Welcome to week thirty eight!
Family and friends may be calling often to check on you and you are wondering EVERY DAY if you will go into labor.
It is getting even tougher to be patient, but you are almost at the finish line! It is time to make sure that your bag is packed with things that you might need in the hospital or birth center during your stay which can be between 12 and 48 hours after the birth.
It is getting even tougher to be patient, but you are almost at the finish line!
How my Baby Grows
- Your baby is now the size of a small pumpkin and his/her brain is still growing and developing
- Eyes are developed but eye color may change up until your baby is a year old because irises are not fully pigmented
- He/she is probably close to 7 pounds and about 20 inches long
- Your baby can’t wait to meet you too and will recognize the voices that he/she has been hearing while in utero
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- A sign of impending labor is to lose your mucus plug but it does not mean that you will go into labor that day or that you need to save it to show your provider
- When the cervix which is probably 3-4 centimeters long it begins to soften and open slightly so you may lose your mucous plug
- It can be days or even longer before labor starts
- It may come out all at once, in small pieces or you may not even notice that it has happened, sometimes it happens after you have a vaginal exam during your prenatal care visit
- It is normal to have a small amount of vaginal bleeding after a cervical exam, if you have bright red bleeding you need to call your doctor or midwife
- It can initially be tough to determine if your contractions are Braxton Hicks or real labor
- The most important sign of labor is that the cervix is changing which you will not know unless you see your doctor or midwife
- Other signs of true labor are:
- Contractions that are becoming regular and are longer, stronger and closer together than they were even 1-2 ours ago
- You can no longer walk and talk through your contractions because you have to stop, concentrate and breath
- The relaxation techniques you are using at home are no longer working as much to relax you
- Rest and hydration do not slow them down or make them go away
- Finally, if your mother who had 5 children says that it is time to go to the hospital it is probably time to go
- At 34-36 weeks you have produced about a quart of amniotic fluid, that amount begins to decline after that and by term you have less than one quart of fluid
- Your amniotic sac can leak small amounts of fluid making it difficult to determine if it has actually broken, in this case your doctor or midwife can test your vaginal fluid to see if you are leaking amniotic fluid or if the fluid you are noticing is urine
- It can also break on its own before or during labor or your doctor or midwife can break it with a plastic device that hooks the bag of water during a vaginal exam and causes it to break, this is done sometimes to increase pressure from the baby’s head directly on the cervix
- There is no pain when your amniotic sac breaks, just a sensation of warm liquid pouring out, although it often causes your contractions to feel more intense
Thoughts to Consider
- If you have been keeping a journal this is a great time to jot down some of your thoughts as you wait to go into labor, share what you did to pass the time and how you are feeling
- If you have not kept a journal, consider writing a letter to your unborn child about your thoughts
- It is time to set up the car seat in the vehicle that you will be taking to the hospital or birth center
- You may want to look over your birth plan if you have one to see if you still feel the same about what you have written or have other things to add
- If you are working with a Doula you are probably meeting with her this week to talk about what is most important to you about the birth experience and how she can help you achieve it with the help of your partner
- If the crib still is not up it may not happen before you bring the baby home so break out that port-a-crib for the first couple of months, infants do not need a lot of space at first
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Labor and birth are a lot of work for your body, therefore sleep and rest are very important over the next couple of weeks before you give birth, it is good to make them a priority
- Relationships are important too so if you have time to spend with those you love before you get busy with your newborn it may help pass the time if they are positive and encouraging people
- You can go into labor any day now
