Fetal Development Week by Week – Week 36
Your baby now weighs about 6 pounds and measures about 20.7 inches long. You’ve almost made it to the end now. Keep this in mind as you continue to grow increasingly uncomfortable. Your health practitioner will probably want to see you weekly now.
Fat is deposited in the baby’s cheeks this week and the muscles that help your baby suck are helping to fill out their little faces. Your baby’s bones are very strong, but the skull is going to stay soft, so that it can pass through the birth canal.
Baby’s immune system is continuing to develop and now they are receiving your antibodies. Liver and kidneys are now fully developed and functional, allowing baby to process some of their own waste. Meconium is accumulating rapidly now. This first bowel movement is normally voided soon after birth, but some baby’s will void while they are still waiting to be born.
Your baby is now a plump, round little person. All the extra weight and fat accumulation over the last few weeks has filled out their little bodies.
If you haven’t already had a GBS, or Group B Strep test, now is the time to ask your doctor or midwife about this test.