Log In | Sign Up Now | Help & Support

31 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy Week by Week

*Counting from the first day of your last menstrual period

Your Baby at 31 Weeks

Your baby is the weight of 4 navel oranges at 31 weeks pregnant - Pregnancy Week By Week Size: 16.18 inches (41.1 cm) - crown to heel
Weight: 3.31 pounds (1502 grams)

Try packing around four navel oranges - the big ones - and you will be close to the size of your little passenger. While your baby is busy packing on weight an ounce at a time, there will be an even bigger increase in the coming weeks as your baby gains an extra 3 to 5 pounds before birth.

The baby's lungs are developed and they are able to inflate and deflate as your baby practices breathing motions. Not really needed until after delivery, lung tissue is beginning to secrete surfactant - a necessary agent for elasticity and lung flexibility. Babies born with too little surfactant often suffer from lung stiffness that makes breathing very difficult.

Baby's hearing is now 100% completed and he or she can hear sounds and voices clearly inside the womb. Your baby's skin is pink at this stage of pregnancy and won't change too much in color before birth. Bones are hardening nicely and continuing to deposit calcium for strength later.

Now able to urinate, a baby may produce about a half a liter of urine every day, which is added to the amniotic fluid.

Mom at 31 Weeks Pregnant

Mom at 31 weeks pregnant - Pregnancy Week By Week The ligaments and muscles and supporting the back are becoming relaxed and loose to prepare for childbirth which add to your pregnancy swagger. You will also notice a change in your breast size as they prepare for lactation, so make sure that you have a supportive bra that fits well. Because the rib cage expands when you are expecting, you may need an extender for your bra to make it more comfortable.

Some women may begin to leak colostrum around this time during their pregnancy, while others never leak at all. No matter what your body does, it does not mean you cannot successfully breast feed. Just slip a breast pad into your bra if leakage is a problem.

Common Symptoms:
You may be noticing some tightening of your belly - and these could be Braxton-Hicks contractions. Some women feel these contractions back in the second trimester, and others never have them at all. These painless, irregular contractions have sent many women to the hospital sure they were in labor only to be sent home. If you think you are having contractions, make sure to contact your doctor and follow their orders.

Braxton-Hicks contractions are usually painless and irregular - meaning some may be three minutes apart, some six or seven and they never get closer together or get worse. These contractions are simply practice for the coming days and nothing to worry about.

If you have contractions that are regular or painful, or have a low back ache that is associated with any vaginal bleeding or mucus-like discharge, call your doctor to be checked for preterm labor.

Weight Gain:
Your weight gain is estimated at 21 and 27 pounds right now. You may be asking where it all comes from if the baby is still just a few pounds, and the answer is not only baby's weight, but also placenta, extra blood, water, the uterus itself, and amniotic fluid.

Tips/Advice:
Continue to use these quiet days to finish tying up those loose ends. Your desire to prepare and nest may be starting (though it often doesn't until days before delivery for some women) and you may want to shop, get baby's laundry washed and even make a list of items to include in your hospital bag when it's time to pack.

Twin Time (7-8 months):
If you are carrying multiple babies, there's no doubt by now that you are feeling pretty huge. Along with double babies, often comes double the discomfort as you do your best to manage the heartburn, backaches and fatigue that comes with supporting two lives. You may have gained between 25 and 30 pounds by now and that's okay - you will be expected to gain more.

Moms of multiples are also more likely to deliver early, so be watchful for signs of preterm labor.

Videos - 31 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy Week by Week Guide: Select a Week

** Note: Every baby develops at a different rate. The numbers provided are averages based on a "typical" pregnancy. Your baby's size and weight may vary significantly. Your healthcare provider is the best person to interpret information on your baby's size, weight, health and development during your ultrasounds and pregnancy.

Community Comments (13)

Comment from Preciousbby4 » Posted Jun. 15, 2013 2:37am
hello 31 weeks bigger yay one more week and i will be 8 months pregnant!!! This heartburn sucks!!!

Comment from lunaneil » Posted Jun. 11, 2013 8:37pm
I don't get these weight guidelines. In this week it says anywhere from 21 and 27, then a couple week later it says 21-22? What gives?

Comment from Ladyfresh » Posted Feb. 15, 2013 11:39am
I cannot believe I'm 31wks. How crazy! I have had a few sad moments when I think of it almost being over! Finding out I was pregnant was a blessing I never knew I wanted. And since that day, my every moment is in someway or another...influenced by this baby. I know I still have a little ways to go. And this last stretch (no pun intended) lol...is already getting uncomfortable. I am trying to enjoy my last few weeks as a woman with no children. That all comes to an end. But I'm getting a little more anxious to see the face of the little man who has already done huge things in my life.

Comment from singingmama081013 » Posted Nov. 18, 2012 8:25am
31 weeks and 3 days, baby is very strong, kind of concerned that she has dropped and I am having lots of pelvic pain some to the point that I can't walk sit or if laying down roll over to the other side. My family thinks she is going to come early. Cant wait to meet my little Skylar but she needs to wait a few more weeks.

Comment from daisy_david12612 » Posted Oct. 1, 2012 6:04pm
losts of pain



You are not logged in. Log In or Sign Up to post a comment.