Pregnancy Week 35: Fetal Development, Fundal Measurement & Picking the Perfect Baby Name Pregnancy Weekly

About Baby

At almost 18 inches long and 5 1/4 pounds (think honeydew melon this week), besides growing in size, your baby is pretty much fully developed. The lungs may still have a little way to go, but the name of the game going forward for Baby is just gaining weight. Baby’s liver is already processing waste from the kidneys thanks to the amniotic fluid mocktails Baby enjoys. His bones and muscles are getting stronger. Not too much longer now for his trip into this world!

Photo: Baby at 35 weeks of development

About Mom

Wonder why your doctor measures your belly? Your fundal height is the distance from the top of your uterus to your public bone. As your baby grows, the fundus (top of the uterus) grows up and out of your pelvic cavity. Did you know that your fundal measurement is roughly equal to the number of weeks you are pregnant? Really! Right now your fundal measurement is probably around 35 inches. Get a measuring tape and try it! If your measurement is not close to your weeks pregnant, there could be a number of reasons, according to the March of Dimes. And they are:

• Fetal growth that is too slow or too rapid.

• Too much or too little amniotic fluid. 

• Uterine fibroids.

• A baby prematurely descending into the pelvis or settling into a breech or other unusual position.

Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

Going forward, you will see your doctor or midwife every week. Before you’re at the 37-week mark, your doctor may do a test for group B strep (GBS). While harmless for you, GBS can cause problems for your baby, like meningitis, infections and pneumonia.

Have you finished your birth plan? If not, it’s getting down to the wire!

Baby Names

Trying to come up with the perfect name for your baby can be quite exhausting. There’s so much pressure to get it “right.” Should you go with a trendy name or a traditional name? A family name or a unique name? Are there names to avoid due to unpleasant associations? What if you and your partner can’t agree on the “perfect” name? There’s much to consider.

How about a doing a Google search? For one mom, it helped her pick her daughter’s name. However, she forgot to do one thing when researching it. Read What’s in a Baby Name? Use This Trick to Find the Perfect Name for Your Baby (With One Caveat) for find out what happened.

Each year, parents-to-be anxiously await the release of the Social Security Administration’s most popular baby names list. Emma and Liam were America’s most popular baby names for 2017. This marks the first time Liam has bested the boys, beating Noah for the top spot, and the fourth straight year for Emma.

Liam first crawled into the top 10 in 2012 and has been reaching for the highest honor ever since. In other huge baby name news, Michael has been bumped from the top 10 for the first time since World War II, landing at No. 12 this year. Emily also fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 1990.

There are several new names in the top 10. Find out all the top baby names for 2016 and top baby names for 2017!

Bump Talk

“I grew up near one [willow tree]. It is the most flexible tree and nothing can break it – no wind, no elements. It can bend and withstand anything. I love that sentiment and I want that for her.” – Pink, on why she named her daughter Willow 

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links. The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get inspiration in your newsfeed daily. Inspire and be inspired.