When you are pregnant and at week 39, you know that this is where some major changes start happen and may be a little nervous about it. If you are approaching this stage of your pregnancy, keep reading, go over the main points carefully and start preparing accordingly.
1. Baby’s growth during the full term
The week 39 is a full term when the baby has started to create a layer of fat, which has the role of controlling their body temperature after birth. The baby’s outer layers of skin slough off, while new skin appears underneath. The baby should be the size of a small watermelon at this point, but boys are usually a bit heavier. In the following week, your baby will be the size of a small pumpkin.
2. Body changes and what should you expect to experience
Week 39 pregnancy ordeals are stressful, as there is always a possibility of going into labor during this week, and you will probably experience the following symptoms:
- Swelling
- Breasts are growing and becoming more sensitive
- Colostrum leakage
- False labor contractions
At this point it is probably very hard for you to get up when sitting or lying. It is completely normal, as your body is swelling. Also, your breast will become even more sensitive and bigger, and you will start leaking colostrum, a nipple discharge that many mothers experience during their pregnancy. It lasts until you start making milk, about 2 days after birth. Your body is preparing for the delivery, so in the 39th week it is completely normal and expected to leak colostrum.
Many women don’t experience false labor contractions until this week, so if you are one of them, don’t be scared and try to figure out if they are false or real. The easiest way to determine if you are about to deliver or you are experiencing false labor contractions is the fact that when you have real labor contractions you are unable to talk and walk properly.
3. What if your water breaks?
If your water breaks and you feel real labor contractions, immediately call your caregiver or healthcare provider, and go to the hospital. Don’t panic, you won’t give birth at that very moment – it usually lasts longer and can even reach 12 hours, but don’t wait too long to go to the hospital. Have a bag with clothes and other essential items that you will need at the hospital ready to go during this week, because you can never know when your water will break.
4. Will the baby be healthy if born now?
As all the organs are mature by week 39 and already functioning on their own, your bundle of joy will be perfectly healthy. Your baby will begin to use its lungs right after the birth. On the other hand, if you don’t give birth during this week, your baby will continue to grow. That being said, it’s best to give it time and not rush things.
5. Tips for week 39 pregnancy
Giving birth is a wonderful, but also painful and a pretty scary experience. When week 39 comes, moms can’t wait to greet the newborn, but they are still scared of the whole process, especially if it is their first child.
You aren’t alone, and every woman experiences different difficulties. Let’s go through the most common problems and some tips every future mom needs:
- Trouble sleeping – the most common problem pregnant women have is this one, and the best solution is sleeping in a recliner;
- Drink a lot of water and keep on eating healthy food;
- Escape from stress and enjoy your favorite music or any other stress-relieving activity;
- Go for a walk – physical activity is very important at this stage;
- If you are wondering whether you should continue to use some beauty products or if you should dye your hair, know that many of these products can do you no harm; however, if you have any doubts, consult with the professional.
If you experience any pain, make sure you contact your caregiver immediately.
6. What happens to mother’s body after giving birth?
After the delivery your body will need some time to go back to the way it looked before. You will definitely start losing weight immediately, but you won’t look as you did before getting pregnant after just a few days. After some time, you will definitely have the same figure as before, but that pregnant belly might not go away just like that.
So, if you want to lose it, then you should start exercising and eating a bit less, but take things gradually. Start with walks and slowly introduce more challenging exercises, and be sure to keep eating healthy food. Avoid restrictive diets while you are breastfeeding, and just focus on eating in moderation.
After birth, the cells of your uterus will start to slough off and cause lochia discharge, which is menstrual-like. It will feel like you are on your period, but with time it will change in color – from red to white – until it stops.
7. Baby blues
This is very important for daddies, as well as mommies. As you just gave birth, your emotions will be a bit mixed, so you will feel exhausted, sad, weepy, anxious and moody. This doesn’t last long, but it will happen and you need your husband’s or family’s full support.
Before this happens, daddies should start educating themselves. The best way to do it is by consulting with a professional and other fathers who have already went through all that. If you don’t have friends who had a baby, then search for some daddy stories online and get the needed information. Baby blues usually lasts for two weeks, so these mood swings and possible cravings will disappear in no time.
You might not experience some of these symptoms, because everything is individual, but the problems and experiences mentioned here are the most common. If you feel any pain, or if the baby starts moving less call your caregiver. React on time and don’t wait for the pain to go away.
