From Bodycarre we are going to see two pregnancies of two friends, from two different perspectives and countries, one from Latin America and the other from Spain. I hope you like it and see if you are able to find those little differences.
At 40 weeks gestation it is ready to go into the world, waiting for the green light of hormones that give the air of grace! With fully completed fetus development, you are getting ready to finally meet this world! With his whole well-developed body, including his internal organs that are already working and functioning as expected. All your senses flow and respond to stimuli and it will be a matter of time to adapt and improve each of them. Your little heart beats rapidly, approximately 110-160 beats per minute.
At 39 weeks pregnant, your respiratory system went through a maturation process and is ready, and as soon as the umbilical cord is cut the baby begins to breathe on its own. His eyes were used to seeing at a limited distance inside the matrix, now he will have to get used to seeing more objects. After the birth you will still see about 12 inches of the face , which is equivalent to the face of the mother when she is nursing.
Each baby is born with a different weight and measurement, but at this stage it is normal to expect a baby with an average of 3 kg and 50 cm . All the bones are tight and hard, except the skull, which is not yet closed to facilitate the transition through the vaginal canal.
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The internal sensations of the mother in the 40th week of pregnancy
Fatigue defines the 39 week old mother! The exhaustion and reaching the limit are evident since the size of the belly is too large and you cannot sleep well; Walking or doing chores right is no longer so simple. As a complement to the situation, the anxiety is so great that it occupies all the thought! But you have nothing to do but wait for the body to react and show that the time has come, and since you are almost ready, it can happen at any moment.
If the contractions keep coming sporadically, you can start walking, the walks help speed up the onset of labor and the pregnant woman can walk for about an hour a day, paying attention to the weather so that the sun is not so intense. Remember that a pregnancy can reach up to 42 weeks, but it is quite common that if it reaches 41 weeks the doctor decides to induce labor or schedule a cesarean section.
If you don’t have any medical advice requesting not to have sex, this may help. The sexual act helps a lot in the process also because during the relationship substances are released that help in the acceleration of the contraction and dilation of the cervix.
Sensations and external factors in the 40th week of pregnancy
The phone does not stop ringing and the messages asking you if your unborn baby are constant. This kind of thing takes away the peace of the mother, who in addition to having to deal with her own anxiety has to deal with the anxiety of others and fears. If you can get out and get away from this kind of harassment, run away! All you need to do is remain calm and peaceful to have a smooth delivery and enjoy the arrival of your baby.
Congratulations because you are on the date of birth! Since 40 weeks pregnancy is the official deadline for your baby to be born, you probably already have the bassinet ready, installed the baby safety seat, packed the hospital bag, and placed it on the door. Now, you need to take care of some easy last minute details, like making sure the cell phone is fully charged before going to bed and filling the car with gas. In the 40th week of pregnancy, some moms put a waterproof mattress cover on their bed, in case the water breaks in the middle of the night. It’s not mandatory, but it’s not a bad idea either, especially since once the baby comes, there may be other fluids to catch (breast milk, spit, pee, etc.) The 40th week of pregnancy can be quite tense mentally, since you will constantly wonder when the baby will decide to make its entrance and you wonder about every puncture you have. Try not to stress and you must be sure that your baby will arrive when he is ready, it will be your body that shows you the correct signals at the right time.
How big is the baby at 40 weeks pregnant?
At 40 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a watermelon. The average 40-week-to-term baby measures approximately 20.2 inches from crown to heel and weighs 7.6 pounds. It is ready for your arrival.
You can’t stop reading this special selection just for you:
40 weeks pregnant, how many months?
40 weeks pregnant is nine months. Say it again because it feels good: nine months pregnant. You did it!
Symptoms of pregnancy at week 40
During these last few weeks of pregnancy, the same symptoms you’ve been having will likely continue. You should be on the lookout if you have the following symptoms:
- Leg cramps. Right now the cramps are affecting your hamstrings and calves, the cramps are making it difficult for you to sleep. In addition to pelvic pressure, which can be made worse when the baby lands on the lower part of your pelvis.
- Trouble sleeping If you can’t sleep, it’s okay to get up and do something else, but make sure it’s a quiet activity like reading or writing in your journal. Don’t start cleaning your freezer or doing your Zumba practices. Then try to rest.
- Fatigue The fact that you can’t sleep is not very helpful. But since you can’t have any plans, you may be able to enjoy an extra nap or at least take some time to relax and be quiet.
- The contractions. Those Braxton Hicks contractions can turn out to be very real times on certain occasions, so if you think you’re having a lot of contractions, start timing them to see how far away they are. If they get close, you are in an early stage of labor.
- The anxiety. Your baby will arrive here when the time is right. Do your best not to stress yourself out.
You can read more interesting information here: Why should babies never skip the crawling phase?
Signs of labor in week 40 of pregnancy
Now you could be 40 weeks pregnant with no signs of labor. But at 40 weeks pregnant, it won’t take long for the signs of labor to appear. Call your doctor immediately if you have contractions, which are more uncomfortable or occur at regular intervals. What other signs of labor may you be experiencing? A leak or flow of amniotic fluid, this means that your water has broken. You probably know because it will really be a watery fluid, not like a normal vaginal discharge and it won’t stop. At first you might think that you are going to urinate, but then you will realize that you are not. Surely it is time for delivery, so now is the time to call your Obstetrician.
Induce labor in week 40 of pregnancy
At 40 weeks pregnant, they can induce labor after all, it’s supposed to be your last week of pregnancy. You are probably curious about inducing labor with natural methods. We can recommend taking long walks and having sex with your partner (both are fun hobbies and could get your body started on the process). If you want to try acupuncture, the method of which is considered highly safe.
However, do not take herbal supplements and also do not ingest castor oil, doctors say these methods are unsafe and probably won’t work anyway. You may have heard that stimulating your nipples can induce labor, but doctors recommend that you don’t even try. In fact, nipple stimulation can cause contractions that are too strong and can jeopardize your baby’s well-being. Not worth it.
Now that you’ve reached your due date, your doctor might talk to you about inducing labor for medical reasons. If this is necessary or not, it will depend on the conditions of your baby there. If the baby is perfectly healthy and has no complications, you may not need an induction at all and can continue to wait, even for a couple more weeks (yes, several weeks, although labor will most likely occur naturally late in the next week). It might be worth knowing that you waited until your baby was really ready.
Ultrasound in week 40 of pregnancy
The 40-week-old baby continues to grow hair and nails. In addition to continuing with the development of his lungs.
Once you have completed your pregnancy to term and have reached 40 weeks, your doctor will likely want to take a biophysical profile. ICYMI, this is a double test.
You will have a non-stress test, where the baby’s movement and your contractions are monitored to see how the baby’s heart rate reacts. You will also have a 40 weeks pregnant ultrasound, to know the conditions of the amniotic fluid.
If the results of the non-stress test and the 40-week ultrasound suggest that the baby would be better off “on the outside” than in the womb, then an induction can be ordered. If everything looks good, you go back to the waiting game. Hey, your baby can’t stay there forever!
Considerations regarding pregnancy at week 40
- Schedule your prenatal visit for week 41.
- Talk to your doctor about induction options.
- If your doctor orders it, take a non-stress test.
You can learn more by reading this fabulous article: Braxton Hicks Contractions
Kathie Sand always saw the world of beauty as the terrain on which to build her professional career, a goal that was clear to her when she was only 15 years old. Her great concern to expand knowledge led her to settle in Paris where she studied hand in hand with the best beauty professionals and with the most advanced techniques for skin care.