38 week of pregnancy from conception

What happens to the baby at 38 weeks

The child is now fully formed, it meets all the indicators characteristic of a newborn. Most often, the baby is born either at the end of the 37th week from conception, or at the beginning of the 38th week. Often – but not always.

The bones of the child’s skull at this time are very soft and elastic, which allows him to pass through the birth canal without getting injured and without causing injury to his mother.

An early birth will be a real challenge for the baby. With the advent of the first contractions in a child, stress hormones will begin to be produced in the body, they are necessary for him to learn how to adapt to the outside world. ⠀

Thanks to adrenaline and norepinephrine, the central nervous system of the child will be more resistant to oxygen starvation, and the reaction of his muscles to nerve impulses will improve. All this is necessary, because the baby has a difficult time ahead. With the first breath, he will fall into an unfamiliar alien world – bright light, sounds and coolness will fall on him.

Fetal ultrasound

There is no particular reason for a woman who has not yet gone to the maternity hospital to do an ultrasound of the fetus – anyway, when hospitalized, it will be done again. However, there are alarming conditions that require medical supervision. In particular, if the baby does not make itself felt for a long time. Indications for ultrasound of the fetus at the 38th week of pregnancy from conception can also be bloody discharge from the vagina, pain in the abdomen, entanglement with the umbilical cord. And thanks to ultrasound diagnostics, doctors will be able to determine whether the lungs, liver and other organs of the baby are ready for independent work.

Photo life

A full-term baby weighs an average of 2800 to 4500 grams, boys are usually heavier than girls. The body length is 48-54 cm. By the size of the child by this time with a watermelon.

It’s time to capture this moment. A photo of the abdomen at 38 weeks of gestation from conception is likely to be the last in a series of “waiting for a miracle” shots, because the baby is about to be born.

What happens to mom at 38 weeks

38 weeks from conception – 40 obstetrics – the approximate date for the birth of a baby. If you haven’t started contractions yet, there’s no need to panic. Another two weeks of waiting is considered the norm. Many mothers who had complications in the first trimester walk longer than others. The same applies to those in whose family women carried children for more than 40 obstetric weeks.

However, we will focus on the fact that childbirth will begin exactly at the 38th week of pregnancy from conception. What will be the first beacon?

For those who give birth for the first time, this is the discharge of the mucous plug. It separates a couple of days before delivery and looks like a lump of whitish mucus with blood streaks, it can be brownish or yellow.

Later, rhythmic contractions of the uterus begin, which are accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, girdle pain in the lower back. At this time, the cervix begins to open. It will fully open within 10-12 hours (for primiparous women), for experienced mothers – faster.

The first contractions of 10-20 seconds, which are repeated after 10-15 minutes, do not yet mean that you are giving birth. These contractions can go away if you rest. Real contractions are distinguished by increasing duration and intensity. After some time, they will last for 20-30 seconds and repeat every 5-7 minutes. Such contractions will no longer go away by themselves, they will intensify until they reach a duration of 50-60 seconds and begin to repeat after 1-1,5 minutes.

When the cervix dilates enough, the amniotic fluid will flow out. Sometimes it happens before real contractions, then you don’t need to wait for them, you can go to the hospital right away.

If the effusion does not occur at all, the obstetrician himself will open the bladder so that the baby begins its way out.

The baby’s head is shown first. Next come the shoulders. They cannot come out at the same time, so the baby needs to be turned on its side. Sometimes a strong attempt by the mother helps, sometimes the help of an obstetrician is needed. After the birth of the head and shoulders, the rest of the body will come out very quickly.

Doctors recommend breathing as deeply as possible during contractions and attempts, using pauses between painful sensations to restore strength. You need to inhale and exhale slowly. ⠀

10-15 minutes after the birth of the baby, the amniotic membranes and the placenta depart. It’s painless, but Mom will have to push again. Sometimes, to speed up this process, a woman is advised to breathe in her stomach or massage her nipples.

If the placenta does not completely leave the walls of the uterus, then there is a risk of bleeding. Therefore, doctors in this case will take emergency measures to cleanse the uterus and prevent blood loss.

What sensations can you experience in 38 week

– At a period of 37-38 weeks of pregnancy from conception, or 39-40 obstetric, the woman’s stomach has already dropped, so breathing is relieved. Sometimes a mother can feel active fetal movements, pulling pains in the lower abdomen and lower back, in the area of ​​​​the symphysis (pubic articulation of bones), explains obstetrician-gynecologist Svetlana Arefieva. – Periodically, the mammary glands swell, colostrum can be secreted.

At this time, a woman may again begin to be disturbed by weakness, fatigue, irritability and tearfulness.

– In the last stages, detachment of the lower part of the fetal bladder from the walls of the uterus occurs, therefore, the amount of mucous secretions from the genital tract increases. In addition, the “mucus plug” is pushed out of the cervical canal, which is manifested by the release of mucus from the vagina, sometimes with an admixture of blood, the doctor explains.

As a rule, in the last days before childbirth, a woman loses weight a little, most often 0,8-1,5 kilograms of fluid are lost. Outwardly, changes are also noticeable: a “proud” gait appears, as the center of gravity moves and the head throws back a little.

Monthly

“Bleeding at this time always requires urgent hospitalization and clarification of their cause,” notes obstetrician-gynecologist Svetlana Arefieva. – Most often, the cause of the appearance of blood is the process of “opening” the cervix and a small detachment of the extreme sections of the placenta. But it can also be a complete detachment of the placenta, which is one of the most formidable complications in obstetrics and leads to the death of the fetus, and sometimes the mother, if help was not provided on time.

With any bloody discharge from the genital tract for a period of 39-40 obstetric weeks – 37-38 weeks from conception – we call an ambulance and go to the hospital.

Stomach ache

Some pain in the abdomen at this time is natural. If these are pulling, irregular pains, then most likely they come from the uterus. So she prepares for the upcoming birth. If the pain in the abdomen is sharp, prolonged, irregular – this is suspicious. Such pains can signal problems with the baby, therefore, they require mandatory medical supervision.

Often, pain occurs due to the pressure of the uterus on the sciatic nerve, sometimes the uterus compresses the ureters – there are quite a few varieties of pain and their causes, and gynecologists can not help with all. For any pronounced pain, mothers are advised to go to the hospital, where there are doctors of various specialties, at least neurologists and urologists.

Brown discharge

Immediately before childbirth, primiparous women usually leave the mucous plug. For these nine months, she closed the entrance from the cervix into her cavity. Cork looks like a thick mucous substance of brown, white, sometimes yellow color. It may have blood streaks. The passage of the cork is not yet a reason to go to the hospital, but the first bell.

Sometimes the cause of the appearance of brown discharge may be the onset of the process of placental abruption. Here, a woman cannot assess the risks, because with detachment of small areas, there is no threat, and with complete detachment, the fetus and mother can die without qualified help. So, if the brown discharge does not look like a cork, it is better to visit the doctor as soon as possible.

Popular questions and answers