39 and 40 Weeks Pregnant – Being Full Term
You will probably experience multiple mood swings when you are 39 weeks pregnant as you are quite ready for the delivery.
Constipation and heartburn are the two common complaints during this time. Drinking enough water and eating something at short intervals will relieve you from both the problems.
The uterus starts contracting thus slowing down the flow of oxygenated blood to the placenta. This is a natural process and should cause no worry.
You will continue making the amniotic fluid even in this final stages but the rate of absorption is a little low. So the levels will start decreasing a bit. There might even be leaking of the fluid which should be reported immediately to your health care provider.
Sometimes, it is a little difficult to tell the difference between the leaking of urine and the amniotic fluid. The best way to find out is to go to bed after probably an hour after emptying the bladder.
Monitoring the baby’s heart rate is done during this time using internal or external monitoring systems. The internal monitoring systems give a more accurate reading while the external monitoring systems detect the baby’s heart rate similar to a Doppler ultrasound.
By pregnancy week 39, there are many signs that your baby is full term. There is no longer any lanugo hair on the baby’s body and the finger nails are now extended beyond the finger tips.
The movements of the baby are far less now as there is no enough room inside your belly. The baby now weighs about 7 pounds and is around 20.5 inches long.
Nutrition becomes more important than ever during these final weeks as you will need more strength and stamina to make it through the delivery with good health.
You are 40 weeks pregnant means that you are full term or in the last official week of pregnancy – hopefully. Some women give birth in week 41 or week 42 of pregnancy. Only 4 % of women give birth on their due date.
The weight gain will slow down considerably in the last week of pregnancy and most women feel a bit clumsy and tired. During this time of pregnancy, most of the women start thinking about natural induction if they don’t experience labor.
This decision should be carefully discussed and considered with your partner and the health care provider as research indicates that induction may lead to fetal distress and to a higher incidence of cesarean section.
As you are very anxious during this time, discuss with your health care provider as what to eat and drink in early labor as when to call or come to the birthing center.
At this time, you will probably experience real labor contractions that are more intense and painful. Generally these contractions occur in a frequency of 3-4 times every ten minutes and might probably last a minute.
Other than this, you will experience phase II of labor which is called active labor, where the cervix is dilated up to 10 cms which leads to descending your baby into the pelvic region. The contractions then push the baby to move through the birth canal. The baby will be descended more slowly in first time mothers.
In phase III, the placenta will expel within 20 to 30 minutes after the delivery. This organ must come out completely to avoid and bleeding or infections later. However, your health care provider will examine the placenta after it is expelled to be sure that no fragments are left.
The baby is now ready for the world as it enters the pelvic region. Its head is downwards and the back is facing against the abdomen. A full-term baby weighs around 7 to 8 pounds and is about 22 inches.
Preserving health after pregnancy is as important as during pregnancy because the infections of uterus, urinary tract and breasts are common after delivery.
In addition to best diet after pregnancy, increase your water intake as much as possible as it helps to clean the body from harmful substances. Healthcare after pregnancy is both important for the mother and her growing baby.
Author Bio:
Stephanie writes on health, pregnancy and parenting. Visit ThePregnancyZone.com for more information on pregnancy week by week and everything you want to know about getting 39 weeks pregnant and 40 weeks pregnant.
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