Changes During Pregnancy - Week 31

Mother

You may start feeling breathless very often because of the pressure on your lungs. You may also feel very tired. You must rest as much as you can and slow down your activities. You may consult your doctor and try out yoga and some stretching exercises.

Colostrum continues to leak from your breasts. The hormone relaxin loosens your pelvis to make place for your baby's birth. This may sometimes be painful but is very helpful during delivery. You find your movements becoming more restricted as the uterus continues to push against the diaphragm.

Baby

Your baby gains weight very rapidly. His lungs and digestive tract have almost completely developed. However, the lungs cannot perform their function fully. His bones keep on growing and hardening. He excretes a lot of urine into the amniotic fluids. Since the baby also swallows the amniotic fluid, it is replaced quite a few times in a day. If there is excess fluid accumulated in the amniotic sac, it means that there may be a gastrointestinal problem or your baby may not be swallowing. Very less liquid means that his urination is very little and he could have kidney or urinary tract problems. Your doctor will measure the level of the amniotic fluid during your periodic ultrasound tests.