39th week of pregnancy – baby’s development, tests, due date

The 39th week of pregnancy is a time of intense waiting. You probably greet each new day with the question “and maybe it’s already today”? Unfortunately, even despite the announcements of birth, even your doctor is not able to 39% predict when the delivery will take place. Therefore, in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy, listen to your body, it will best alert you that this special moment has come.

39th week of pregnancy – characteristics

The baby is now fully developed and ready for birth. Although its development is not so rapid in the 39th week of pregnancy, you feel its presence more and more with each passing day. The little one moves downwards and presses harder and harder on the symphysis, which in turn causes pain and problems with walking. Fortunately, you will soon give birth and these ailments will pass.

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39rd week of pregnancy – baby’s development

In the 39th week of pregnancy, the child’s development stalled. Of course, it is still growing, but all the organs necessary for life have been properly developed for a long time (it should be between 3200 g and 2800 g and measure from about 48 cm to 52 cm). The organ that does not slow down is of course the brain, but neurons will form connections long after birth.

The cramped environment makes the child reluctant to move, although his coordination skills are getting better and better. If he is still for too long and you are concerned about his condition, try changing your position, taking a short walk, or taking a cool shower. In the 39th week of pregnancy, the baby has such acute senses that it will certainly respond to stimuli with movements. Provided he is awake, of course.

The 39th week of pregnancy is the moment when, due to the accumulated fat tissue, the baby’s skin is completely opaque. Immediately after birth, however, it will not have its final color yet, as it takes some time to develop sufficient pigment in it.

39th week of pregnancy – changes in the woman’s body

What usually bothers women in their 39th week of pregnancy is the blood that appears in the vaginal discharge. Some women do not experience this symptom at all, but many have a slightly brown or red vaginal discharge. This is because the cervix is ​​changing and some of the blood vessels in it are bursting. Unless you notice sudden heavy bleeding, don’t be alarmed.

The number of contractions also increases, which may also raise suspicions that a solution will happen at any moment. The predictive contractions, however, are not regular and often go away when you change positions. Labor contractions are regular and do not pass regardless of position or activity.

Diarrhea is characteristic of the 39th week of pregnancy. It is also a symptom that your body is getting ready to give birth. With an empty intestine, the solution itself will be easier. It is then worth paying more attention to your diet, because it should be easily digestible. It is best to give up fatty and sweet foods and keep your body well hydrated. In addition to diarrhea, some women may experience vomiting to cleanse the body.

Back pain can be excruciating towards the end of your pregnancy. Many months of strain are taking its toll on him. Many women in their 39th week of pregnancy are no longer able to attend pregnancy classes, so home stress management is usually left. A short walk or a gentle massage by your partner can help. It is much better to rest on your side, because lying on your back presses the spine in the lumbar region unnaturally. If the pain is really unbearable, you can talk to your doctor about whether it is safe to take any painkillers.

Edema is another ailment that bothers pregnant women a lot. Water retention is common in the 39th week of pregnancy. Paradoxically, in order to prevent this from happening, one should take increased amounts of fluids to improve the process of their circulation. Also, remember to provide yourself with at least a minimum amount of exercise – a short walk will make your circulation work better. Also, do not forget to rest with your legs slightly raised. A cool shower can also help.

In addition, during this stage of pregnancy, many women also have problems with their legs. In the last weeks of pregnancy, calves are often swollen and cramped. In such cases, it is best to reduce the amount of salt consumed and also rest a lot with the legs up, which will make it much easier for the pregnant woman to put her feet in her shoes.

The consequence of this condition is hypertension, which affects many women in their 39th week of pregnancy. This may indicate pre-eclampsia that affects many mothers-to-be. Other possible symptoms after 39 weeks of pregnancy include, in addition to high blood pressure, sudden weight gain, shortness of breath and blurred vision. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure at each follow-up visit. If it becomes dangerously high, you may need treatment.

