The Oh Baybee! Podcast

35 Weeks Pregnant? Here’s What No One Tells You (But You Need to Know!)

• Mommy Learning Academy

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EP 110:

You’ve made it to 35 weeks—congrats, mama! 🎉 But here’s the deal… everyone tells you about the swelling, the waddling, and the endless bathroom trips. What they don’t tell you? The science-backed changes happening in your body and brain right now that can completely change how you experience birth.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

  •  The surprising way your brain rewires at 35 weeks (hello, “mom brain” with a purpose)
  •  The hormone nicknamed “nature’s epidural” that ramps up before labor
  •  Weird but normal late pregnancy symptoms no one prepares you for (like carpal tunnel + vision changes)
  •  How your baby actually helps trigger labor when they’re ready
  •  Fresh prep hacks you can start now to make birth smoother

If you’re in the home stretch and feeling all the feels, this episode will give you confidence, clarity, and some serious “oh wow, why didn’t anyone tell me that?” moments.

✨ Ready to feel fully prepared for birth and breastfeeding? Grab your spot in the Bump to Bundle Blueprint
— my step-by-step birth + breastfeeding prep course.

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Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Hi, I'm Stephanie Poole, founder and CEO of Birth Prep Academy. I'm on a mission to help pregnant moms prepare for their first hospital birth. I'm sharing revealing conversations about what it really takes to successfully transition into motherhood. So join me. Here to discover things like what to expect in childbirth, how to prepare for your birth. We'll also talk about breastfeeding and so much more. I'm so grateful to share it all with you right here on Oh Baby, the podcast created for pregnant moms preparing for their first hospital birth. Let's get started. All right, mama, you've hit 35 weeks. Congratulations now with congratulations out the way. Let's cut to the fluff. Everybody tells you the basics right now. Things like the baby's size is about the size of a melon. Watch out for swelling practice patients. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get it. But here's the truth. There's some things happening in your body at 35 weeks that your doctor probably isn't telling you, and honestly, they can make or break how you feel walking into birth. So stay with me. Because today I'm spilling the little known science of week 35, things that affect your brain, your hormones, your sleep, and even how your labor might start. And trust me, once you know these, you'll feel way less in the dark about these last few weeks. All right. Now I got a quick question for you. did you know that your body might already be releasing a hormone at 35 weeks that's been named the natural epidural? Yep, it's real. And by the end of this episode, I'm gonna tell you how to work with it to make your birth smoother. But first, let's talk about weird shifts happening inside you right now that no one really warns you about. Alright, first up is the fact that your brain is rewiring Yes. Literally, research shows that during late pregnancy, your gray matter actually shrinks in certain areas. Not because you're losing brain power, but because your brain is rewiring itself to focus on bonding and protecting your baby. That pregnancy, brain fog that you're feeling, well, it's your brain's way of clearing space to prioritize what really matters. All right. Now let's talk about your uterus. Your uterus is building a communication system. Yep. At 35 weeks, your uterus has extra oxytocin receptors forming every single day. That means that your body is getting more sensitive to the hormone that triggers contractions, translation. The stage is being set for spontaneous labor. You're not broken. Your body's just in prep mode. All right, now let's turn our attention towards sleep. Sleep isn't just disrupted by baby kicks. Studies show that your circadian rhythm actually shifts in late pregnancy. Melatonin. The sleep hormone rises at night and it actually works with oxytocin to start labor. So when you can't sleep at 2:00 AM That's partly your body training for those middle of the night feeds and possibly even priming for labor. Okay. Now let's pivot through some overlooked symptoms that actually mean something. First up, carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy. I know. It's weird, right? I was really shocked by this when I first learned about it as well. But the key here is knowing that swelling can actually happen in late pregnancy and it can compress nerves in your wrist causing numbness or tingling in your hand. If you feel that, then you can try this hack here. Simply shake your wrist, keep your hands elevated at night. Or you can even try using a splint. The good news is if it started during your late pregnancy stage, it will likely disappear after birth. So hang in there, mama. Alright, now let's talk about vision changes. Yes, blurry vision or dry eyes aren't random. They're linked to your hormone shifts and increase of fluid. So now here's a hack. You can use lubricating eye drops and try wearing sunglasses outside. Now I say that, but at the same time, If you notice that your blurred vision also is accompanied with headaches or swelling, then I want you to reach out to your provider as soon as possible. I always like to encourage my mom. That it's better to be safe than sorry. So if you see a cluster of those symptoms, again, blurred vision with headaches and swelling, then you need to reach out to your provider immediately. Okay, so next up is Vivid Dreams. Now, we've talked about this in previous episodes, but in case you are new here, I wanna circle back and touch on it because with your hormone shifts late in pregnancy, you may really start to see an uptick in those vivid dreams Now. Again, if this is your first time, let me just briefly. Explain what's going on. You have your hormones that are surging and a little bit of anxiety because of this upcoming birth, and with that, you start to have more REM sleep, so a lot of moms. Actually report dreaming about their labor or even breastfeeding before the baby arrives. Now here's a hack to just help you calm your nerves about these dreams if they're a bit unsettling at times. And that's just to use these dreams and the clues that they are sending you about your subconscious worries. And the best thing to do here is just to grab your pregnancy journal. And journal about them, right? Get your thoughts out on paper. Usually