31 weeks pregnant

Your baby this week

Baby is putting on weight fast. All five senses are working.

• Baby is putting on fat rapidly — about a half-pound a week.
• All five senses are functional now. Baby can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch.
• Baby will likely turn head-down in coming weeks if not already.

Your body this week

Hospital bag tip: start thinking about what you'll need.

• Your uterus is high above your belly button — pressing up against your diaphragm and lungs.
• Shortness of breath is common.
• Insomnia is widespread in this stage.

Common symptoms

• Shortness of breath
• Insomnia
• Pelvic pressure
• Backache
• Braxton Hicks

Things to do this week

• ✓Start gathering hospital bag items
• ✓Practice relaxation/breathing techniques
• ✓Sit up straight to give lungs space

For partners this week

Practise together

• Practise breathing and relaxation techniques together.
• Start a hospital bag checklist for both of you.

Typical visits around this week

Based on a typical schedule in Ontario. Your doctor or midwife sets the actual timing.

• Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine

  Weeks 27–32

  Recommended in every pregnancy, whatever your vaccine history, ideally between 27 and 32 weeks. It helps protect the baby from whooping cough in the first months of life. If it's missed, it can still be given later in pregnancy.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Can I get the Tdap vaccine at this visit, or where should I go?
  • I had it in a past pregnancy — do I need it again?
  • Can I get other vaccines at the same time?

• Routine check-ups (about every 2 weeks)

  Weeks 28–36

  From about 28 weeks, check-ups usually come every 2 to 3 weeks. Your provider keeps an eye on your blood pressure, the baby's growth and heartbeat, and will talk about feeling the baby move.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • How should I keep track of the baby's movements?
  • Which symptoms mean I should call right away?
  • When should we register at the hospital or plan our birth place?
  • Are prenatal classes available near us?

Coming up

• RSV vaccine (if baby is due in RSV season)

  Weeks 32–36 · if it applies to you

  If your baby is expected during RSV season (roughly fall to spring), a vaccine in pregnancy is one way to protect them; the other is an antibody given to the baby after birth. Ontario offers the pregnancy vaccine free at 32–36 weeks (national guidance says it can be given from 28 weeks). Your provider will help you choose.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Is my baby due during RSV season?
  • Should I get the vaccine, or should the baby get the antibody after birth?
  • Where can I get the RSV vaccine?
  • If I get it, does the baby still need anything after birth?

• Group B strep swab

  Weeks 35–37

  A quick vaginal and rectal swab, usually between 35 and 37 weeks, to check for group B strep bacteria. If it's positive, you'll be offered IV antibiotics during labour or if your water breaks.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Can I do the swab myself?
  • How will I find out the result?
  • If it's positive, what happens when I go into labour?

A flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine are recommended at any stage of pregnancy. The flu shot is given during flu season, so the timing depends on when you're pregnant.

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Further reading from health authorities

• Pregnancy — Government of Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Your pregnancy — Pregnancy Info, from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
• Week-by-week guide to pregnancy — NHS (UK)
• Pregnancy — American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)