Day 256 of 280, third trimester
You are 36 weeks and 4 days
Your baby is losing the downy hair he's had for weeks, but if he's born now some may still be visible.
24 days until your due date
Lanugo is extremely fine hair covering your baby's body, and unlike adult body hair it isn't linked to sweat glands. It now starts to be shed into the amniotic fluid over the last few weeks before birth. Your baby then swallows these hairs with the fluid, which isn't a concern: they're an important source of protein. It's estimated that two-thirds of the protein in the fluid is swallowed and absorbed each day, providing 15 percent of his protein needs.
Lanugo is gradually replaced by vellus hair: short, soft, unpigmented hair (often more noticeable on women and children). Terminal hair is the thicker, coarser, longer hair that grows first on the eyebrows, then the eyelashes, then the scalp. In adults, beards, armpit hair, and pubic hair are terminal hair.
Focus on
Your body: Desperate for a toilet
In the third trimester you'll be visiting the bathroom often, as you did in the first, this time because the increasingly heavy baby is pressing down on your bladder. If it hurts when you pass urine, you may have a urinary infection, so contact your doctor for a test.
Ask a Doctor
I've heard about doctors "turning" breech babies. How does it work?
Some obstetricians try to turn a baby in late pregnancy using external cephalic version (ECV), which succeeds in around 65 percent of cases. The obstetrician gently guides the baby into a head-down position by pressing on your abdomen, using ultrasound as a guide, and you may be given medication to relax the uterine muscles. You'll be scanned first, and if the baby is in an awkward position, the procedure may not go ahead. A large baby or a low amount of amniotic fluid (which gives the baby less protection) can also affect it.
If you're Rh negative, you may be given an injection of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg) afterward, because of the small risk of bleeding around the placenta. ECV isn't recommended if you're carrying multiples, have had bleeding, have a low-lying placenta, your waters have broken, or there's a known problem with the baby.
Explainer
Checking for breech
In late pregnancy your doctor will feel your abdomen to check the baby's position. If he's breech, ECV may be recommended to turn him head down; if he doesn't turn, a cesarean may be needed.
Appointments and key dates around now
- RSV vaccineFrom 28 weeks
Read the full 36 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.