There is very little left before the baby is born. Soon his parents will be able to meet the baby. This article will tell you about the characteristics of fetal development at 36 weeks.
What does it look like?
The appearance of the fetus by 36 weeks of gestation is completely the same as that of a newborn. By this time, all the basic features of the little man have already been formed. So, the child's nose is clearly visible, the forehead is easily distinguished. These formations on the face already look very voluminous, and not flat as before. The cheeks of the fetus are rather plump - this is due to the accumulation of fatty tissue under the skin. Lips are visible on the face. Their plumpness is an individual feature inherent in every baby.
Hair grows on the baby's head. By this time of pregnancy, they have already grown quite long. On the body, there is practically no vellus hair, and every day the fetal vellus cover in the baby decreases. The baby's skin appears to be rather wrinkled. This happens mainly because the baby is constantly in the aquatic environment. After he is born, his skin will be smoothed, and the number of wrinkles will be significantly reduced.
By 36 weeks, the proportions of the baby's body have also changed. So, the child's head no longer seems excessively large in relation to the arms and legs, while the limbs have a physiological length. Every day, the baby's joint mobility increases.
The bones of the child's skull are quite soft. This is provided by nature so that the baby can be born. Such a special density of bones allows the head of the fetus to move unhindered, and therefore without damage, along the birth canal during birth. After birth, the bones of the baby's skull will become harder.
The baby's skin color becomes pink with a slight gray tint due to the original lubricant, which covers the outside of the body of the fetus. The largest accumulations of lubricant are found in places of natural folds on the child's body.
Movement
The baby, who already weighs more than 2.5 kg, becomes more and more cramped in the uterus every day. Of course, the child can move while in the mother's womb, but he does not do it as actively as before. The relatively large size of the baby and its gradual lowering into the mother's small pelvis contribute to the fact that the child tries to take a functionally more favorable position for him. To do this, he brings his chin closer to his neck, crosses his arms and legs.
The fruit is usually very active during the day. The ability to recognize day and night appeared in the child a few weeks ago, it is due to a fairly good development of the brain. Doctors call this feature a circadian rhythm. During the day, the baby usually pushes, and at night he sleeps or rests.
During the daytime, a pregnant woman usually feels quite strong tremors in her belly. Thus, the baby manifests its vital activity. He can push the walls of the uterus with his legs without using his hands. Since the child is already quite large in size, the amplitude of his movements continues to grow every day. If the baby kicks hard, it can cause pain in the mother's stomach.
Also, a pregnant woman can feel moderate tremors in the abdomen if the baby often hiccups. Hiccups are common. It is part of the complex process of intrauterine development and is necessary to improve the respiratory as well as the digestive systems.
Anatomical features
By the 36th week, the baby has already grown up. If up to 36 weeks the fetus grew rapidly in length and gained weight, then after this period it will grow much slower. This feature is due to the fact that the child's body is fully formed and ready to be born.
It is very simple to measure the size of the fetus at this time, since the fetus has already grown quite well. Accurate measurements of the basic anatomical structures of the baby are carried out using ultrasound examinations.
The normal values of the various indicators studied are different for each week. Below is a table of parameters of the main values that are determined during the survey.
How is it developing?
The main task of the weeks ending the third trimester is to prepare the child's body for the upcoming life outside the mother's womb. Most of the crumbs' organs have already been formed and even started to work.
An important feature of this period is the accumulation of subcutaneous fat. A child has both brown and white fat in the body. Experts believe that the amount of adipose tissue in a child reaches 7% of body weight by 36 weeks.
Fat is essential for a child's body. It is adipose tissue that "burns" that releases a huge amount of heat. At the stage of intrauterine development, the child does not need such energy, since he is constantly in the mother's womb, where a certain comfortable temperature is constantly maintained. After birth, the temperature regime changes, and without enough fat, the baby can quickly freeze.
The accumulation of fatty tissue on the body contributes to the fact that the baby has cute plump dimples. Also, fat accumulates in the abdomen, on the buttocks, on the legs, in the upper shoulder girdle.
