Your pregnancy week-by-week: Week 36

Your pregnancy week by week | Your pregnancy in week 36

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When only two-fifths of his head is above the pelvic bone, he's 'engaged', although some babies don't engage until in labour

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You are now 36 weeks pregnant or in your 37th week if that's how you're counting it

How is your baby growing?

Your baby now measures over 46cm and weighs 5lbs 8oz.

Your baby's digestive system is now filled with meconium - a sticky dark green substance made of dead skin cells, lanugo and excretions from his bowel, liver and gall bladder that will come out in his first poos.

How are you feeling?

You can normally sense when your baby drops down to the engage position. Breathing will be easier and a lot of the discomfort you've felt will get better.

Sleeping can become more difficult the bigger your baby gets though. Try wedging a pillow under your bump to help support the weight or invest in a pregnancy wedge available from baby stores.

Top tips

If you have a severe headache or feel very sick, go to the doctor's. It may be a sign of pre-eclampsia which can happen when pregnant or straight after the birth. It can be dangerous, even life threatening, to mother and baby if it develops into eclampsia, a type of seizure.

Pre-eclampsia causes your blood pressure to rocket together with protein in your urine and swelling. Eclampsia is more common during the last three months of your pregnancy and the first 48 hours after birth. Up to 1,000 babies and 10 mothers die from it, but if caught normally it's not serious.