
Forty week of pregnancy
We have reached the end of the ninth month in this one XNUMXth week of pregnancy. Now the time of delivery is near and soon you will be able to hold your baby in your arms.
How does the child grow?
During this 40th week of pregnancy the baby reached the dates of its growth. It is about 50 cm long and its weight varies between 3 and 3,3 kg.
Its reflexes are coordinated and a green / black substance called meconium, consisting of the amniotic fluid that she swallowed during gestation. With the first few stools this meconium will be expelled. These days the gynecologist will monitor the situation quite frequently and may even decide to induce labor.
The part with which the baby presents is located in the lower part of the uterus and compresses the cervix which has become softer and already partially dilated. The child is about to leave the warm and comfortable environment, the only one he has never known. Get ready to welcome him with all the necessary honors!
How the body changes in the 40th week of pregnancy
You have entered the 40th week and you have reached the end of this wonderful journey that has profoundly changed your body and has given you sensations truly unique. Get yours time for you itself, relax, sleep, watch good movies, listen to music, have a massage, a scrub, go to the hairdresser to the beautician, treat yourself to a romantic dinner with your partner. Because one thing is certain: you can give birth at any moment.
Keep an eye on any contractions, if they are regular and accompanied by loss of fluid (rupture of the water) go to the hospital with your suitcase full of useful things for you and the baby.
Symptoms of the fortieth week
Between tiredness and frequent nausea, your body begins to feel a little tired. You may miss the stopper mucus, the substance found at the entrance to the cervix and protects the fetus from infection. This loss is a clear signal of impending birth and the end of pregnancy. The midwife and gynecologist will perform frequent monitoring to the baby and they will check the state of the cervix (but remember that cervical dilation takes about 8 hours with the first child and 5 with the second), they may also prescribe a laxative and shave the bikini area to get a clearer view of the perineum.
Childbirth is now near and perhaps after a long wait you will suddenly wish that the time for childbirth does not come so soon. Soon you will be holding your baby in your arms but this could also cause you anxiety, don't worry it's normal!
How to cope with labor, pushing and breathing
Interesting facts about the 40rd week of pregnancy
When do you go to the delivery room? Generally in primiparas (women at the first birth) it is expected that the dilation is complete and reaches 10 cm, while in the multiparous ones it will be possible to go a little earlier. However, everything depends on the progress of labor and on how the woman reacts and cooperates.
Weeks of pregnancy
If you want to learn more about the other 40 weeks of pregnancy, she has created a nine-month calendar with advice on health, nutrition and tests to take during the 40 weeks. You will also be able to find out about the changes in the mother's body, how the baby bump grows and how the fetus develops.
- The midwife's advice for 40 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy video from conception to birth
- Pictures of pregnancy week by week
- Exams to do in pregnancy