Pregnancy week 36 - baby's development and your body

Your baby's brain and lungs are still developing, and they’re growing and gaining weight. If this is your first child, your baby will often drop into the pelvis around this week, which can make it a bit easier to breathe.

Size:

Your baby is about 46 cm or 18.11 inches long, from head to foot.

Weight:

Approximately 2.6 kg or 5.73 lbs.

Fetal development:

Aside from the lungs and brain, most of your baby’s body parts and organs are fully developed and ready for birth. Your baby is continuing to gain fat and often has a good amount of hair on their head by now.

Your baby now sleeps and wakes for longer periods. When awake, they practice breathing by drawing in and pushing out amniotic fluid through their airways.

With space getting tighter, kicks may feel more like sweeping movements, stretches, or pushes. However, the frequency and strength of movements should stay the same.

Your body:

The pressure from your baby is everywhere now, making it harder to find comfortable positions for sitting, standing, or sleeping.

Contractions may be happening more frequently, and pelvic pain after activity is common as the hormone relaxin softens the cartilage joints in your pelvis to prepare for childbirth. Some people also experience back pain as muscles tense up to compensate for the effects of relaxin.

By now, most babies are head-down. If your baby has dropped into the pelvis, you might feel a bit more room under your ribs, easing the pressure on your lungs.