35-36 Weeks Pregnant – Symptoms, Body Changes, Bump Update – Pregnancy Diary
At 35-36 weeks pregnant, I was starting to look out for any signs of labor.
My first daughter came at 37 weeks and 4 days pregnant, so I thought maybe baby boy would come early, too.
On the other hand, I tried to make the most out of these last few weeks with my daughter as my only child.
I knew once baby boy would join the family, she’ll never get this much attention for herself anymore.
So I tried to take her to as many playgrounds, play dates, and activities as I could.
Packing the Hospital Bag
As I was starting to look out for any signs of labor, I also realized it might be a good time to pack a hospital bag.
Now, for the birth of my first child, I wasn’t fully prepared.
I went to the hospital for an external cephalic version, which failed, but had to stay overnight for observation. I only packed the overnight bag. But then I went into labor that night and remained at the hospital for the birth.
My husband did bring my hospital bag that I had pre-packed for the birth, but it wasn’t fully ready, and everything was all over the place.
Also, I didn’t really have a great experience at the first hospital, and this time wanted to make sure I have all the essentials (snacks and a phone charger with a long cord plus power banks.
So this time, I made sure everything was in place (including all the snacks and chargers) by the end of week 35. I also showed my husband where I would keep the bag and put a sticky note on top with things to throw in at the last minute (glasses/contacts, mouth guard, airpods).
Having your hospital bag ready to go makes things super easy when you actually go into labor and have to leave the house fast.
Also, I loved seeing the packed bag in my closet every day, reminding me that the most exciting day of this pregnancy was about to come.
Symptoms
Nausea
At the end of week 35 into my pregnancy, I started feeling a sudden onset of nausea.
It came on usually in the afternoon, I almost couldn’t eat dinner
The nausea came and went all throughout the rest of week 35 and week 36, and along with it diarrhea.
I was absolutely convinced it was the onset of labor. I googled any symptom and any change I felt, and to be honest, you can find almost any symptom as a potential sign of labor.
Nevertheless, it suddenly subsided at the end of week 36, without me going into labor.
I forgot to ask my doctor about it, but I assume maybe the growing baby put more pressure on my stomach and intestines. Or the hormones started changing as I was getting close to the end of pregnancy.
Decreased Fetal Movement
At 35 weeks pregnant, I experienced a scary episode of decreased fetal movement.
My doctor advised me to always track baby’s movements, and while I never wrote it down, I had a pretty good idea of his movement patterns.
E.g. he always started moving during my toddler’s nap time and once she went to bed – the time I finally got to sit down and relax. He also liked moving a lot in the morning and as I went to bed.
On the weekend at 35 weeks pregnant though, I remember barely feeling him at all.
My doctor told me I should count at least 10 movements within one hour, once a day. And he definitely did not meet that kick count.
I got a little nervous. I felt him move, very lightly and rarely, but not 10 movements and not within one hour.
And of course, it was the weekend, so I could not just go to the doctor’s office right away.
The next day, on Sunday, the same thing happened all over again. And this time I did get worried.
So first thing Monday morning I decided to call the doctor. And just as I waited for the office to open, little guy started his usual morning routine of kicks, as if nothing ever happened.
Strong Braxton Hicks Contractions
In the last few weeks of my pregnancy, the practice contractions started getting stronger.
They started early for me, in the middle of the second trimester, and got stronger and stronger.
It feels like my whole tummy gets really hard, for maybe 20-60 seconds. And then the bigger the baby and my tummy is, the more noticeable the contractions get.
I knew they were not real contractions yet, as I had the same experience in my first pregnancy.
And this time, too, my belly started looking quite misshapen whenever the contractions happened. I could tell exactly where baby’s butt was, under my rips on the right. But the rest of the bumps? No idea.
Body Changes and Bump Update
At 35-36 weeks pregnant, I finally surpassed the weight that I gained in comparison to my first pregnancy.
During my first pregnancy, I stopped gaining weight around 32-34 weeks pregnant. It kind of plateaued and I even started losing weight during the last week of pregnancy.
So I was expecting a similar weight development this time around. But it did not stop, I just kept continuing the weight gain.
Along with the weight, the circumference of my belly was now also bigger compared to my belly at the end of my first pregnancy.
That on the other hand I was expecting. My skin and uterus had already been stretched once, so I figured it would be easy this time around for it to stretch a little more.
But I absolutely love my baby bump.
For some reason, it makes me feel incredibly feminine, and I will forever be in awe of the female body and how it can grow a baby.