Week 35: Getting Crowded In There
Your baby is getting very snug! Most of the physical development is complete. These last weeks are about gaining weight and lung maturation.
Medically reviewed by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN
Nursing Informaticist · United States Navy Nurse Corps · Last reviewed
Your baby is the size of a...
🍈 Honeydew Melon!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓Baby is gaining about half a pound per week
- ✓Kidneys are fully developed
- ✓Liver can process waste products
- ✓Physical development is nearly complete
- ✓Brain development continues (and will for years after birth!)
- ✓Baby settles into birth position
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Very frequent urination
- •Difficulty walking — waddling is the norm
- •Extreme heartburn
- •Nesting instinct in full swing
- •Trouble catching your breath
- •Swollen everything — hands, feet, face
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
Group B strep (GBS) testing is done now — vaginal-rectal swab, takes 30 seconds. About 25% of pregnant people carry GBS without symptoms. If positive, you get IV penicillin (or alternative if allergic) during labor — at least two doses spaced 4 hours apart before delivery — to prevent neonatal early-onset GBS sepsis, which has a 4-6% mortality even with treatment in untreated newborns. The protocol works: it dropped early-onset GBS disease from 1.7 to 0.25 per 1000 live births. Lung maturation is essentially complete now. Babies born at 35 weeks do quite well; many don't need NICU at all, just close newborn-nursery monitoring. Effacement (cervical thinning) and slight dilation may be present on exam now and don't predict labor timing well — you can be 3 cm dilated and not deliver for weeks, or you can be 'closed and thick' and have the baby in 24 hours.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Regular contractions more than 4-6 per hour — call
- !Fluid leak — call
- !Bleeding heavier than spotting — call
- !Decreased fetal movement — call
- !Severe headache, vision changes, RUQ pain — call
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Bloody mucus tinge after vaginal exam
- ✓Increased pelvic pressure
- ✓Frequent urination
- ✓Difficulty walking distances
✅ To-Do This Week
- Get the Group B Strep (GBS) test (35-37 weeks)
- Finalize workplace handoff and maternity leave
- Stock the freezer with easy-to-heat meals
- Put together a 'new parent survival kit'
- Make a playlist for labor
- Set up auto-payments for bills during recovery
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?What is the Group B Strep test and what happens if positive?
- ?Is the baby at a healthy weight?
- ?Am I likely to deliver early?
- ?What are the signs that labor is starting?
- ?Should I be worried about decreased movement?
- ?When do prenatal appointments become weekly?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Committee Opinion No. 797: Prevention of Group B Streptococcal Early-Onset Disease in Newborns. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(2):e51-e72.
- [2]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 222: Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(6):e237-e260.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...