Let’s check what you may experience during the 39th week of your pregnancy. At this stage, your baby can come anytime to the outside world. Often during the last week of pregnancy, you might be feeling very excited and anxious about the delivery.
The ladies suffer some pregnancy symptoms like stomach distress, backaches, cramping and vaginal discharge during the 39th week of pregnancy. Sometimes this vaginal discharge includes a little blood but doesn’t worry its common. And if any such symptoms last for more than a day you must talk to your doctor.
Braxton Hicks contractions are common at 39th week. At this time you can feel a tightening in your stomach similar to period cramps. And if the cramping is happening at regular intervals at your 39th week, this might be your actual labour contractions. These can happen at every 15 minutes with increasing its intensity when the labour pain get started.
“Continuing the pregnancy beyond 39 weeks will be riskier than previously believed for the foetus,” said by Errol Raymond Norwitz, MD, PHD, Chair Person of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
At the stage of 39 weeks, you might have experienced a lot of changes. You may not have gained any weight. Still many changes will be taking place inside and outside your body.
At the end of your pregnancy, your cervix will become effaced. Effacement is a process by which your cervix is preparing for delivery. When your baby occupies in the pelvis, he will gradually come closer to the cervix. And the cervix will soften, shorten and become thinner which is referred to as “cervical ripening” or “cervical thinning.”
False Labour Pain
If the contractions are irregular and the pain goes when you change your position or walk around, then you are experiencing false labour pain. But the false labour can change into true labour in a minute. You must check your time of your contractions, if it happens at a regular interval of 5 minutes for at least an hour, call your doctor or midwife. If your water breaks, go immediately to the hospital.
When it comes to medications, you have many options. Some women take edge off, while others aim to block as much as discomfort as possible. You can discuss with your doctor and take final decisions.
At 39 week your baby will be between 18 and 20 1/2 inches(45.7 to 52 cm) long and around 6 1/2 to 8 pounds(2.9 to 3.6 kg). Eyes will be completely formed, but they won’t be able to focus until the baby is a few weeks old. Still, your baby will be gaining weight inside your belly. Baby continues to develop a layer of fat underneath the skin. When he is born, the new body fats helps him to regulate his body temperature. Now your baby’s skin changed from pink to white, and pigmentation will occur soon after birth. Because a thicker fat layer has deposited over the blood vessels, giving your baby’s cheeks pinchable and kissably around. Baby is also going to form new skin cells to replace older skin cells.
At the time of birth, your baby’s endocrine system will secrete more stress hormones other than at any time in her life. Once she comes outside the womb, those hormones will help to manage her bodily system without the help of your placenta.
Your baby’s lungs will continue to develop until she’s born. When she takes her first breath, her lungs carry on manufacturing surfactant to hold the air sacs from sticking together.
After the initial deep breath, the first cry occurs. The sound of your baby crying for the first time will be a very sweet experience for every mother. Your baby has to cry once, no one likes her baby expressing fear or discomfort, but a loud cry means your baby is breathing well. You won’t be able to see tears coming from her eyes because her tear glands won’t drop tears when crying until she’s a few weeks old.
If you did not pack your hospital bags yet, you must pack your bags as soon as possible, since delivery can occur anytime. Don’t forget to pack chargers for your mobile phones so that you can inform your friends and family members the arrival of your baby. And if no name had chosen for your baby, it’s a good time to make a baby name list.
You can make a birth plan with your partner. And also practising any relaxation techniques which you learned earlier to make sure you are prepared for the big day. Though your baby comes soon, you must continue monitoring your baby movements.
It is the most powerful creation to have life growing inside of you.There is no bigger gift