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| 31 Weeks Pregnant |
In this article
- PregnancyWeek 31: All About You
- Pregnancy Week 31: All About Baby
- How Big Is Baby?
- Most Common Pregnancy Questions
- Multiple Madness
- For Your Partner
- Fun Fact
Things are beginning to get a little crowded in there! Do you have a birth plan?
Time to start thinking about your labor options. During pregnancy week 31, things are beginning to get tight in there, and heartburn and indigestion are common. Eat small meals more often and drink lots of water. You may have developed the pregnant "waddle"—that happens because pregnancy softens the ligaments in your pelvis, allowing your hips to spread to make room for the baby. Don't worry, you won't walk like a duck forever! This is a good week to nail down the details of Baby's birth—if you're going to a hospital, you may be able to pre-register soon. It's no fun to stand at a counter filling out form after form while you're in labor. Do it in advance and slide right in, in style! Read our article on Choosing a Hospital.
Pregnancy Week 31: All About You
As your baby's weight increases (she weighs over three pounds this week!) the strain on your body will be noticeable. Your lower back and hips ache, especially at the end of the day. A growing baby also means less room for your internal organs. You'll be taking more breaths to fill your scrunched lungs. With your shrinking tummy, meals will need to be smaller and more frequent. On a happy note, a bigger baby means you'll feel more wiggles. At times you'll be able to distinguish arms, legs, and head movements. When your baby shifts positions you may experience numbness in your legs or a sudden urge to use the bathroom.
Labor Pains: Choices in Pain Medications
Dealing with pain during childbirth used to be an all or nothing proposition—either you were knocked out completely or you felt every contraction. These days, pain medications essentially boil down to two options: analgesics, which affect the entire body; and localized anesthetics, which work on targeted parts of the body. The kind of pain medication you receive depends on a variety of factors, such as what's used at your hospital and your stage of labor. The more you know about what's available, the more likely you'll be able to receive the kind of pain medication you want during labor.
Analgesics (narcotics): Analgesics are systemic medications, meaning they act on the entire body. The medication courses through your blood stream—and your unborn baby's. Commonly used analgesics such as Demerol and Stadol won't block out all the sensations of pain but will help you feel it less intensely. Analgesics have potential side effects: they can make you drowsy, dizzy, nauseous, and light-heated. These drugs lower the heart rate for some women, putting the baby's heart rate at risk also—but a lowered heart rate happens infrequently and is treatable. Keep in mind the drowsy effect of an analgesic can remain in your system—and your baby's—for a few days.
Anesthetics: Anesthesia encompasses a wide range of medications, injected into certain parts of the body to provide targeted pain relief. While there are several types of anesthetics, the most popular by far is an epidural. With an epidural, the anesthesiologist numbs a select area of the spine and then inserts a needle containing a small tube (catheter). Through this tube, you'll receive pain medications that should completely drown out any pain sensations. The catheter stays in place until after your baby's birth. Unlike narcotics, which enter the body through the blood stream to dull pain, but not eliminate it, epidurals block out pain messages between your body and your brain. Although the epidural can take several minutes to take effect, you should have no sensation of pain once the medication kicks in.
There are different types of epidurals. An increasingly popular option is a combined spinal-epidural (CSE). With a CSE, the anesthesiologist follows the same procedure as with a standard epidural, but also injects pain medication directly into the spine through the epidural catheter for immediate relief.
This is only a brief overview of pain medication choices. You should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of these pain medications with your doctor. You need to discuss your preferences before delivery day, not when you're already in labor.
Pregnancy Week 31: All About Baby
Your unborn baby's lungs continue to mature. As her lungs become more developed, the chances of her surviving if born prematurely increase. Her skin, which has been wrinkled, now becomes pink and smooth as fat cells fill out her body.
Baby knows your voice. Singing to her, talking to her, and telling her all about the world she'll be joining soon is a great way for you and your partner to bond with Baby—and each other!
Your baby's fingernails have grown and she may even need a manicure after she's born.
How Big Is Baby?
Your unborn baby weighs around 3 pounds, 8 ounces and stretches to around 16 inches (crown to heel).
Most Common Pregnancy Questions
I'm scared about labor pain. What medication will be available to me and how do I decide what to do?
Worrying about what labor will be like is definitely a universal fear for many pregnant women. The outcome is amazing (your baby!), but the notion of dealing with the pain that accompanies this event can feel daunting. Be sure to talk about options with your doctor or midwife during your pregnancy; she will help you decide what might be the best option for you. Also, know your rights during labor and delivery (you have more control than you probably realize). And here's a bit of advice: give yourself the option to change your mind! The best-laid plans can change once labor begins (and it really is OK to change your mind!).