Also read: Exercises in pregnancy – types of exercises, rules, contraindications

Especially important in the 39st week of pregnancy

Remember to throw tiny gloves into your hospital bag at 39 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby will be born with quite long nails, but it is not advisable to cut them in the hospital, because cutting them carries a high risk of infection.

Tests in the 39st week of pregnancy

KTG, or cardiocathography, is not compulsory and is usually done at the end of pregnancy to monitor how the baby’s heart works. The test lasts from 20 to 30 minutes and consists in monitoring the readings of two heads placed on the pregnant belly. One of them registers the baby’s heart contractions, and the other registers the uterine contractions.

KTG should be performed when the pregnant woman is concerned about the low number of fetal movements or when there are any other disturbing symptoms that something is going wrong with the baby. KTG examination may, in some cases, be the basis for a decision about caesarean section.

Find out more: Pregnant examinations – obligatory, additional when

Interesting facts about the 39th week of pregnancy

Soon your baby will be born and cry for the first time. Then you will have the opportunity to find out that the little ones, although they whine a lot, do not make tears at all. The tear apparatus is one of the few organs that is still not ready to perform its full function. Your baby will “really” cry about a month after the baby is born.

While the baby is still in its mother’s womb, it gets used to rocking, in line with the rhythm of mom’s steps and her breathing. Rocking your baby can help calm the baby down after it is born. However, it should be borne in mind that the rocking movements must be smooth and not too strong so as not to harm the baby.

In the 39th week of pregnancy, many women meet the so-called nest egg syndromewhich manifests itself in the preparation and furnishing of the apartment for the arrival of a new family member. Of course, this is not a bad thing, but a woman during pregnancy must take care of herself and not overburden herself. A pregnant woman should take frequent rest, as intense physical activity may speed up childbirth.

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39 weeks pregnant – what you should know

The due date is always indicative. It is assumed that only 5% of women give birth at term, the remaining deliveries take place between 38 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. It is worth mentioning here that all activities, such as walking, sex, massaging the abdomen or nipples, stimulate the release of oxytocin, which is the hormone responsible for uterine contractions. This makes it possible for you to give birth faster. In most cases, however, the baby will be born when it is ready (or when it is forced to leave by caesarean section).

Doctors should already inform the pregnant woman exactly what the examinations and procedures during labor are based on and the reason for carrying them out. Tests that will allow you to assess the progress of labor should be performed at least every two hours, and the heart function should be checked every half an hour. Sometimes there is a need for continuous CTG surveillance. The frequency of auscultation of the fetal heart activity also depends on the phase of labor.

A woman should remember that she can make movements during labor, and exercise on a ball supports the process of opening the cervix and thus helps to survive contractions.

After giving birth, a woman should get her hands on the baby. If the doctors do not have any contraindications, the toddler will be placed on the mother’s stomach and should be dried and covered in such a way for at least two hours. Now is also the time to make an initial assessment of the baby’s condition. A more accurate assessment, i.e. weighing and measuring, will take place after appropriate time spent with the mother.

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39 week – the upcoming delivery

The time of childbirth is getting closer and closer. During this period, the woman will look forward to its first signs. Sometimes some ladies are afraid that they will not recognize the beginning of labor. However, they should not worry, because the commencement of the labor action is quite characteristic and practically impossible to miss. It will all start with regular, strong and painful contractions.

Labor contractions, unlike Braxton-Hicks contractions, do not stop after taking a warm shower or changing positions. Moreover, labor contractions are often preceded by strong Braxton-Hicks contractions.

39 weeks – multiple pregnancy

The time between 35 and 48 weeks of pregnancy is the time when twins are most likely to be born. It is accepted in the case of twin pregnancies, premature births occur before the 34th week, and in the case of triplets, before the 32nd week. At this point, however, it should be added that the finished week counts, not the started one. Twins born after this date are termed. Sometimes there are even later births as well. According to the data, half of the twins are born after 38 weeks of pregnancy, and some even in 40 weeks.

See also:

1. 38th week of pregnancy – ailments, child development, symptoms of childbirth
2. 40th week of pregnancy – baby’s development, symptoms, delivery

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