In order for a baby born at 36 weeks to be viable, all vital organs must work for him. It is very important that the child's heart functions normally.
By this stage, the cardiovascular system of the fetus is already well formed, but for now the fetus receives all the nutrients necessary for its growth and development through the blood supply system shared with the mother. Independently, in full mode, the heart and blood vessels will begin to function in the fetus only after its birth.
The doctor who monitors the course of pregnancy must evaluate the fetal heart rate. He conducts such a study several times during the entire life of the fetus in the mother's womb. The thing is that by listening to the fetal heartbeat, you can not only get information about how the heart works, but also evaluate the overall well-being of the baby. A too fast heart rate (tachycardia) usually indicates that the baby is experiencing some discomfort.
The reasons for the development of this condition may be different. Often, hypoxia, a decrease in oxygen supply, leads to an increase in heartbeat.
When hypoxia occurs, the doctor must draw up a plan of recommendations, which the expectant mother must strictly adhere to in order for the baby's well-being to normalize.
For independent life, the child also needs breathing. At this time, the fetus has fairly well developed lungs and bronchial trunk. It is interesting that a special substance is formed and accumulates in the lung tissue - a surfactant. It is necessary so that the pulmonary vesicles (alveoli) do not "stick" to each other during breathing. Spontaneous breathing is impossible without a sufficient amount of surfactant.
The lungs will be able to work at full strength only after the child takes his first breath in his life. The first portion of atmospheric air that enters the child's body will make the lungs start working.
Interesting changes are taking place in the brain by week 36. The cerebral cortex at this time is already quite well formed. The grooves and convolutions that give the brain its characteristic appearance are also well visualized. A large number of already existing nerve synapses contributes to the fact that the baby forms a variety of reflexes. They are necessary for the baby so that he can exist outside the mother's abdomen and respond to stimuli from the external environment.
One of the important reflexes that has formed by this time is sucking. The kid sucks his thumb almost all the time. This, by the way, is often observed by ultrasound specialists who conduct examinations of pregnant women.
The sucking reflex is very important and necessary so that after birth, the baby instinctively sucks on mother's breast.
Also, the baby has already formed a swallowing reflex, which is quite clearly manifested when the fetus swallows amniotic fluid. Such an organized structure of the cerebral cortex and nerve analyzers contributes to the fact that the child has his own sensations. So, the baby can determine the taste of amniotic fluid, is able to react to light and pain, and hears various sounds.
How is it located in the womb?
Obstetricians-gynecologists who work with pregnant women must evaluate the most important criterion in their patients - presentation of the fetus. To do this, they determine how the main large parts of the baby's body are located in the uterus. From where the head, pelvis and limbs of the child are located, his presentation depends.
It is believed that the cephalic presentation is the most physiologically favorable. In this case, the baby's head is at the bottom, first towards the birth canal. At the same time, the baby's legs and pelvis are located above the upper shoulder girdle. With this option, the position of the fetus in the uterus, the course of the upcoming birth is quite favorable. The risk of birth trauma and injury in this case is minimal.
A less favorable location is breech presentation. In this case, the baby is located, as it were, in reverse. With this option, the baby's pelvic end is directed first towards the birth canal, and the baby's head is higher.
Such a presentation is dangerous because during childbirth, dangerous complications and even injuries can occur.
The lateral position is also rather unfavorable. It occurs if the child, for some reason, has not turned his head down. With the transverse arrangement of the fetus, all large parts of the baby's body are located perpendicular to the longitudinal line of the birth canal. In this case, the birth of a child is fraught with the development of many pathologies.
By 36 weeks, the baby is already in a fixed position in the uterus. With each subsequent week, he will gradually sink lower and lower into the small pelvis of his mother. The closer to childbirth, the stronger this movement of the child will occur.
The final stage of pregnancy is very important. At this time, the expectant mother should carefully monitor her health. If a pregnant woman has noticed leakage of amniotic fluid or the appearance of severe pain in the abdomen, she should immediately seek medical help. There is no doubt that the risk of having an early birth is now, of course.
For information on how the fetus develops at 36 weeks of gestation, see the next video.
