At 35 weeks, your uterus has grown to about 500 to 1,000 times its original size! You might experience the need to “nest”. Nesting is an urge to clean and prepare your home for the baby's arrival. Indulge in it, if you feel so, but don’t lift weights. Braxton Hicks or ‘practise contractions’ strike some women. The womb contracts and tightens with your bump becoming hard to touch; it then relaxes again, becoming soft. Unlike true labour, these are unpredictable and non-rhythmic. By this time, your baby is floating in about a litre of amniotic fluid. It will now gradually decrease until you give birth. The baby’s kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products.

Garbha Vriddhi

अष्टमे गर्भिणीगर्भावाददाते परस्परम् त्रोजो रसवहायुक्तेः पूर्णत्वाच्छलयत्यपि तस्मात्तत्र मुहुर्ग्लाना मुहुर्हष्टा च गर्भिणी त्रत्ययं चाप्नुते तस्मान्न मासो गरायतेऽष्टमः॥ (काश्यप संहिता)

Ayurveda says due to immaturity of the foetus , oja remains unstable and swings back and forth from mother to foetus and from foetus to the mother through rasa-carrying channels. Because of these swings of oja, mother and foetus tend to become happy or dull alternately. If delivery takes place, the life of either mother or foetus is in danger. Hence, this month is not suitable for delivery.

Your Baby's Development

Brain and Drain

Brain development is happening this week with more and more neural connections forming and neural networks becoming fairly more complex. Did you know that the weight of a baby's brain grows by a third during the last 4 to 5 weeks before full term? At the other end, the kidneys are now fully matured and are functioning, processing waste products. The fully developed liver is also now able to process some waste products

Daily Activity

Daily activity has a nice cycle of sleep and wakefulness now. With the uterus thinly stretched, more light is visible and so the baby might be looking forward to nighttime for sleep. With less space in your uterus now, your baby’s movements have shifted from kicks and punches to rolls and wiggles

Shoulder pads

In these final weeks, putting on fat is important. In particular, the baby’s shoulders in particular are padding up for the journey through the birth canal.

Baby's skull still soft

As the brain cells multiply to make the baby super-smart, the skull is still soft. This is so that the baby is able to squeeze more easily through the birth canal.

Your Pregnancy Symptoms

Throbbing head

Headaches in this phase are common. Fresh air and deep breathing really works. Do keep a daily schedule of yoga in which you fill yourself with oxygen. Severe headaches can be a sign of preeclampsia.

Leg swelling and pain

Many pregnant women experience swelling in their legs and feet which is because of fluid retention and also because when the uterus puts pressure on your veins, the return of blood to your heart gets reduced and that causes swelling. Changes in hormone levels also trigger swelling. If you have been doing the iMumz Yoga all this while, you will see the benefits.

Thick vaginal discharge

While increased vaginal discharge is common, if it is thick in consistency now, it  could mean that you’re losing your mucous plug, which has been protecting your cervical opening. This plug comes out before delivery, but losing it doesn’t mean that you’ll start labor immediately. Some women lose their mucous plug up to 2 weeks before delivery.

Heartburn

This burning sensation in your chest and throat is because of ‘Relaxin’, the hormones during pregnancy that relaxes the valve between your stomach and esophagus. This allows stomach acid to come up into your esophagus, which, in turn, causes heartburn. Check the diet tips on the iMumz App to manage this nicely.

Bleeding gums

Your gums may still be bleeding or tender now. To boost gum strength, get plenty of vitamin C. Drink an extra glass of OJ, sprinkle berries on your oatmeal or cereal and toss tomatoes in your salad.

Braxton Hicks contractions

If you are a first-time mum, you might notice a tightening of your uterine muscles, occasionally. You may be experiencing some contractions as your body gets ready for the real thing during labour.

Varicose veins

Some pregnant women who have been coping with varicose veins in their legs note that they are now aching and itching. The same veins in the rectum are called hemorrhoids. Sit in a tub of warm water for relief.

iMumz Wellness Tip

Managing varicose veins

Tailadhara is a wonderful Ayurvedic procedure which works for varicose veins. It helps to reduce the pain associated with ‘vata dosha’ , swelling and also prevent the clot formation in the veins.

How to do Tailadhara

Warm some sesame oil to a temperature that is just slightly higher than that of your skin. Dip a soft cotton cloth in the oil and squeeze this warm oil using your thumb as a channel on the swollen,  purplish veins in a downward direction.  

Collect the oil below on a plate and use it again. You will need to reheat it when using it again. Do not massage on the varicose veins since that increases the dislocation of the clot if at all it is present in the vein.  

Your Pregnancy check-ups

Check the baby's position

• Headfirst position is called the vertex position.
• Feetfirst position is called a breech position.
• If your baby is breech but is not too far down into your pelvis, your doctor might try to turn your baby into the proper position a few weeks before your due date.
• Lying-sideways position is called a transverse position.
  

During this busy time of preparation, it's more important than ever to maintain your energy and strong health with balanced nutrition and regular exercise.

You are probably visiting your doctor every two weeks now. Most of these visits will be the same as previous checkups with a few additions:

• Your doctor probably will screen you using a routine test for group B streptococcus (GBS).
• This bacterium (not related to strep throat) usually lives harmlessly in the vaginas of 10% to 35% of healthy women.
• Although GBS poses no risk to you, your baby can pick it up during delivery.
• If you test positive for GBS, you probably will be given antibiotics during labor to protect your baby.

Your doctor also might check your baby's

position

to see if she's moved into place for delivery.

• Your doctor probably will feel your baby's position from the outside of your abdomen. As you get closer to your due date, your doctor might perform a vaginal exam to check your cervix.
• Your doctor will confirm which part of your baby's body is farthest down in your pelvis. In most cases, it’s your baby's head

What should you eat in this week of pregnancy?

Let’s go ‘Fresh and Veg’ this week. Fresh veggies like tomatoes, cauliflower, beans, sweet potato, carrots, and peas give you vitamins and fibre, too!

The Pregnant Woman’s Vegetable Hot Pot Recipe

• Mixed Vegetables, tomatoes, cauliflower, beans, sweet potato, carrots, and peas, shredded. 1 bowl
• Red chillies that aren’t spicy
• Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
• Sesame oil (til oil) 2 teaspoons
• Vegetable stock 4 cups
• Hoisin sauce 1 teaspoon
• Garlic minced cloves
• Ginger minced 1 teaspoon
• Tofu cubed 50 grams
• Spring onion finely sliced 3
• Chinese cabbage: Half
• Noodles boiled 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Method

To make the sauce, mix crushed red chillies in the soy sauce. Add one teaspoon of sesame oil, mix and set aside.Add the remaining sesame oil and one teaspoon vegetable stock to the Hoisin sauce, mix well and set aside. Pour the remaining vegetable stock in a vessel and bring it to a boil.Add the Chinese cabbage, garlic, ginger and tofu. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring continuously. Add the spring onions, spinach, noodles and salt. Mix well, cover and cook for two to three minutes.Serve hot with the red chilli sauce and the diluted hoisin sauce.