that helps us to put things in perspective. And you can also try talking to a close friend, family member, and of course your partner,, and letting them know how you feel. A lot of times just getting that out, getting it off your chest as they say, tends to help a whole lot. So try that. Now I also wanna touch a bit on increased vaginal discharge. This is your cervix producing more mucus to protect baby from infection. Now if you notice anything that feels a little off, if you notice any blood in the discharge, I encourage you to reach out to your provider because it's always helpful to have them just look at everything and make sure that you are progressing, in the normal fashion. If there is anything to be concerned about, they can always catch it early, as long as we keep that. Communication open. So be sure to reach out to them if anything fills off, um, in regards to your vaginal discharge. Now let's really focus our attention towards some of the behind the scenes that's going on this week. Some of the sciencey things that's happening with your body that you likely are not even aware of what's going on, but it is happening. So it's time to get excited. Just knowing about some of these things now in the intro, you know, I talked about nature's epidural, right? Well, let's start there. Around this time, your body ramps up beta endorphins. That's a natural pain relieving hormone. and these are the same chemicals that athletes get when they have what's called a runner's high. The more relaxed and supported you feel, the stronger they work for you in labor. Now let's talk about your baby and learning your voice. You know, we've talked about this previously in other videos as well, but I also wanna circle back to this because at 35 weeks, your baby cannot only just hear your voice, but they can also recognize patterns. And rhythms yes. Talking, singing, or reading out loud actually calms them after birth because they already know your voice. Now, if you've been along for the ride, you've probably already started talking to your baby a bit more based on some of the other episodes. But in case you're new here, now's a good time to start, mama. So keep that in mind. All right. The last s sciencey thing that I wanna kind of cover into this week's episode is the colostrum your breast might leak a little golden fluid, and that's because colostrum has already started to form. Your breasts are changing every week, preparing for this new baby and preparing to breastfeed that golden fluid that you may see that leaks out from time to time. Maybe after you've gotten off the shower or you go to change your clothes and you notice. It either in your bra or maybe crusted around your breast. That is colostrum and that is your baby's first liquid gold meal is packed with antibodies, and if you notice it. It's time to celebrate. It just simply means that your body is doing its job. Yay. Now, if you don't notice it, it is still happening. It's still working. And I've had clients that have been on both ends of the spectrum. Some will tell me they notice it. When they're getting dressed and some will say, Nope, I didn't have it at all, but I felt, my breasts getting bigger or more tender. And those are also signs as well. So it's happening, mama, whether you see it or not, but especially if you see it, go ahead and celebrate. Okay. I thought it would be fun to really tackle this myth as well. And that is the one that says labor just starts when it starts. Mm. Kind of, but not exactly. There's new research that suggests that there's actually a biological conversation between your baby's lungs and your uterus. Once your baby's lungs are mature enough, they release a protein in your amniotic fluid that signals to your body and says, okay, I'm ready. Let's do this. So if you've been worrying that your body won't know what to do, trust me, it's a team effort and there's a lot going on behind the scenes, but it truly, your body is truly working to serve you, so just keep that in mind. All right. Now you know me. I like to add in some practical things that you can do to just get you ready in the mindset and to help you start preparing for the birth that you want. First off, I want you to practice open mouth. Open pelvis. Studies show that keeping your jaw relaxed can actually help your pelvic floor relax during labor. We do a deep dive on the connection between this inside a bump TOB bundle blueprint and how to really leverage this to have a smoother ber. I want you to start practice inhaling with an open jaw. You can even try it now. It trains your body for the big day, so the more you do it, the more your body will jump in and know what to do when the big day comes. All right. Now let's talk about balance over strength. Now gentle movements like cat cow stretches, pelvic tilts, and sitting on a birth ball can really help to align your pelvis and encourage your baby to get into the optimal birth position. So keep those positions in mind and practice them often. All right now. If you've been following along week by week, you know that one of the things that I really hammer is hydration. It is so important, and that's because dehydration is a major trigger for Braxton. Hicks. Aim for steady sipping instead of chugging, because I know it's a lot. You got a lot going on in your tummy, so chugging it down may not necessarily work for you, but steady sipping instead of chugging, should help you in that area as well as adding electrolytes, especially if you're noticing a lot of tightening in your belly. so here's the deal. 35 weeks isn't just about counting down the days. It's about using this window wisely. Your body is rewiring, your hormones are prepping, and your baby is literally helping to trigger labor. The more you understand what's happening, the calmer and more confident you'll feel. Now, if you enjoyed this episode and you wanna dive deeper, you really want to feel confident and prepared for your birth, then I want you to check out Bump to Bundle blueprint. It gives you insider knowledge and tools that most moms just don't get until it's too late. I walk you through birth prep, pain coping strategies, and postpartum so that you are not figuring it out under pressure. Just check the link below and grab your spot. Don't wait until Labor to learn because Mama, the prep you are doing right now is what sets you up. For the birth that you want. Now I want you to drop a comment and tell me what's been your most unexpected and weirdest symptom at 35 weeks. I read all of the comments, so join me below and let's have a quick chat. I will see you in the next episode.