31 WEEKS PREGNANT

• This ultrasound scan shows a close-up view of the lower end of your baby's spine.
• You can notice in the scan how the baby's spinal cord is protected by the bright white bones of the spine.

• As your baby continues to accumulate more fat under his/her skin, he/she is starting to look quite healthy now, much like what they will look like once born.
• While your baby could already move his/her arms and legs quite freely many weeks ago, at week 31, they can finally move the head to face left and right. He/she now weighs about a kilogram and a half and measures about 16 inches.
• From week 31 onwards, your baby will be packing in more sleep, however, he/she will continue to move around as listlessly. Your baby's brain is making connections with individual nerve cells and hence is working at full gear.
• The arms and legs are continuing to grow and getting more proportionate to the size of his large head. As your baby finds his/her way into week 31, their weight will increase more in comparison to their height.
• The bladder too is developing, and water is passing through it as well.
• The growth of every individual baby varies after the 30th week. So, at week 31, your baby could well be ahead of every other baby in the race to life, or he/she could be that turtle who is slowly growing at their own pace.
• Remember that pregnancy is not a competition and no matter how fast or slow your baby is growing, it is completely normal. Some babies already have a head full of hair by the time they reach the 31st week, while some babies may have close to no hair at all.
• All of your baby's five senses have completely developed. His/her fingers and toes now boast adorable-looking nails, and his/her little lungs can inflate completely and properly as well.
• Although you are inching closer and closer to the delivery date, amniotic fluid is still very important for the baby as your baby is swallowing and urinating up to half a liter per day.

• Occasional headaches : Are you too stressed about the delivery? Try and relax. Go out for some fresh air. Take a nap during the day. If nothing works, speak to your doctor about pain relievers.
• Sleeplessness : Multiple factors such as leg cramps, heartburn, frequent urination, and anxiety, along with a sudden increase in pregnancy hormones result in sleepless nights. Let it pass, that is the best thing to do. Catch up on some sleep during the day, if you can.
• Pregnancy brain : Are you becoming a bit too forgetful? Remember that your brain cell volume really is shrinking, and your sleepless nights are not helping either. This too shall pass, soon.
• Clumsiness : No longer quite lady-like? Don't worry. Your body is undergoing a lot of changes, and your brain is quite preoccupied too. Do remember to wear safe footwear and be extra careful on wet floors, stairs, and crowded areas.
• Backaches : Your belly is now putting extra pressure on your lower back, and this may cause severe back pain now. Remember to take frequent breaks and stretch, stand or walk. Keep changing positions when you're sitting or standing for too long.
• More frequent urination : Do you feel every time you go to the washroom, the baby may just pop out? His head is pressing your pelvis and is making less room in your bladder. Don't cut down on fluids because of this.

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• Another thing that may suddenly hit you now is something called a 'Nesting Instinct.'
• A nesting instinct is when you suddenly feel all sorts of 'motherly' instincts.
• You develop an almost OCD-type obsession with cleaning, re-organizing everything, stock-piling, etc.
• In fact, if you are having a healthy normal pregnancy, this is the perfect time to clean up those bottom shelves which have been ignored for a long time.
• With all that squatting and cleaning, you will be done with your exercise for the day as well!
• You may continue to have breathing problems almost till the end of pregnancy, when your baby drops down to the pelvis, in preparation for the big moment!