36 weeks pregnant: Baby’s development, symptoms and top tips

This week, your baby measures 47.4 cm from head to heel and weighs around 2.7kg, or just under 6 lb.

If your baby arrived now it would look like a small but perfectly formed infant. They’ve still got weight to gain, but they’d be cuddly and gorgeous and mostly ready for life outside.

Baby’s digestion

We talk about babies being fully developed at birth, but of course there’s plenty more milestones to come! One of these is their digestive system, which on arrival into the outside world can cope with breastmilk (or formulated milk) but not much else. Their digestive system will keep developing and will take some time to become fully operational.

What did you say?

Your baby’s hearing is getting sharper by the day. You might notice when they are born that they seem to listen to some sounds more than others – and those will probably be the sounds they heard in the womb. Your voice, your partner’s voice, and the voices of those people in your life you spend most time with, plus your favourite songs. It must be a comfort to them when they arrive into such unfamiliar surroundings to have familiar sounds to listen to.

Pregnancy symptoms at 36 weeks

Your body is coping with a lot right now – you should be so proud of how well you’ve managed these last 8 months, from morning sickness to pelvic pain and everything in between. Next time you come across a challenge in your life, you’ll know just how much you’re capable of!

Bump drops

Not everyone’s bump drops before labourbegins, but if it does you might notice intense contractions called false labour. Unlike actual labour, these tail off after a while, so you’ll know it’s not the real thing. The result is your uterus moving into your lesser pelvis, which enables the baby to assume the optimal position for birth.

The benefit of false labour is that you’ll find it easier to breathe, as your lungs are no longer being squeezed by your uterus. This will make you feel freer, encourage you to move around a bit more and help you sleep.

Pelvic pain

Pelvic pain is increasingly common the further into your pregnancy you are. That’s partly because the baby is getting heavier by the day, but it’s made worse after your uterus drops. This puts a lot of pressure on an area that has already been under consistent pressure for months, and it can get really uncomfortable. Try to minimise the impact by resting, taking gentle exercise, and using a belly band if you find it helps. At night, play around with your pillows to get the right kind of support. Most people need a pillow under their bump and one between their knees by this stage.

If the pressure on your pelvis is too much for you to bear, there are exercises that can help relax your pelvic floor and prevent tension. Talk to your midwife for recommendations.

More frequent urination

All this pressure also has an impact on your bladder, which means you’ll probably need to go to the toilet more often. There’s really nothing you can do about this, unfortunately. It’s important to keep your fluids up, so don’t stop drinking thinking it will save a trip to the loo. Chances are you’ll wake in the night feeling dehydrated – and still need a wee!

Fatigue

It’s normal to need more rest at this point. Your body’s working hard and it’s exhausting. Hopefully you’re on maternity leave by now and you can treat yourself to an afternoon nap. If you feel excessively tired, tell your midwife. You might be low on iron.

Nesting instinct

If you haven’t already got things ready for the baby’s arrival, you might feel suddenly inclined to do so this week. Whether it’s starting maternity leave, the looming deadline, or some kind of sign from nature that labour is imminent, nesting is really common at this stage of pregnancy. If you got the baby’s stuff ready weeks ago, you might put this nesting instinct to use in the kitchen with meal prep!

Discharge or the ‘show’?

You might notice a milky discharge. This comes from the mucus plug in your cervix, but unless it’s tinged with blood it probably isn’t yet the sign that the plug has completely disappeared and birth is imminent (as many people think).

Get a birthing ball

A birthing ball or gym ball is a great way to stretch your body and ease discomfort. Move your hips in a circular motion and practice those pelvic tilts to help relieve the pressure on your pelvic floor. Your hospital or maternity unit may also have birthing balls available for when you’re in labour, so you can get some practice in now!

Make a plan

A birth plan is great, but you’ll also need something of a plan for what follows. Can you call on family and friends for help with pets or other children? Arrange deliveries for online shopping, or recipe boxes? Not having to think about anything other than your baby is a real benefit in these first weeks with a newborn.

Plan what you want in the way of visitors, but with the knowledge that you might feel differently once the baby arrives. Try to be firm. If you don’t want crowds of visitors in the first few weeks, it’s ok to say so.

Swim

Swimming – or just floating, you don’t actually have to do much swimming – is a great way to take the load off when you’re feeling totally fed up with your 36-week pregnant body. Make the most of the opportunity – swimming with children really isn’t the same!

Practice your hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is a great way to feel more in control over your childbirth experience. The techniques of hypnobirthing will make it easier to steady your breathing and ease your pain, keeping you calm through what can otherwise be a fraught process. Give it a go with hypnobirthing audio tracks, or see a hypnotherapist for some one-to-one coaching.

Vaginal delivery

A vaginal delivery is the most common way that babies are born. About 60% of births in the UK are via vaginal delivery. It’s not always a ‘natural’ process though; in some cases labour has to be given a kickstart through a process called induction. The manner of induction depends on how far your body has progressed on its own – it could be that your waters are manually broken, and then everything happens of its own accord, or it could be that you’re given medicine, either in pessary form or on a drip, to get things moving.

Once labour begins and your cervix has dilated to 10 cm, contractions push the baby down into the birth canal. You’ll then feel the urge to push, which is how you get your baby out of the birth canal and into your arms! You then have to deliver the placenta; if needed, you can have an oxytocin injection to help with this process.

Caesarian section

In a caesarean or C-section, you will be given a local anaesthetic before a 10 – 20 cm incision is made in your abdomen, cutting through to your uterus. The baby is then delivered through this opening, and handed over to you. You’ll be stitched up and given oxytocin to help reduce blood loss and encourage your womb to contract. About 30% of births in the UK are via C-section.

Assisted delivery

In an assisted delivery (10% of all births in the UK), the birth begins in the same way as a vaginal delivery, but if it is not proceeding well you will be offered a local anaesthetic or epidural before the obstetrician or midwife uses special tools to help deliver your baby. They will choose either a ventouse (suction cup) or forceps (like tongs) to help pull the baby out. You may need an episiotomy before an assisted delivery to make it easier to get the baby out.

What should I avoid doing at 36 weeks pregnant?

At 36 weeks, you should be taking things easy – which means no overly long walks, no high-impact exercise, and no moving furniture around. Gentle exercise is still recommended, but listen to your body and accept when it tells you that enough is enough. It’s ok to ask for help. In fact, once you’re a parent it’s definitely encouraged to ask for help. So, start now, and get someone else to put together the cot or fit the car seat.

How many kicks are normal at 36 weeks?

Every baby has their own ‘normal’ amount of kicks. There’s no definitive number to count. But what is important is that their activity level remains consistent. It’s not true that babies move less towards the end of pregnancy, though the movements might feel different to you.

What happens at the 36-week midwife appointment?

At your 36-week appointment, your midwife will measure your bump, check your urine and take your blood pressure reading. They’ll also check the position of the baby and if it’s in the breech position they may offer an external cephalic version (ECV) to turn the baby round. This has about a 50% success rate and is usually done on the labour ward, just in case.

Also at this appointment, you should be given information about breastfeeding, looking after yourself and your newborn, vitamin K and screening tests for the baby, and the ‘baby blues’ and postnatal depression.

Is thick white discharge normal at 36 weeks pregnant?

It’s normal to have milky-coloured discharge throughout pregnancy. If it smells bad, or it’s leaking out continuously, or accompanied by pain, itching or burning, call your GP. As you’ll be seeing your midwife this week, you can always ask about it then.

What position should the baby be in at 36 weeks pregnant?

By 36 weeks, the baby should be in the head-down position. If they are breech (bottom down), you will probably be offered an ECV to encourage them to flip. Only 3 – 4% of babies are in the breech position at the end of pregnancy.

Got questions? At the HiPPBabyClub, we bring you real-world advice and support from HiPP parents, midwives, nutritionists and more. Join our Baby Club to find out more.