What happens in the 39th week of pregnancy? At 39 weeks pregnant, you might delivery your baby at any time. It is very possible that he or she may arrive this week. Be on high alert for any signs of labor.
Your baby in the 39th week of pregnancy:
- Your baby's height now is 19.96 inches and weight is 7.25 pounds
- The baby has no more excessive hair, except maybe on shoulders and ears
- Their immune system is not completely developed, as they are getting antibodies from the amniotic fluid
- Baby's placenta is heavy almost as the fetus itself, and the umbilical cord length is same as the baby
- Your little ones brain is still growing and developing
- Also the tear ducts are developing though they won't actually produce tears until several weeks after birth
- Your little ones skin now has a protective fat layer covering the blood vessels across the body
- And the formerly translucent pink complexion becomes a tad darker as skin pigment starts to develop
- Hormones effect babies as well, and after childbirth, their breast may be swollen
- Mothers may also notice liquids at child's breasts and genitals. - - - This is normal and is expected to disappear in a couple of days
- Babies in first time mothers are going down, the cervix softens, and it even may start opening
Your body in the 39th week of pregnancy:
You may have already experienced Braxton Hicks contractions, which are your body's way of practicing for the real deal. Now that you're considered full-term, it may be difficult to tell the difference between these contractions (aka false labour) and true labour.
If the contractions are irregular and go away when you change position or walk around, you are probably experiencing false labour. Don't be fooled by the name, though - false labour can turn into real labour in a matter of minutes!
Time your contractions carefully. Once they're at regular intervals and occurring five minutes apart for at least an hour, call your doctor, midwife, or nurse. If your water breaks, indicated by a leak or gush of fluid from the vagina, call right away!
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