Week 35 is a reading week. Pain relief in labour is the thing worth understanding now, because it is a set of options rather than a single decision and you are allowed to change your mind about all of it. Sore ribs are the physical complaint of the week, and they have one important exception.
Your body this week
Colostrum may be staining a bra. It is the early milk, rich in antibodies, and some women make it weeks or months before a birth. Milk usually comes in around three to five days after the birth, and breasts get larger again then — worth knowing before buying feeding bras.
Sore ribs are common now, from a head-down position and active feet. Here is the exception: the NHS says pain that is severe, or specifically under the ribs, should be checked in case it is a sign of pre-eclampsia. Most of the time it is a foot. The point is not to be the one deciding which.
What you may notice
Braxton Hicks contractions, sleep problems, stretch marks, sore gums, round ligament pains, piles, headaches, backache, indigestion and heartburn, bloating and constipation, leg cramps, feeling hot, dizziness, swelling, urine infections, vaginal infections, and skin and hair changes.
Movements should still be as strong and as regular as they have been. Any reduction is a call.
Your baby this week
Around week 35, the length given is about 46.2cm from head to heel — the NHS compares it to a honeydew melon. Averages describing many pregnancies, not a measurement of one.
Fat is still going on, which is what will let a newborn hold their temperature. It is cramped in there, and movement should not reduce because of it.
What care usually happens around now
Pain relief options are usually discussed around now. The NHS lists self-help and relaxation, gas and air, injected pain relief, an epidural, water birth and a TENS machine, and describes what each does and does not do. You do not have to choose one, and starting with one and moving to another is normal.
Group B strep may also come up in this window: ACOG describes routine screening late in pregnancy in the US, while the UK approach is risk-based. Which applies to you depends on where you are booked, and it is worth asking rather than assuming.
This week's tip
Write down two things about pain relief: what you would like to try first, and what you do not want unless it becomes necessary. That is a more useful birth plan than a paragraph, because it survives contact with a labour that goes differently — and it tells a midwife who has never met you what matters to you in ten seconds.
When to see a doctor
Contact your maternity service the same day for any change in movement, leaking fluid, regular or painful tightenings, or bleeding. Pain under the ribs, a severe headache or vision changes need care now. Pregnancy warning signs has the full list, and breastfeeding in the first two weeks covers what comes after.
Seek care now: Contact your local emergency services or go to your nearest emergency department if you have heavy bleeding, severe or one-sided tummy pain, pain just below the ribs, a severe headache with vision changes, sudden swelling of the face or hands, a fever, fluid leaking from the vagina, chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, or a seizure. Contact your maternity service the same day for any reduction in your baby's usual pattern of movement. Femio cannot assess a pregnancy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to decide on pain relief now?
No. Options can be combined and changed during labour, and a preference written now is a starting point rather than a commitment.
My ribs are really sore. Is that just the baby?
Often, yes. Severe pain, or pain just below the ribs, needs checking today because it can be a sign of pre-eclampsia. Week 36 covers position and birth options, and week 34 covers engagement.