What pregnancy week 31 means
Practising for life outside. “31 weeks pregnant” means 31 weeks have passed since the first day of the last menstrual period — the standard way pregnancy is dated. Conception usually happened about two weeks after that date, so the baby’s own age (fetal age) is roughly 29 weeks. Week 31 runs from 31 weeks 0 days to 31 weeks 6 days; on the following day the pregnancy is 32 weeks.
Your baby at 31 weeks
The baby can turn the head from side to side and is practising breathing, sucking and swallowing. All five senses are working.
A common way to picture it: the baby is now about the size of a coconut — roughly about 41 cm and about 1.5 kg. These are averages; babies grow at different rates, and ultrasound measurements vary.
Your body at 31 weeks
Some people leak a little colostrum, the first milk, from the breasts. Shortness of breath and needing to urinate often are common.
Care and appointments around week 31
If you notice regular contractions, a gush or trickle of fluid, or bleeding before 37 weeks, contact your maternity unit straight away.
The timing of tests and appointments differs between countries and care providers. If anything worries you — such as bleeding, severe pain, fluid leaking, fever, or a change in your baby’s movements — contact your midwife, doctor or maternity unit straight away rather than waiting for your next appointment.
Week 31 in your pregnancy timeline
Week 31 is in the third trimester (weeks 28–40+) and in pregnancy month 7, which covers roughly weeks 28–31. Early term begins at 37 weeks, 6 weeks from now.
| Pregnancy start (first day of last period) | |
|---|---|
| Estimated conception | |
| Full term (39 weeks) | |
| Estimated due date (40 weeks) |
Dates assume you are exactly 31 weeks 0 days today. For dates based on your own last period, use the calculator above or the main Pregnancy Calculator.
31 weeks pregnant in days and months
31 weeks is 217 days of pregnancy — 78% of a 40-week pregnancy. Counted in calendar months, 31 weeks is about 7.1 months, which is usually described as month 7 of pregnancy. Months are only a rough grouping; healthcare professionals almost always talk in weeks and days because they are more precise. See Pregnancy Month Calculator for how weeks map to months.