40 weeks pregnant: how the fetus develops and what happens in the body
Childbirth is just around the corner, and today or tomorrow you will meet with the main man in your life, who was carefully worn under your heart for nine months. Childbirth can begin at any time, so now you need to be especially attentive to your own feelings. Now let's look at how the baby and your body feel.
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Baby at 40 weeks pregnant
By forty weeks, the child has already completely filled the uterus, it becomes cramped for him, therefore, the motor activity of the baby drops noticeably. Its weight reaches the level of 3.2-3.8 kg, and its height is within the range of 50-54 cm. Of course, these are standard indicators, so they can vary, because each organism is individual. In addition, as practice shows, girls are born a little larger in size, but less in weight than boys.
For such a long time, the baby is tired of being in constant darkness, and now from the cramped conditions. At 40 weeks, the baby has rounded breasts, due to the high estrogen content, but after giving birth, everything returns to normal a few weeks after giving birth. All due to the same estrogen, vaginal discharge may be noted in girls after childbirth. The baby's body has accumulated meconium (newborn feces), which will leave his body naturally after giving birth. It is completely sterile and consists of intestinal microorganisms.
Newborn babies can surprise their parents with their date of birth. It is very rare when the date of birth established by specialists coincides with the actual one. Another surprise for moms is the appearance of a newborn. Contrary to all the scenes in the cinema, in which children are "born" already three months old in appearance, a newborn baby often has an unusual appearance: it may have an irregular head (it takes a couple of days to correct it), an unnatural skin color and presence on the body mucus, blood and meconium. If the crumb was too cramped, then an irregular shape of the foot and toes may be observed. If everything is fine with the child's health, then such things, as a rule, disappear after a while, so you should not panic. There may also be pigmentation and scabs on the baby's body, but these will also fade over time.
Discharge at 40 weeks of gestation
Usually, at the fortieth week, there is a discharge of a mucous consistency. By this time, the cervix is significantly softened and slightly open, which gives rise to the mucous plug. In this case, the latter comes out gradually, and the woman notices mucous discharge of a whitish or pinkish color. The plug can also come out entirely, then it will be a lump of mucus interspersed with blood.
Purulent and cheesy discharge with a green color and an unpleasant odor indicates the danger of infection. Such things need to be treated immediately, since the baby is about to be released, at the moment of which, passing through the birth canal, there is a huge risk of infection.
Bloody discharge carries some danger. Since this may be due to placental abruption. Even if the amount of blood is insignificant, and the woman herself does not feel pain, you need to immediately consult a doctor, because severe bleeding can begin at any time.
But liquid and watery discharge indicates that water has begun to flow. If you notice something like this in yourself - urgently go to the hospital. As soon as the waters recede, contractions, and not weak ones, make themselves felt. And if you postpone leaving, then you can get problems. As soon as all the water flows out, there will be a danger for the baby, because he cannot be for a long time without this important liquid, especially since it is fraught with infection.
40 weeks pregnant and labor does not start
By 40 weeks, the baby is already fully formed into a full-fledged man, but not all mothers are honored with the happiness of meeting the baby. But you should not be afraid and panic too. The human body is unique in nature and since the crumb is not going to leave yet, it means that it still has some things to do in the womb. The main thing is to constantly be under the supervision of your doctor, to carry out timely tests to be sure that the life and health of the child and yours is not in danger. Moreover, the child can be born from the day you put it on.
It should also be borne in mind that the date of birth, which the doctors set, is far from always accurate and often has a large error. Obstetric weeks and actual conception are somewhat different principles of calculus, so don't worry and just wait for the most important meeting in your life.
A post-term pregnancy is counted from the 42nd week, so so far everything is fine and there is no cause for concern.
How to induce labor at 40 weeks of gestation
As we said earlier, 40 weeks is not a reason to panic and drive doctors crazy. A woman can give birth at any time, in the period from 38 to 42 weeks, which means that there is no point in causing labor, of course, if there is no serious reason for this. Therefore, before thinking about accelerating childbirth, just think, is it necessary at all? Indeed, in this way you interfere with the natural processes of your body and the body of the crumbs.
Methods of various stimulation are used by doctors when the gestation period reaches forty-two weeks. Then all the necessary research is carried out. A forced call during the normal course of the perinatal period can lead to unforeseen consequences.
However, there are simple methods, which, by the way, are absolutely safe, contributing to early delivery. Among them:
- Walks in the open air.
- Sex with orgasm is the most pleasant and natural opportunity to induce labor, since during orgasm, stimulation of the nipples and breasts, the uterus contracts, due to the production of special substances by the body, and the sperm itself contains elements that stimulate labor. But you just need to prepare for the fact that after an orgasm, contractions can immediately begin and you will need to urgently go to the hospital.
- You can simply wash the floors, of course with a mop, such physical activity is absolutely safe, but at the same time it stimulates the body well for childbirth.
