to 30 pounds by 35 weeks pregnant. Some women may have gained less than this, perhaps only 20 or 25 pounds, while others have gained more.
If you can, try to aim for the recommended weight gain for your body size. For the average-sized woman, this is typically 25 to 35 pounds total by 40 weeks pregnant.
By 35 weeks pregnant, your healthcare practitioner might start paying close attention to the position your baby is in. There are several positions your baby may be in, the most common of which include head down, breech and transverse.
Most babies will settle into a head down position near term, or from about 35 weeks pregnant to pregnancy 36 weeks on. Head down is the safest position for delivery.
Breech Births
Breech birth occurs when your baby is presenting with the buttocks rather than the head first. Three to four percent of babies will actually start labor in this position. A breech position can be more dangerous than a head down position. Usually sometime between weeks 34 to 36, the baby settles into a position that is hard to get out of, as movement becomes more and more restricted as the pregnancy progresses. Typically, by about 36 to 37 weeks, whatever position the baby settles into is likely to be the position they present at during labor. Most babies will settle into a head down position.
The most common breech position is the frank breech. In a frank breech, the buttocks are positioned to come out first and the legs are folded in front of the body. A breech position may increase the likelihood for a cesarean delivery.
In some cases, your healthcare provider may decide to perform a procedure referred to as an external version. This procedure is only performed in a hospital, and it involves your doctor pressing down on your belly to push the baby into the correct position. If your physician must perform a version, he will monitor your baby both before and after the procedure using both an ultrasound machine and fetal heart monitor. A version can sometimes be a painful procedure. Typically, your healthcare provider will perform a version after 36 weeks gestation. This allows enough time to move the baby before actual labor begins.
Breech is the most common alternative position that babies present in prior to labor. A footling breech, when one leg is lowered over the cervix is less common than a frank breech position. Some women are more at risk for breech delivery than others, including:
Women who go into labor prematurely.
Women who have had two babies close together, which lends itself to excess laxity of the uterus.
Women who have excessive amniotic fluid.
Women carrying multiples, where one or more of the babies is in a breech position.
Women with placenta previa.
When a baby is in the transverse position, they present sideways. Typically a baby in this position lies with her shoulder or her back over the cervix. This position is much less common, typically occurring in 1 out of every 2,500 births. A transverse position close to the time of delivery may necessitate a cesarean delivery.
The risks for having a baby in a transverse position, increases when women go into labor prematurely, if you have given birth to four or more children, or if you have placenta previa.
You should keep in mind that some babies defy all odds. Some babies will turn at the last minute and still present in a head down position for a natural delivery. If your baby is in an 'abnormal' position, keep in mind that your healthcare provider will be paying close attention to the situation. Your doctor can discuss with you the safety of a vaginal birth if your baby stays in a breech position, and he will also discuss with you a cesarean delivery if your circumstances warrant one.
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At 35 weeks pregnant, your uterus is a whopping six inches above your belly button. You might think you can get any bigger, but you still have five more weeks until your due date, and 2 more weeks until your baby is considered "full term." 
At 35 weeks pregnant, your hormones are probably driving you crazy. Mood swings are common in the last month of pregnancy. You may start to worry about the pain of labor and delivery, and whether you'll be able to handle it. You may also be concerned over whether or not you're prepared to be a mother. 
At 35 weeks pregnant, you may have a sudden and uncontrollable urge to clean your entire house from top to bottom. It's called the "nesting instinct," and it's common in the third trimester of pregnancy. The nesting instinct is a universal phenomenon in nature. Just like a mama bird would make a nest for your new baby birds, you may want to clean and organize to prepare your home for your newborn baby. 
Breech birth occurs when your baby is presenting with the buttocks rather than the head first. Three to four percent of babies will actually start labor in this position. A breech position can be more dangerous than a head down position. Usually sometime between weeks 34 to 36, the baby settles into a position that is hard to get out of, as movement becomes more and more restricted as the pregnancy progresses. Typically, by about 36 to 37 weeks, whatever position the baby settles into is likely to be the position they present at during labor. Most babies will settle into a head down position. 