At 35 weeks
At 35 weeks, your baby is about the size of a small watermelon (chhota tarbooz) and measures around 46.2 cm from head to heel (NHS). They are getting chubbier, and their kidneys are now mature. You may spot yellow colostrum stains in your bra and feel sore ribs as a head-down baby kicks away.
Your Baby at 35 Weeks
Your baby is getting chubbier, which will help them stay at the right temperature once they are born. It is rather cramped in your womb now, but you should still feel movements as strongly and regularly as in previous weeks (NHS).
Your baby's kidneys are now mature, and each day they swallow about a litre of amniotic fluid, which passes back out as urine. Their legs are likely bent up into the chest, but they can still change position (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).
A breech baby at this stage is not a cause for worry, as most turn head down gradually during the last month. If your baby is still bottom down over the next week or two, your doctor or midwife may recommend external cephalic version (ECV), a procedure to help them turn (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).
Your Body This Week
Yellow stains in your bra are probably colostrum, an early milk rich in antibodies; some women make it weeks or even months before the birth. Sore ribs are common too, often because your baby is head down and kicking, although pain that is really bad, or under your ribs, should be checked in case it is a sign of pre-eclampsia (NHS).
Braxton Hicks tightenings can come as often as every 10 to 20 minutes in late pregnancy and normally go away if you change position. They may be real contractions if they get stronger or closer together, last longer, feel stronger when you walk, or bring pain or pressure in your pelvis, tummy or lower back (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).
When to call your midwife or doctor: See your doctor straight away if you develop a bad headache, tummy pain, blurry vision or sudden swelling of your hands or feet, as pre-eclampsia can develop in late pregnancy. Labour now would be premature and needs medical attention straight away, and if your baby's movements change or stop, talk to your midwife or doctor.
Garbh Sanskar This Week
A small daily practice for this stage, from Mamta’s 1:1 sessions. It is tradition and gentle self-care, not medical advice, so keep every check-up and follow your doctor or midwife first.
- Mantra: Asato ma sad gamaya asks to be led from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light; repeat its three short lines slowly in a soft voice for a few minutes. The words and their meaning are in our Garbh Sanskar mantras guide.
- Music: If you are starting maternity leave around now, give your day a small anchor: ten quiet minutes with a bhajan or calm music you love. The value is the calm it brings you, not any change in your baby.
- Gentle movement: Mamta's suggestion this week is slow walking, even indoors, with relaxed shoulders and easy breathing, only with your doctor's or midwife's clearance. Pause to sit and breathe gently whenever you need to, and never hold your breath.
- Food: Traditionally, week 35 is roughly the last week of Charaka's eighth month, with its warm milk and rice gruel (kshira yavagu) and ghee. Keep portions moderate within a balanced vegetarian diet, alongside the iron, calcium and folic acid your doctor recommends.
- Garbh samvad (a line to say to your baby): I can feel you stretching and kicking. I love these quiet moments with you.
Questions About Week 35
Why do my ribs hurt at 35 weeks?
Sore ribs at this stage are often because your baby is head down and kicking. If the pain is really bad, or under your ribs, talk to your midwife or doctor in case it is a sign of pre-eclampsia, although an active baby is the more likely cause.
How can I tell Braxton Hicks from real contractions at 35 weeks?
Braxton Hicks usually ease when you change position. Contractions that get stronger or closer together, last longer, feel stronger when you walk, or come with pain or pressure in your pelvis, tummy or lower back may be real, and labour now needs medical attention straight away.
What pain relief options can I plan for labour?
The NHS lists self-help relaxation techniques, gas and air, pethidine, an epidural, a water birth and a TENS machine, and you do not need to pick just one. Discuss them with your midwife, doctor and partner, write your preferences in your birth plan, and remember you can change your mind on the day.
Practise With Mamta, Wherever You Are
Mamta guides expecting mothers through private 1:1 Garbh Sanskar sessions online, scheduled in your own time zone, from the first trimester to the last week. Start with a free conversation on WhatsApp or read how sessions work.
Sources
Mamta is not a doctor. Medical points on this page come from the sources below, checked in October 2026. Sizes are approximate and babies vary; your scan report is what matters.