39 weeks pregnant: how the fetus develops and what happens in the body
The 39th week of pregnancy is almost the peak of pregnancy, at which childbirth can begin at any time. Despite the fact that the main part of the risks associated with the perinatal period is already receding into the background, it is imperative to listen to the signals of your body and observe possible changes, and if you are alert, contact a specialist for help.
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Baby at 39 weeks pregnant
If we take into account the 40-week perinatal period, then the 39th is considered the penultimate one, which means that very little is left. However, childbirth can happen earlier or a little later than planned by the doctors, which is considered quite normal from that time on. By this time, the baby is completely ready for life outside the mother's body. It is light in working order and ready to function as soon as it is born. The digestive system is able to receive, process and remove food: the pancreas secretes the necessary enzymes, and villi have arisen on the mucous membrane. But the baby's intestines are absolutely sterile and only after the first meal in his life he will begin to receive important microorganisms.
The small heart is already working without interruption and the responsible drives blood throughout the body. The kidneys contribute to the elimination of metabolic products from the body through the mother's body. By week 39, the level of amniotic fluid begins to fall, however, every three hours they are still renewed.
The baby's vision has already developed perfectly, he already reacts not only to light, darkness and can move his eyes, he is able to focus his gaze at a distance of up to thirty centimeters. This suggests that at the moments of feeding, the baby will see your face, so be sure to smile at the baby.
But what else is developing is the central nervous system. This will continue until the very moment of birth. At the 39th week of pregnancy, the baby looks like a baby, it can no longer be distinguished from the one born at 40 and subsequent weeks. The skin smoothed out well and acquired a normal appearance, the cheeks were rounded and wrinkles appeared, the fluff practically disappeared. Despite the fact that the crumb in the stomach becomes cramped, it still continues to gain weight and grow. Growth and weight indicators are largely individual, but on average they are 50 cm and 3500 kg.
Pain at 39 weeks gestation
In the later weeks of the perinatal period, mild aching pain in the lower abdomen is, in principle, normal, and they indicate an imminent birth. At this time, the body begins to exercise little by little, practicing light contractions. However, each time they can get stronger and stronger. Even the movement of the crumbs becomes painful.
The pain can follow a woman at the moments of changing positions. The epicenters of sensation are on the back, side and the abdomen itself. But most often painful sensations attack the perineum. This is due to the fact that the baby begins to descend closer to the birth canal, and this puts pressure on the sacral region and lower back. Due to the divergence of the pelvic bones, the expectant mother may experience pains of both an aching and a sharp nature, which also shoots in the legs, intensifying when walking.
During this period, you need to be especially attentive to your feelings. Having got used to training fights, it is important not to confuse them with true ones. The latter are characterized by regularity and constant strengthening. This is the best time to learn how to relax with existing pain. Since at the time of real contractions, you need to start breathing correctly, which will help reduce pain during delivery.
At 39 weeks, the chest may begin to hurt, and this is also considered quite normal, because she is preparing for the early feeding of the baby. However, if you are worried about unbearable pain both in the abdomen and in the chest, be sure to seek help from specialists in order to prevent possible negative consequences and exclude the likelihood of an early birth.
Discharge at 39 weeks gestation
At 39 weeks, there may be a discharge from the chest, which is called colostrum. Do not under any circumstances try to give it away. Now you need to observe hygiene: wash your breasts thoroughly, at least twice a day, gently blot the secreted liquid with napkins. If there is a lot of colostrum and this gives you inconvenience, purchase special bra pads at the pharmacy, this will help you get through this period with comfort. Moreover, they will be useful later, if lactation when it will be necessary to retain milk.
If earlier the mucous plug did not begin its discharge, then this can happen now. This process will drag on for several days, and maybe even weeks, due to its partial release. You can recognize the exit of the plug by a very thick and viscous discharge, transparent, yellow or cream in color, and may have blotches of blood. By the way, the passage of this plug is a harbinger of childbirth. After the cork comes off, you need to be as careful as possible, realizing that now the baby is not protected by anything and any infection can get to him. therefore during sex it is advisable to use a condom, as well as regularly wash thoroughly, refusing to take a bath and bathing in stagnant water.
But brown and reddish discharge at 39 weeks can signal that the process of childbirth will begin in just a few hours. But if bleeding is accompanied by the withdrawal of the mucous plug, you need to immediately seek the help of specialists or call an ambulance, since this is one of the indicators of premature detachment of the placenta.
Amniotic fluid can also come out, which leaks in small parts. Their consistency resembles ordinary water, they have neither color nor smell. But there are cases when the fetal bladder bursts and the water comes out all at once, in a stream. It is simply impossible to confuse this phenomenon with something else. In this case, you need to immediately go to the hospital, as this is a clear sign of the onset of labor.
39 weeks pregnant - how to speed up labor
At 39 weeks, it makes no sense to engage in artificial stimulation, since if labor does not occur today, it may start tomorrow. Exceptions are medical indications, but there childbirth is caused by special drugs. As a last resort, if you really want to give birth as soon as possible, you can talk with your supervising doctor and ask for advice on how to do this. But following the advice on the Internet is highly discouraged, it can lead to negative consequences, because your and your baby's life and health are at stake.
The desire to give birth as soon as possible at this time is quite natural, but it is better to be patient, because there is very little left.
Childbirth at 39 weeks gestation
During childbirth, it is imperative to listen to doctors and do everything as they say. If you attended preparatory courses for expectant mothers, it's time to remember everything that was said and advised there on proper breathing. At the time of contractions, it is better to be on your feet and constantly pace the ward. Don't panic, control yourself. Childbirth is a natural process for the body and nothing supernatural, which a woman could not withstand, does not happen at this moment.
Do not be embarrassed by involuntary urination and other natural processes - doctors do not see this for the first time and there is nothing wrong with that, again, everything is natural. At this moment, you need to be as focused on your own feelings as possible and calmly wait for the full disclosure of the uterus, and then push qualitatively at the command of the doctor. To ease the pain, think about the baby, it is not easy for him now, too, because the baby needs to crawl into such a small hole that it causes him severe pain. And the faster you do this, the better it will be for you and your child.
As soon as a new little man is born, doctors put him on your stomach - it's an incredible feeling. Now it is important for the baby to get colostrum so that the body activates the immune system.
