As you enter your 36th week of pregnancy, the wait can feel longer. Yes, it is just 4 more weeks but the wait can seem like forever. Your body will continue to change and some changes can be surprising or challenging to handle. Remember, it is just a few more weeks and most of these changes will subside. What more can change, you ask? Well, read on to know how does your body change during week 36 of your pregnancy. It may or may not happen to you, but being aware of what to expect can help you be mentally ready for it.
How Does Your Body Change During Week 36 of Pregnancy?
Here are some changes you may notice this week. As the days until delivery get closer, some of these symptoms can get stronger.
1. Anxiety
As the D-day gets closer, your anxiety can reach new heights. You may be overthinking, fearing the worst, and stressing out unnecessarily. You may panic if you don’t feel the baby move for a few minutes. You may feel anxious about the child’s birth or about everything after the birth. It is all normal and many women go through bouts of anxiety.
What to do?
Anxiety medications are not advisable as they may affect the baby. Consciously distract your thoughts if you are spiraling into endless intrusive thoughts. Talk to a friend or someone trustworthy. You can take up activities like art, coloring, or learning to play an instrument. These will occupy your mind and release feel-good hormones too. You can even try yoga and meditation.
If nothing helps, talk to your doctor or midwife. They will assess the level of anxiety and may recommend a therapist if they feel your anxiety levels are too high.
2. Pelvic Soreness
Pelvic Girdle Pain, also known as PGP, can be very uncomfortable and painful. It can affect the way you move. Sometimes even walking or balancing on one leg to bend and wear your pants can be difficult.
Though this pelvic pain is not harmful to the baby or pregnancy, you may feel the pain between your legs, across your lower back, or even over the pubic bone. It is due to the stiffness of the pelvic joints.
What to do?
You can use a pelvic support belt if the pain is too intense when you try to bend or crutches if the pain prevents you from moving around. You can consult a physiotherapist and do some pregnancy-safe exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, stomach, and hips. While the pain may not go away completely, you can try to stay active to prevent further stiffening of the joints. Avoid standing or walking around for too long and listen to your body when it needs a break.
3. Nesting Instinct
You may start preparing the house to welcome the baby. You may find yourself cleaning every inch of the house, rearranging the baby things, and buying baby things. Though you still have time, your mind is preparing to welcome the baby at any time. It is very natural and it is very practical too.
What to do?
If your nesting instincts are causing you a lot of stress or worry, seek help from friends and family. Split your workload or have someone come over to help. When someone is present next to you, keeping an eye on you, you may slow down and not put yourself at risk by trying to climb or reach things at a height.
4. Braxton Hicks Contractions
Braxton-Hicks contractions are false contractions. They can feel a lot like real contractions and even make you rush to the hospital but they are not real. These false contractions are your body’s way of preparing you for the real thing.
You will mostly feel these contractions in the front of your abdomen. It can be very uncomfortable but may not be as painful as real contractions. Also, you may not feel any pain radiating from the sides to the back of your uterus, like with real contractions.
What to do?
- Do not rush to the hospital as soon as you feel the contractions. Try changing your position and see if they go away. If they don’t, then start timing your contractions to see if they are regular and well-paced.
- If you feel they could be real contractions, don’t take the chances, especially if it is at night or you live far away from your hospital. It is okay to make that extra trip to the hospital rather than going very late.
5. Insomnia
Your sleeping troubles can get worse as you get closer to the delivery date. It can be a combination of physical discomfort, difficulty in finding a comfortable sleeping position, and anxiety about the delivery itself.
What to do?
- Use a body pillow for an all-around support for your back and belly. Try maintaining a bedtime routine and schedule, so that your body knows when it is time to sleep. If you are having acidity or gastric issues, eat your dinner earlier and avoid spicy foods that can worsen the acidity.
- You can try some meditation or yoga, or just listen to some soothing music before you go to bed. It is okay to be anxious but you can consciously stop those thoughts and shift your focus to something else.
6. Other Symptoms
You will continue to experience some symptoms that were present in the last few weeks. While some may get better, some may get more intense as you near your due date. Some of those symptoms are:
- Swollen ankles and feet
- Varicose veins
- Hemorrhoids
- Pregnancy brain
- Clumsiness
- Frequent urination
- Acidity/heartburn
Pregnancy symptoms will eventually subside. Some may have lasting impact and need you to work on them postpartum but most of them will just fade away. Each pregnancy is different and every woman experiences both her pregnancy and the symptoms differently. As long as your doctor says there is nothing to worry about, don’t worry, you and your baby are safe.
Happy Pregnancy!
Read Also: How Does Your Body Change During Week 37 of Pregnancy?
