Week by week pregnancy guide: 31 weeks pregnant
Everything you need to know...

You're now 31 weeks pregnant but what should you expect? Read week 31 of our week by week pregnancy guide to find out everything you need to know...
Tracking your pregnancy week by week (opens in new tab) can be helpful so that you know whether or not your symptoms are normal (or as normal as pregnancy symptoms get!).
At 31 weeks pregnant you'll start to feel more tired, so it's important you rest whenever you can.
There are a few other things to think about too, like how your baby is developing and what the potentially harmful things are to look out for. Here's everything you need to know...
31 weeks pregnant: Symptoms
Your uterus has grown to almost 500 times its original size. You'll be feeling more tired now, so get sleep when you can. You may feel a bit breathless as your baby is taking up so much space.
You may find yourself having a few Oops! moments. It's quite common to leak urine in the later stages of pregnancy - condition known as stress incontinence. It is caused by your baby exerting pressure on your pelvic floor - the hammock of muscles that supports your womb and bladder.
Your heart actually gets bigger during pregnancy as it copes with the demands of pumping all that extra blood around your body. Your heartbeat increases by 15 beats a minute and your heart pumps out seven litres of blood a minute instead of its normal five litres. What's more your heart also moves to the left and rotates slightly as it makes way for your expanding womb.
From any time onwards from now you make experience Braxton-Hicks contractions (opens in new tab). These will last around 25 seconds and will prepare you for what labour is like...
31 weeks pregnant: Fetal development
Your baby now measures about 40cm and weighs about 3lbs. They are becoming plumper and have laid down an impressive 2oz of fat. It may not sound much, but that figure represents 3.5% of their total body weight. By the time they are born, fat will represent 15% of their body weight (compared to 27% in an average-sized woman). From this point onwards they will carry on putting on weight, but the overall growth spurt will slow. You can no longer see the tracery of blood vessels beneath their skin, or the shadowy images that are their growing bones. Their lungs have yet to fully mature and their brain development is still on overdrive. Your baby can now tell light from shade and will be able to recognise your voice as well as any one you spend a lot of time with.
31 weeks pregnant: The changes you should make
First-time mums-to-be will have more routine antenatal appointments than mums who have already had one or more uncomplicated pregnancies. A check-up at week 31 is one of them. Your midwife will measure your blood pressure and test for protein in your urine. She will measure and plot your symphysis-fundal height to check how your baby is growing.
Most pregnancy niggles and discomforts are annoying but harmless. Occasionally, symptoms may be more serious. Always contact your midwife, GP or hospital at once if you experience any of the following:
- Bleeding from the vagina
- Severe swelling of hands, legs and/or face
- Severe or persistent headaches
- Blurred or disturbed vision - for example spots, flashes of light or dimness
- Sharp or prolonged pain in your abdomen
- Chills and/or fever
- Extreme itchiness, particularly on hands and feet
- Noticeable lack of fetal movement
Rosie is an experienced food and drinks journalist who has spent over a decade writing about restaurants, cookery, and foodie products. Previously Content Editor at Goodto.com and Digital Food Editor on Woman&Home, Rosie is well used to covering everything from food news through to taste tests. Now, as well as heading up the team at SquareMeal - the UK's leading guide to restaurants and bars - she also runs a wedding floristry business in Scotland called Lavender and Rose.
-
-
What are child tax credits, who can qualify and how much does it pay?
Wondering what are child tax credits and whether you are eligible to receive them? This guide explains everything you need to know
By Sue Hayward • Published
-
Where was Man vs Bee filmed, whose house is it and is the house real? Locations in the Rowan Atkinson Netflix series
Man vs Bee is streaming on Netflix and we've revealed the filming locations, details of the main house and whether it's real.
By Lucy Wigley • Published
-
Pregnancy week by week guide
Everything you need to know when you're expecting
By Stephanie Lowe • Last updated
-
Week by week pregnancy guide: 32 weeks pregnant
Your baby is starting to grow very fast...
By Rosie Conroy • Published
-
Week by week pregnancy guide: 33 weeks pregnant
Everything you need to know about being 33 weeks pregnant
By Rosie Conroy • Published
-
Week by week pregnancy guide: 30 weeks pregnant
Here's everything you need to know...
By Rosie Conroy • Published
-
Week by week pregnancy guide: 11 weeks pregnant
PLUS, how your baby is developing!
By Rosie Conroy • Published
-
Week by week pregnancy guide: 9 weeks pregnant
Find out how your baby's developing
By Rosie Conroy • Published
-
Pregnancy calendar: Your pregnancy timeline
Just found out you're pregnant? Don't miss out on any important milestones with our guide...
By GoodtoKnow • Published
-
Week by week pregnancy guide: 16 weeks pregnant
Including your baby's development...
By Rosie Conroy • Published