Pregnancy Week 36

At 36 weeks pregnant, your baby is getting closer to birth-ready. They are still gaining fat, which helps with temperature control and energy after birth.

Lanugo, the fine hair that covered much of the body earlier, may continue to reduce. Vernix, the creamy coating that protects the skin, may still be present and can sometimes be seen on newborn skin.

Your baby’s gums are ridged, sucking and swallowing are well practised, and the digestive system is preparing for first feeds and first nappies.

Position matters more now. Many babies are head down by this stage, but some are breech. If your baby is not head down, your maternity team can talk through options such as external cephalic version, or ECV, where suitable. This is when a trained professional tries to turn the baby from the outside by applying pressure to your abdomen. 

At 36 weeks pregnant, you may have an antenatal appointment to check your blood pressure, urine, bump measurement and baby’s position. This is a useful time to ask what happens next in your local maternity service.

If your baby drops lower into your pelvis, breathing may feel a little easier, but pelvic pressure and toilet trips can increase. Some people feel lighter at the top and heavier at the bottom, which is not exactly elegant but can be very normal.

Fatigue can come in waves now. You may have bursts of energy followed by sudden exhaustion. Use energetic spells for genuinely useful jobs, then stop before you run yourself flat.

Call your maternity unit straight away if your waters break, you have bleeding, baby movements reduce or feel different from your baby’s usual pattern, you have regular painful contractions, severe pain, a severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling, pain below your ribs, fever, or you feel seriously unwell. 

Week 36 can make everything feel close. Birth is no longer an abstract future event; it is something you are actively preparing for.

You may feel ready one moment and nervous the next. You might also feel fed up with being pregnant, then guilty for feeling fed up. That emotional back-and-forth is common this late on.

Try to keep plans flexible. It is useful to know your preferences, but also useful to know that needing help, pain relief, monitoring, induction or a change of plan does not mean you have done anything wrong.

This week, focus on baby’s position, labour contacts and the first days after birth.

Useful checks this week:

If you are offered an external cephalic version for a breech baby, ask what it involves, where it happens, what the risks and benefits are, and what your alternatives would be.