What is happening in week 36
Doctors count pregnancy weeks from the first day of your last period, so week 36 sits in the third trimester (week 28 until birth). That is about 4 weeks to go until week 40, and about 8.3 months by a rough conversion. At about 47.4cm in week 36 the baby’s lungs are probably mature enough to breathe unaided.
Your baby
The NHS guide gives about 47.4cm, a romaine lettuce. The lungs are probably mature enough to breathe outside the womb without help. The baby can also suck and digest breast milk.
Your body
Relaxing pelvic floor muscles may let a little wee leak when you laugh or cough. Braxton Hicks contractions and backache are common.
This week’s to-do
- Expect your doctor or midwife to check blood pressure, urine and the size of the bump.
- If the baby is not head down, ask about options; the NHS says an external cephalic version works about half the time.
- Practise pelvic floor exercises.
When to call
Call your doctor or hospital if you have any bleeding, or very high blood pressure symptoms such as severe headaches.
Chaitanya Hospital in Kadapa, near RTC Bus Stand, Simhapuri Colony, provides delivery and emergency care 24/7. Our antenatal check-ups team can answer questions about your own pregnancy.
Use the week-by-week guide to jump to your week, or the due date calculator to work out your dates. Timings for scans and tests come from NHS guidance in the UK and can differ from your doctor’s schedule, so always follow your own doctor’s advice. This page is educational and not a substitute for a doctor.
Sources
Text on this page is paraphrased from the sources above. Sizes are averages and vary between babies.