Week 31 of pregnancy: Baby Fattening Up

Your baby is putting on fat quickly and storing iron, calcium and phosphorus. For you, extra weight on the pelvic floor can bring small leaks of urine when you cough, sneeze or laugh, and some people notice a little colostrum leaking from the nipples. This is a good week to learn pelvic floor exercises and make them a daily habit; they are simple, free and can be done anywhere. Keep up calcium-rich foods and your calcium tablets too.

Your baby is typically about 41 cm crown to heel, with ultrasound estimates of roughly 1.5 to 1.9 kg. The 1.5 kg shown here is at the lower end of that range, which is common for Indian babies. Healthy babies differ by a good margin, so your doctor will look at how your baby's own measurements change over time rather than one chart value.

Every pregnancy is different - you may have some, all or none of these.

Leaking urine

Small leaks when coughing, sneezing or laughing are common now, and pelvic floor exercises help. If fluid keeps trickling, or you are unsure whether it is urine or your waters, contact the hospital straight away.

Leaking colostrum

A few drops of clear or yellowish fluid from the nipples. Use breast pads, and do not try to express unless your maternity team advises it. Mention any bloodstained discharge or a new lump.

Pelvic pressure

A heavy feeling low down as the baby grows; resting with your feet up helps. Pressure with regular tightenings or backache before 37 weeks may be preterm labour and needs checking.

Vivid dreams

Common in late pregnancy. If dreams leave you anxious or frightened, talking through your worries can help, and a calm wind-down routine before bed may make sleep feel more restful.

• 31-week check (UK, first baby)

  Routine

  31 weeks

  In the UK, first-time mothers have an appointment at 31 weeks with blood pressure, urine and bump measurement and questions about movements. In India the 28 to 34 week visit covers similar ground.

• Calcium and iron-folic acid tablets

  Routine

  Calcium from 14 weeks to 6 months after birth; iron through pregnancy and after

  India's programme gives calcium tablets twice a day with meals, never on an empty stomach and never at the same time as the iron-folic acid tablet. Keep taking both as prescribed, and tell your doctor or ANM about missed doses or side effects.

• Pelvic health physiotherapy

  Only if needed

  If leaking or pelvic pain troubles you

  If leaking bothers you, you are unsure you are doing the exercises correctly, or you have pelvic pain, ask whether a referral to a physiotherapist is available.

• Whooping cough vaccine

  Varies by provider

  Up to 36 weeks (FOGSI and US timing)

  If Tdap was recommended for you and has not yet been given, there is still time.

• 🌿Calcium needs are high in late pregnancy, when your baby's bones are hardening. ICMR's sample plate for pregnancy includes about 400 ml of milk or curd a day; milk, dahi, paneer, ragi, til and green leafy vegetables are all good sources.
• 🌿Ragi is a useful non-dairy option: try ragi dosa, ragi porridge or ragi roti. Til chikki or til ladoo in small amounts is another.
• 🌿Vitamin D works with calcium. ICMR suggests at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight a day, yet deficiency is common in India, and your doctor may test your level.
• 🌿Take calcium tablets with meals and at a different time from your iron tablet, because the two compete for absorption.

• •To find your pelvic floor muscles, imagine stopping yourself passing wind and urine at the same time. Squeeze and lift those muscles inwards and upwards, keep breathing normally and try not to tighten your buttocks or thighs.
• •Do slow squeezes, holding for up to 10 seconds before relaxing fully, then a set of quick squeezes. Try to fit them in a few times a day, building up gradually if 10 seconds feels hard at first; your doctor or a physiotherapist can suggest how many suit you.
• •Link the exercises to a daily habit, such as after brushing your teeth or while the tea brews, and keep going after the birth.
• •Gentle walking and prenatal yoga can continue alongside as long as they feel comfortable.

• •Wear a supportive, well-fitting bra, and keep a few breast pads in your bag if you leak.
• •Do not express colostrum before birth unless your maternity team advises it; some units teach this from about 36 to 37 weeks, particularly for mothers with diabetes.
• •Empty your bladder regularly rather than cutting back on fluids to avoid leaks; you still need more than 2 litres a day.
• •If you ever cannot tell whether fluid is urine or from the vagina, call the hospital rather than waiting.

• ?Am I doing my pelvic floor exercises correctly?
• ?Can I see a physiotherapist about leaking?
• ?Should I express colostrum before birth?
• ?What times of day should I take my calcium and iron tablets?

• Fit in a few rounds of pelvic floor exercises today
• Take calcium tablets with meals, away from iron
• Add a dairy or ragi food to two meals
• Get 15 minutes of daylight on your skin
• Buy breast pads if you are leaking