Week 35
(counting from first day of last menstrual period)
Around 33 Weeks After Conception

Fetal Development:
The average sized baby is around five and a half pounds now! The fat accumulations plump up the arms and legs this week. The baby has gotten big enough to take up most of the uterus, and there's less room to move around. The testes have completed their descent in males.

Maternal Changes:
Your care provider may begin regular checks of your cervix some time in the next few weeks for signs of effacement and dilation and to see what position your baby is in. Your baby cannot pass through a normally closed cervix. The process of labor is the stretching, thinning (effacement) and opening (dilation) of your cervix to allow the baby to pass through. Your cervix is fully dilated when the opening measures 10 centimeters.

Ideas for Dad:
It's well into the third trimester. Mom is huge and tired; Dad is nervous and tired. Your sexual habits have probably changed somewhat (a great deal?). Mom's tummy lends itself to discovering new, more comfortable positions for love-making. And since it's hard for Mom to get comfortable at any time, sex may be something confined to your fantasies, Dad. Then again, you may not be in the mood much either. Everyone is different.

What do you do when she's not in the mood? How about being close without sex? Hug a lot, hold hands, sleep in the spoon position, and kiss. Give Mom a back rub or a foot massage and remain close. Do something special like polish Mom's toenails. She can't see or reach her toes, and she'll feel nice going to the hospital with pretty toes. These little things will keep you close.

The bottom line . . . if you're both in the mood and the pregnancy is progressing well, go for it. Be creative with positions and enjoy. If Mom (or you) isn't in the mood, don't take it personally and don't push it. Both of you have a lot on your minds which can cool even the most active libido.

And remember, most care providers recommend that you abstain from intercourse for three to six weeks after delivery. Be sure to ask your care provider for specifics.