Pregnancy Week By Week (Week 35)

Week 35 Fetus

Must-ask Questions this Week (Week 35)

What is group B Strep and who should be tested for it?

Group B Strep (GBS) is a type of bacteria that causes problems for pregnant women and their newborns. It is most often found in the vagina, rectum and is sometimes detected in the initial urine culture performed at the first prenatal visit. Usually the test is performed between weeks 35 and 37. a baby who becomes infected with Group can become seriously ill; the baby may end up with blood, lung, brain and spinal cord infections. The fatality rate is 5%.


What does the test involve?

A woman is typically tested between weeks 35 & 37; there is some controversy on the timing because although she may test negative earlier she may in fact be tested positive at the time of labor. Some doctors forgo the screening and treat any pregnant woman with the following risk factors with antibiotics during labor:

• Preterm labor

• Preterm rupture of membranes

• Prolonged rupture of membranes (membranes have been ruptured for more than 18 hours before baby is born)

• Has previously delivered baby with GBS

• Has fever during labor

• Has previously tested positive for GBS in a prenatal urine culture (Note: a woman tested positive for Strep B but undergoing C-section need not be on antibiotics during labor if her delivery occurs before labor begins or rupture of membranes occurs)


What is the procedure like?

It involves taking a culture from the vagina, perineum, and rectum during pregnancy. Results take 2 days. If your test comes positive (you are carrying the bacteria) you should take antibiotics during delivery to minimize the risk of passing the infection on to your baby.

Some Basic Pointers (Week 35)

Uses of Ultrasound

It is performed by the medical staff to:

• Help determine the age of the fetus by taking measurements of the head and body. If done early, it will be accurate to within one week

• Verify the presence of a fetal heartbeat

• Locate the fetus, umbilical cord and the placenta during amniocentesis and CVS

• Measure the amount of amniotic fluid

• Determine the cause of any abnormal bleeding

• Determine the condition of the cervix

• Determine the gender of the baby (this depends on baby's position and the ability of the technician)

• Check of etopic pregnancy, miscarriage or fetal demise

• Measure growth and growth retardation if something is wrong - a number of scans will be done over a period of time to monitor fetal growth

• Find out the exact position of baby and placenta before an amniocentesis

• Locate position of placenta and its condition, should it become dislodged late in pregnancy

• Determine if you are carrying more than one baby

• Pick up physical abnormalities of baby such as brain or kidney conditions

• Identify any hindering factor to delivery in the mother


Risks: Although there is no known risk, it is relatively new technology. It is therefore not routinely done during pregnancy.

Advantages and Disadvantages of being a Working Mother

Pros	Cons
Increased independence	Sense of guilt and inadequacy because you feel you are neglecting your child
Financial rewards the chance to contribute to family's finances	Isolation from the community
Career fulfillment chance to put your qualifications and training to good use	Tiredness because you are juggling two jobs at once
More intense interaction with your child when you are at home	Great stress due to dual responsibility and the need to be constantly planning ahead
Intellectual need to work bored and lonely at home	Resentment of full time mothers in your community
Ability to maintain a high profile in your chosen field	Worries about finding and keeping good child care

The last few weeks of pregnancy: week 35

Do some pelvic floor exercises every day. Toning the muscles of the pelvic floor will help them to stretch and recoil more easily during and after delivery, and will also prevent the leakage of urine after the birth, Exercise gently for a while every day. Swimming, walking and yoga are ideal at this stage.

Your Nutrition (Week 35)

A well nourished woman usually develops a healthy placenta. Despite a good supply of nutrients a baby can become undernourished if the transportation across the placenta is inadequate. Iron is required by the mother to expand her blood volume and by the baby to establish good levels of hemoglobin. If iron levels fall, the efficiency of red blood cells in carrying oxygen is affected and tissues become deficient in energy.

• Zinc is stored in the placenta. High levels of zinc assure a greater birth weight baby

• Vitamin E, gingko biloba and co-enzyme Q10 are all thought to improve blood supply




You can improve the efficiency of the placenta in the following ways:

Eating a balanced diet:

good nutrition is vital for a healthy placenta
Resting as much as possible: relax the muscles, particularly the abdominals, thereby increasing blood flow to the placenta. Practice relaxation techniques that help eliminate stress and tension from your system

Sleeping:

most cell repair and cell growth takes place when you are asleep

Giving up work:

you should try and stop work by week 32-34. To maintain adequate blood supply you need to rest in the last 2 months of pregnancy. Stress causes the blood cells to constrict thereby restricting flow. Overwork may cause premature birth and or low birth weight baby. Problems with the placenta are always linked to raised blood pressure, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and overwork and lack of rest. Tests can be conducted to detect placental malfunction; ultrasound measures flow to see if baby's growth is being retarded because of oxygen depravation.