Pregnancy Week 31: Fetal Development, Signs of Preterm Labor & Packing for the Hospital Pregnancy Weekly
About Baby
At around 3 1/3 pounds and 16 inches long, your baby has gone from a cabbage to a coconut! This week, all of Baby’s senses are in full swing. Trillions (yes, trillions, and we’re not talking about the U.S. deficit!) of brain connections between nerves are being formed so he can process information from all five senses. Watch what you say because Baby can hear your voice. He can also taste amniotic fluid, track light and is using his arms and legs more and may even start sucking his thumb. You’ve already got a thumb sucker!
Photo: Baby at 31 weeks of development
About Mom
While Baby’s development is still going strong, so is yours – and it’s starting to involve more contractions. You’ll start to feel your uterus tightening now and then. These contractions are called Braxton Hicks and is your body’s way of preparing for childbirth. They can last around 30 seconds, don’t have a pattern, are not very frequent and should be painless. But keep an eye on them. If they get to be frequent, it could be preterm labor. Other symptoms of preterm labor include:
- abdominal pain or cramping
- increased vaginal discharge
- pelvic pressure
- lower back pain
Call your doctor of midwife ASAP.
Your uterus is now located about 4 inches above your belly button. It’s definitely movin’ on up! This could leave you feeling a little out of breath at times. Once your baby drops, this feeling should subside – at least until he is born, then he’ll take your breath away again.
Packing for the Hospital
There's so much to think about and do when preparing for a baby. One important thing that should not be overlooked is packing your hospital bag. Something as small as hair ties can be a life saver. We spoke with some moms to find out their hospital bags must-haves. Here’s some of the things they said to pack in that bag:
- big underwear
- nursing tanks
- slippers
- cozy socks
- extra long charger
- playing cards
- good book
- pillow
- lip balm
- hairbrush
- hair ties
- folders (for the crazy amount of paperwork you will get)
- handled bag (you may get a lot of gifts and will need something to carry them home in)
But that’s not all! Use this pregnancy hospital bag checklist and have one less thing to worry about as you wait for the arrival of your baby!
Bump Talk
“You do a lot of growing up when you’re pregnant. It’s suddenly like, 'Yikes. Here it is, folks. Playtime is over.'” – Connie Fioretto, writer
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