Day 247 of 280, third trimester
You are 35 weeks and 2 days
The color is developing in your baby's eyes, but the final color won't be known for some time.
33 days until your due date
The iris controls how much light enters the eye and gives the eye its color. Eye color depends on the amount of melanin in the iris, the same substance that gives skin its different tones.
Your baby won't necessarily have the same eye color as you or your partner. Most fair-skinned babies are born with little melanin in the eye, so the iris looks gray or blue; dark-skinned babies have much more, and their eyes are usually dark gray or brown. The color keeps changing after birth as melanin is produced in response to light, and it will be about a year before your baby's final eye color is set.
Focus on
Your body: Cesarean birth
If you know you're having a cesarean, it helps to know what to expect afterward. You should stay mobile after surgery, but also get plenty of rest. A cesarean is major surgery, so avoid lifting and carrying heavy loads for the first few weeks. That can be hard if you have other small children or are home alone, so recruit as much help as you can. Avoid shopping, which usually means heavy bags, and order online if possible.
The advice is not to drive for six weeks. If you feel up to it sooner, check with your doctor, and make sure you're comfortable wearing a seatbelt and doing maneuvers, including emergency stops. Full recovery generally takes up to six weeks.
Good to know
Practicing visualization
Visualization is an effective, positive way to prepare for labor, so try it in these final weeks. Start with a basic relaxation exercise: working from the top of your head down to your toes, gently tense and relax each muscle, focusing on it and on your breathing.
Then imagine the birth, giving every step a positive meaning. For example, your baby is floating in water and gently rocked as contractions begin; the tightening you feel is the strong walls of your uterus guiding your baby into the world; the contractions are waves you and your baby ride together as your baby is washed out, both of you swimming with the tide.
Explainer
Whose eyes?
You may wonder whether your baby will share your or your partner's eye color. Her eyes may resemble either of yours, or be different from both.
Appointments and key dates around now
- RSV vaccineFrom 28 weeks
Read the full 35 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.