Your Baby in week 36
Your Baby in week 36:
The wrinkly, tiny fetus you may have seen on earlier
ultrasounds has given way to an almost plump baby.
There is fat on your baby’s cheeks, and powerful
sucking muscles also contribute to your baby's
full face. Your baby now weighs a little under
6 pounds (2,721 grams).
The bones that make up your baby’s skull can move
relative to one another and overlap each other
while your baby’s head is inside your pelvis.
This phenomenon is called molding, and it helps
the baby pass through the birth canal. Don't be
surprised if your baby arrives with a pointy or
misshapen head! After a few hours or days, your
baby's head will be back to a rounded shape.
What's going on with You:
Starting this week, you may begin to see your
health care provider every week. Your doctor or
midwife may give you an internal exam to determine
if cervical effacement (thinning of the cervix) or
dilation (opening of the cervix) has begun.
You may experience engagement (also known as lightening),
which is when the baby drops into the mother's
pelvis in preparation for labor. Your appetite
may return because the baby is no longer putting
as much pressure on your stomach and intestines,
and if you've been experiencing heartburn, the
baby's descent may somewhat alleviate it.
next week 37
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