Regarding the development of the baby at 31 weeks of gestation, which is the end of 7 months, he is more receptive to external stimuli and therefore reacts more easily to the mother's sounds and movements. Thus, he knows when the mother is exercising, talking, singing or listening to loud music.
As the space in the womb is getting smaller and smaller, the baby spends most of the time with the chin close to the chest, arms crossed and knees bent. The baby can also notice the differences in brightness, and it may be interesting to raise a flashlight towards the belly, to see if it moves.
Although the baby is tighter inside the belly, the mother must still realize that he moves at least 10 times a day. If the baby is born at 31 weeks it is still considered premature, but it has a good chance of surviving if it is born now.
Fetal development
As for the development of the fetus at 31 weeks of gestation, it will have the most developed lungs at this stage, with the production of surfactant, a kind of "lubricant" that will prevent the walls of the alveoli from sticking together, facilitating breathing.
At this point, the subcutaneous fat layers start to become thicker and the blood vessels are no longer as evident, so the skin is not as red as in previous weeks of pregnancy. The skin on the face is smoother and the face is more rounded, like a newborn.
From this stage the baby will yawn several times and this can be seen on a morphological ultrasound. The baby is also more receptive to play and reacts with movements and kicks to sounds and visual stimuli with light. He can also understand when the mother massages his belly, so this is a good time to talk to him, because he already hears your voice.
The baby may still be sitting this week, being normal, some babies take longer to turn upside down, and there are babies who only saw it after labor started. Here are some exercises that can help your baby turn upside down.
Fetus size
The size of the fetus at 31 weeks of gestation is about 38 centimeters and weighs about 1 kilogram and 100 grams.
Fetus photos
Changes in women
At 31 weeks of pregnancy the woman may have changes in the breasts. The chest will become bigger, more sensitive and the areolas darker. You can also see the appearance of some small lumps in the breast that are related to milk production.
Insomnia may be more common, and some good tips for better sleep are to take a tea of valerian or passionflower as they are safe during pregnancy, and apply 2 drops of essential oils of chamomile or lavender on the pillow, which can help to calm and relax.
Drinking cranberry juice or blueberries can be a good natural strategy to prevent urinary tract infection, foods rich in magnesium, such as bananas, strawberries, brown rice, eggs, spinach and green beans, are indicated to fight cramps and for bone development and the baby's joints.
Sleeping in a bra can be more comfortable and massaging the perineum region with sweet almond oil every day can help keep the tissues hydrated and more supple, facilitating normal delivery.
Your pregnancy by trimester
To make your life easier and you don't waste time looking, we have separated all the information you need for each trimester of pregnancy. What quarter are you in?
- 1st Quarter (from the 1st to the 13th week) 2nd Quarter (from the 14th to the 27th week) 3rd Quarter (from the 28th to the 41st week)
