Your pregnancy week-by-week: Week 31

Your pregnancy week by week | Your pregnancy in week 31

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Your baby can now distinguish light from dark and is learning to focus.

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You are now 31 weeks pregnant or in your 32nd week if that's how you're counting it

How is your baby growing?

Your baby now measures about 40cm and weighs about 3lbs.

It will carry on putting on weight, but the overall growth spurt will slow. The lungs will be the last organ to reach maturity and the brain is still going into overdrive as it quickly develops.

How are you feeling?

Watch your back! The increase in your baby's weight will mean that your posture will inevitably change and can cause back strain. An abdominal support belt may help.

You'll be feeling more tired now, so get sleep when you can. You may feel a bit breathless now as your baby is taking up so much space.

Don't miss your ante-natal classes. You'll meet people there that will act as a great support network afterwards. Try to get your partner along too. They normally run for 6 to 8 weeks.

Top tips

It's not until some months after birth that your baby's eyes change to the colour they will stay as they need light exposure to trigger the pigmentation.

Dark-skinned babies normally have dark grey or brown eyes at birth that change to a true brown or black. Most Caucasian babies are born with dark blue/grey eyes that then change over time.