Canada's Largest & Oldest Cord Blood Bank
Have you started waddling yet? The waddling gait is common in many moms in their third trimester. You can thank pregnancy hormones for feeling like a penguin.
This Week’s Highlights
Your baby’s skin starts to look smoother
Your baby is sleeping more now
Your breasts may start leaking colostrum
Your Baby at 31 Weeks
Your baby is the size of a coconut, measuring about 16.2 inches (41.1 centimeters) long and weighing in at about 3.3 pound (1.5 kilograms).
Baby Development at Week 31
All of your baby’s senses are now in working order. He or she needs to gain another 3-5 pounds before birth. As your baby packs on the fat, the skin will start not looking so wrinkle and start smoothing out.
Your little one is also sleeping for longer periods of time now that you may notice more distinct sleep-awake patterns. If you want to wake the baby up, try drinking something sugary like apple juice or orange juice and you will have him/her kicking up a storm in no time.
By now your baby is likely curled up into the classic fetal position (knees tucked into the chest) because the space inside your uterus is running out fast. Your baby is finding new ways to keep stretching, which is why you will also notice that your baby’s movements are different in the third trimester.
Pregancy Tip
If you’ve had a standard pregnancy you probably won’t get another ultrasound. If you can afford it, you may want to consider getting a 3D/4D ultrasound at this stage to get a closer look at your little one.
Your Bump at 31 Weeks
Your belly is probably getting in the way of many things at this stage of pregnancy. Many expectant moms start adopting a waddling gait in their third trimester, mainly because of the relaxing of muscles and ligaments caused by pregnancy hormones.
How Far Along are You?
31 weeks in, 9 weeks to go! You are just a few months away from meeting your newborn. Even though pregnancy is measured in weeks this means you are well into the seventh month of your pregnancy.
How Your Body is Changing
In this trimester you may experience breast pain again as they continue to grow. This may be a good time to switch to a maternity bra because they have wider straps and will provide more support. Your may also experience leakage during the third trimester, and if you do use nursing pads or a cotton cloth to absorb this leakage. It may also be necessary to wear a bra at night for both comfort and for tacking leakage.
Many expectant moms report extreme forgetfulness (aka pregnancy brain) during pregnancy, but not to worry this too shall pass after the baby is born. Staying active, maintaining a healthy diet, rest and relaxation may help ward off some of the other third trimester pregnancy symptoms such as backaches, sleep issues and occasional headache.
If you notice sudden swelling in you face, blurred vision or excessive swelling in other part of your body, contact your healthcare provider immediately since these can be signs of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can develop anytime after 20 weeks, and can be effectively managed when diagnosed.
6 Easy Steps to Banking Cord Blood
Cord blood and tissue collection are non-invasive, safe and painless. It will not interfere with your birth plan or the time spent bonding with your baby.
Step 1. Register Submit the Registration form online, by fax, email or mail.
Step 2. Receive Your Kit Immediately after you enrol, we will ship out the collection kit. Hold onto the Kit until the delivery date. What’s in the Kit?>>
Step 3. Bring the Kit to the Hospital On the big day, bring your Kit with you to the hospital and give it to your delivery team.
Step 4. Cord Blood & Cord tissue Collection After the baby is born, cord blood will be collected into the cord blood collection bag. Your physician will then collect the umbilical cord and place it in the collection vessel for cord tissue. These steps are the same regardless of whether you have normal delivery or have a C-section.
Step 5. At the Lab Stem cells from cord blood and cord tissue samples are purified, concentrated and cryogenically preserved using computer operated controlled-rate freezing. What Happens At the Lab>>
Step 6. Using Banked Stem Cells The stem cells can be stored for the lifetime of your child and used at any time. They can also potentially be used to treat other members of your family. Diseases Treated with Stem Cells >>
Exercise at Week 31
If your every increasing belly is giving you new aches and pains, try to incorporate stretching exercises into your routine. Stretching can help relieve back and neck pain experienced by many expectant moms.
Just remember that your joints and ligaments are looser now due to the pregnancy hormone relaxin. So try not to overstretch and keep it simple.
Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 31
Shortness of breath –You may feel breathless or out of breath as your growing uterus pushes up on your organs, including your lungs. This will continue until the baby ‘drops,’ which happens at around week 37. Until then, make sure you take it easy. Take breaks during your exercise routine and climbing stairs slowly, this will give your lungs time to catch up.
Swollen feet and ankles– Edema or swelling of feet and ankles is caused by increased water retention during pregnancy. The increase in fluids is cause by increased blood flow to both your and your baby and the fact that the blood gets returned back to your heart at a slower rate. You may also experience more swelling in your feet, if you’ve gained extra weight. A relaxing footbath or resting your feet by putting them up every so often can help.
Back pain – The loosening of ligaments that happens during pregnancy causes back pain. The pain likely gets worse when you stand for a long period of time or by the end of the day when your muscles get tired. Stretching, low-heeled (not completely flat) shoes, exercises that strengthen your back and wearing a bellyband can help.
Leaky boobs – Your breast start making colostrum in the first trimester. Colostrum is is the term for that first milk, which is packed with antibodies that your baby, will receive. You may experience leaky boobs in the third trimester because the levels of prolactin, the hormone that revs up milk production, keeps steadily increasing. Small leaks in colostrum during this stage of pregnancy are normal. You may want to consider putting nursing pads inside your bra to catch the overflow.
Have Your Started Shopping for Your Baby Yet?
Approximately 1 in 10 Babies Arrive Ahead of Their Due Date.
