36 Weeks Pregnant

Although you know it’s still early, a small part of you may be excited and hoping your little one makes an early appearance. Feeling impatient is common and is a mix of being ready to hold your little one in your arms and maybe a little of wanting your body back. But, don’t worry, these feelings are normal, and no matter what, it won’t be too long now.

36 weeks pregnant

Artist Holly Priddis

How is your baby growing when 36 Weeks Pregnant?

Your baby now measures 34cm from head to bottom and weighs about 2.5kg. Their head is now directly in proportion to the rest of their body, and hopefully, they are in a head-down position, ready to engage.

Around 36-38 weeks, your midwife or doctor may ask to take a swab from your vagina to see if you have Group B streptococci (GBS). GBS is a bacteria that can live in your vagina or anus but does not cause you any harm. In a tiny number of cases, somewhere between 0.2 to 1.7 per 1000 babies born, GBS bacteria can infect a baby. GBS can cause a baby to be extremely ill. If you have it, your health provider may offer you antibiotics during labour to lower the infection risk. Not all midwives and doctors recommend a GBS swab in pregnancy. They may instead recommend antibiotics when you go into labour if you have risk factors such as a high temperature, your waters being broken longer than 18 hours or if you go into premature labour. Both options are available in Australia – it just depends on the preference of the midwife, doctor or hospital. We encourage you to do some research to work out which option you prefer.

What You May Feel

If you haven’t stopped working yet, it may want to be something you discuss with your employer. By now, you are probably feeling exhausted, with lots of aches and pains at the end of the day. Starting maternity leave before your baby arrives is the perfect chance to rest and enjoy a little quiet time. If you can’t stop work yet, consider asking for lighter duties or cutting down your hours.

36 weeks pregnant

Tips when you are 36 Weeks Pregnant

By now, hopefully, your baby is head down, ready to engage. Babies engage at different times; some do it early, others before labour and some when labour starts. If your baby is still sitting transverse (sideways) or breech (bottom down), then it is worth trying to get them to turn. You can head to the Spinning Babies website for some great ideas or talk to your doctor or midwife about an External Cephalic Version (ECV). This is a procedure where your midwife or doctor turns the baby by pressing on the baby’s head and bottom, through your tummy, to help them move to a head-down position

Published 19th September 2022

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About the Author

Felicity Frankish is a mum to her two daughters, Cassandra (6) and Vivienne (4) and her son Elliot (2). Her passion is the parenting industry and creating a community where everyone feels welcome no matter how they choose to parent. It is this passion that led to the creation of The Baby Vine.

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