Week 35 of Pregnancy: Fetal Weight Gain

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about five more weeks to grow), most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 35 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is your baby's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft. And for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal. (Mother Nature was really thinking this one through — imagine trying to push out a rock-hard head…ouch!)




Note from Mom:
We had a doctor's appointment today and there is not much new to report. Baby is doing very well. 138 heart beats per minute. (S)He is head down and lined up but has not yet "dropped". Everything is looking good. I have all of my doctor's appointments scheduled through Feb 12 which is just plain crazy to me! my next one is two weeks from Thursday and then we start going weekly. I think it is safe to say that we are in the home stretch.