Congrats on being 36 weeks pregnant! Although I’m no longer pregnant (I gave birth to my sixth baby Bracey at 30 weeks of pregnancy), I’m delighted to be finishing up this series with you guys. I’m sticking by your side until the big day, mamas and papas. Hopefully, you’re feeling somewhat prepared by this point and are kicking back with your feet up watching Netflix and making someone wait on you (hint hint!). Let’s get into the nitty gritty of your 36th week of pregnancy!

Decreased Appetite

As a consequence of your baby’s large size, all of your other organs are getting squeezed, including your stomach. This means you may actually feel less hungry around this time. To get your calories in (yes, you still need to eat), try creating smaller meals and snack frequently throughout the day.

Penguin Waddle

Remember relaxin, that stubborn pregnancy hormone? Well, relaxin is BAACK, causing the ligaments in your hips to soften. As your body tries to compensate for your loosening connective tissues, your normal gait may morph into an ever-so-seductive pregnancy waddle. Don’t worry, upon birth your normal walking gait should return very quickly.

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At week 36, your baby weighs 6 pounds and is 18.5 inches long, about the size of a swiss chard. Just as you are (hopefully) resting to save energy for the arduous process of labor, your baby is doing the same. Growth has declined significantly, which happens so that your baby can fit through the birth canal. Don’t worry too much about this since genetics typically do a great job of growing the right size baby for your birth canal.

Your baby’s digestive system will be under construction up until two years after birth. Since your baby has barely been processing anything up until now, it will take some time before the digestive system fully matures. At this point, your baby’s digestive system is ready to digest liquid food — namely, breast milk or formula. 

Is your baby’s face looking fuller than ever? Thank the added fat deposits and sucking muscles your baby has developed in the past week. All that practice of sucking their thumb has prepared your baby for sucking from your breast or a bottle.

Your doctor might have advised you that your baby has gone breech. What exactly does this mean? Multiple positions are considered “breech,” each essentially indicating that your baby’s head will be the last to pass through the birth canal should labor begin immediately. Breech presentation is the exact opposite of cephalic presentation, the head-first position your baby should be in. A breech position is dangerous and poses a risk to both mother and child. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to naturally and medically correct a breech position before birth. And if you find out that you’re baby is breech several weeks before your due date, your baby has plenty of time to swap positions. The vast majority of babies will flip into the correct position before birth if discovered before week 37. Here’s a quick guide to some steps you can take if you find out your baby is breech.

From here on out, you’ll be having weekly doctors appointments. Your doctor will check your weight, blood pressure, and urine for sugar and protein. Sugar may indicate gestational diabetes and protein may, unfortunately, indicate preeclampsia. You may or may not also have an ultrasound or get your cervix checked if you have a history of preterm labor. 

The following prenatal tests are available at 36 weeks of pregnancy:

Biophysical Profile

Group B Streptococcus Screening

Contraction Stress Test

Fetal Acoustic Stimulation

Nonstress Test

Eating healthy during pregnancy requires a lot more than just taking a prenatal vitamin every day. Making healthy choices with the foods you ingest can help you and your baby have a healthy, safe pregnancy.

Check out Week 4 and Week 5 for all information regarding foods for a pregnant mama and check back in each week for a healthy pregnancy recipe.

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9 months in weeks turns out to be about 40 weeks, although this can differ depending on the number of months you are pregnant. If you are 9 months pregnant, you are likely between 36 and 40 weeks pregnant.

• What to Expect & What to Expect When You’re Expecting – 5th Edition (2016)
• The Bump
• Baby List
• Parents.com
• Healthline.com
• WebMD
• The Mama Natural Week to Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth (2017)
• Mayo Clinic’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy – Second Edition (2018)
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists