31 Weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy Body Changes at 31 Weeks Pregnant

At 31 weeks pregnant, the waiting (and sometimes anxiety) begins. You're a few short weeks away from giving birth, and may be having mixed emotions. This is completely normal, especially for a first timer. Talk about it with your care provider if you feel especially overwhelmed.

You'll need additional stores of iron during the third trimester to help build your baby's oxygen supply. The best sources are dark green, leafy vegetables, as well as lean red meat, dried beans, and dried fruits.

It's also important to drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of fluids each day. Fluids are essential for building new cells, maintaining increased blood volume, and decreasing water retention.

At this late stage of your pregnancy and with your belly being the size it is, you may find yourself spending many hours awake at night as you battle to find a comfortable position for you to sleep in.

Pregnancy body pillows are a godsend, they realign your body and give you and your tummy extra support exactly where you need it. You may find yourself using it long after pregnancy, they are a great product for helping to avoid those morning aches and pains.

Some more tips to help you sleep:

* Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday.
* Don't drink to much fluid at night, or you will be in the bathroom the whole night.
* Avoid any caffeine after 2 p.m..

Your Baby's Growth at 31 weeks pregnant

Your baby is entering a growth spurt. For the next eight weeks, he'll gain weight faster than he increases in length, at the rate of about half a pound a week. The bigger he gets, the harder it will be to "see" him on ultrasound and get a good estimate of his size--the margin of error increases to 15 percent by the end of the third trimester.

He's definitely growing fast, and you'll notice that his kicks will start to feel more like squirming as he runs out of room to roam. Your baby will be weighing in at around 3 1/2 pounds and measures nearly 14 1/2 inches from head to toe.

Your baby's growth weight may begin to slow down a little now, but although it is slowing down the internal organs will continue to grow and develop.

You may want to start preparing for your baby's birth, by getting supplies together a little at a time. Our Baby Needs Checklist is a complete printable list of everything you'll need to have on hand for your new baby.

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