When you first arrive at the hospital and your nurse is interviewing you, this is when you can communicate with her what you think you might want for pain relief. If you have already decided that you want an epidural you can let her know and she will help you with the timing of it all. An epidural is a form of anesthesia where a medication is injected into the epidural space (an area in your spinal column). This type of pain control provides a numbing feeling in your belly can help relax during labor and be ready for pushing.
Your nurse will start an IV and monitor your blood pressure frequently after an anesthesiologist administers the epidural (a drop in blood pressure is a common side affect). The nurse will also check the motor function of your legs (sometimes your legs may feel warm and slightly numb.) Most doctors would like to see you making some progress before getting an epidural.
Options for coping with labor discomfort include:
- Walking
- Showering
- Sitting in a rocking chair
- Using a birthing ball
- Labor breathing (deep cleansing breaths with contractions)
- Labor epidural
- Pain medication that is given to you as a shot or through an IV
- Lower back massage
You can do this! There are so many good options to help you cope with the discomforts of labor. From medication to trying different methods of delivery or different birthing positions. If one isn't working, speak up! Your nurse and doctor are there to make sure the experience is a positive one.
Multiple Madness
Is It Labor?
Most of the time, it isn't critical to be cognizant of signs of true labor with a singleton pregnancy until you are around your thirty-sixth week. But with a twin pregnancy, that's not the case.
With every twinge, women expecting multiples wonder, "Is this it?" It isn't uncommon to make numerous trips to the hospital only to be sent home. Nor is it uncommon to be concerned, but not want to bother anyone, and vow to wait out the symptoms.
It's important to be on guard but not paranoid. Check with your doctor to find out how many contractions per hour he's comfortable with you experiencing without a call to his office. (Many obstetricians believe that six or more contractions per hour, whether or not they are at regular intervals, warrant a call to the doctor.) If you exceed that number, whether or not the contractions come at consistent intervals, call! Your healthcare provider may want you to be examined, or he may not—but leave the decision in the hands of the expert.
Loss of the mucus plug, which seals the opening of the cervix to prevent infection from entering during pregnancy, is a sign that labor may be approaching or imminent. (I've always found the loss of this plug to be particularly confusing. I lost mine and yelled, "Book the operating room now!" and, in fact, didn't deliver for another two weeks.)
If your water breaks or you are concerned that it may have broken (it's not always a flood as it's depicted in movies; often it's a slow drip), phone your doctor. It can be hard to tell if your water has truly broken because, by this point, you have a lot of "stuff" coming out of you! Again, better to err on the side of caution.
Any time you are concerned, make that phone call. With our fourth child, I went to the hospital eight times with false labor. One would think I should have been an expert by then. Clearly, I was not. Don't ever feel badly about being unsure and wanting a physician's reassurance. It's the doctors' and nurses' job to allay your concerns.
Never fear. At some point it will be the real thing!
For Your Partner
Your Role in the Birthing Process (and Beyond!)
You may be feeling like your wife is running the show when it comes to your baby-to-be, and you're but a supporting cast member. But remember, she is your partner and that's your baby on the way!
Do not be afraid to share your feelings and concerns about the impending birth and what you'd like life with Baby to be like. Make sure your partner, family, and doctors know you want to be included and an integral part of the labor and delivery process.
You may find yourself acting as your partner's advocate, and you'll need to lay the groundwork for your involvement as early as possible.
This is also a good time to talk to your boss about taking time off after the birth of your baby. Being home during those first days, while you and your partner begin to get to know your little baby, is essential for your evolution into fatherhood as well as for your partner. There is no way to know whether a woman will struggle with postpartum depression or if she will need to recover from a Cesarean; your presence, support, and love can mean a great deal in aiding your partner's recovery from either of these issues.
Don't feel guilty if work doesn't permit you to take much time off. Whether it is a week or several days, time with your family will help you begin to bond. Plus, you'll get a jump on developing new fatherhood skills, such as changing your newborn's diapers, holding him, putting him to bed, and feeding and burping him. The sooner you get comfortable with these new activities, the sooner they'll feel natural to you.
Fun Fact
According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), more than half of women giving birth at hospitals use epidural anesthesia. The APA says epidurals are the most popular choice for pain relief during childbirth in the US.
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