7800 Wolf Trail Cove, Germantown, TN 38138 • (901) 682-9222 • Open Weekdays 8:00 - 5:00
PREGNANCY TIMELINE: WEEK 39
Your due date is just around the corner. The baby is still gaining weight, up to 1 ounce a day, even up to the last week. It fills your uterus and has very little room to move. It won't be long now! Birth could happen anytime.
The best prescription is sleep! You are going to need it. Stay relaxed and take slow walks. Light, upright exercise will help bring on labor. Frequent urination due to pressure on the bladder is common. You may feel more fatigued or refreshingly energized. Both are normal.
Many women lose their mucus plug a week or two before delivery (though for others it doesn't happen until right before delivery). If the mucus is pink or streaked with blood, it is known as the "bloody show" and usually means labor will begin within the next day. Other signs of nearing labor are: nesting instinct, loose stools, loss of weight, increase in appetite.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will be asked many questions. Try to remember the answers to the following:
- Are you having contractions? How often?
- Are you bleeding?
- Has your water broken? When did it break?
- When did you last eat? What did you eat?
- What kind of medical problems do you have?
- What medications do you take?
Alert them to any complications you may have experienced along the way. You're doing great!
Baby's Physical Development
- Crown-to-rump, baby's about 14.4 inches.
- Baby weighs a little more than 7 pounds
- Total length is approximately 21.5 inches
- All of baby's organs are fully developed and in place. The lungs are the last organs to mature.
- Baby's eye color may seem to change after birth. Initial changes are due to light sensitivity. The actual color of your child's eyes will be evident in about 6 months or a year.
Your uterus is about 6.8 to 8 inches above your bellybutton. Your uterus has filled your pelvic cavity, pushing everything out of the way. You should feel huge and, of course, uncomfortable. Stay relaxed. True delivery cannot start until the cervix has fully dilated (10 centimeters). At this point, some women think about permanent sterilization, such as tubal ligation, a procedure that can be done minimal complication directly after birth. The stretched uterus gives doctors ample room to operate in, improving results and masking post-operative pain.
After delivery your uterus will shrink from the size of a watermelon to the size of a volleyball. When this happens, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. At this time there may be a gush of blood from inside the uterus signaling delivery of the placenta. You may be given oxytocin (Pitocin) to help the uterus contract and "clamp down" so it won't bleed. The main reason a woman experiences heavy bleeding or postpartum hemorrhage is the uterus' inability to contract - a condition called atonic uterus. Your provider will try to massage the uterus and show you how to do it yourself. It is important that you don't lose too much blood and become anemic.
Time to Start Thinking About
Breastfeeding. You may want to learn about proper breastfeeding techniques before you have baby in hand for the first time. Nurses will be happy to show you all the tricks though. Breastfeeding requires at least 500 extra calories a day, so you'll need to continue the good nutrition habits you kept during pregnancy. Some doctors even recommend continual use of prenatal vitamins after birth. Remember, what you eat, your baby will nurse from you. Spicy foods that you eat may upset baby's stomach. Caffeine and alcohol also pass on to baby, so be careful. Every baby is different. Soon you will learn what you can and cannot eat while nursing.
Tips for Mom
If you are not pre-registered, register now, or the first stop on your way to motherhood will be the admissions desk. Admissions personnel will want to know your name, address, next of kin, phone numbers, insurance plan (group numbers, identification numbers, etc.) and so forth. You can issue this information to your hospital's admission desk before your labor starts via telephone and save yourself the inconvenience. Don't forget to carry your credentials with you anyway as you might get caught of guard and have to deliver in another hospital. Print off a copy of our Labor List: What to Take to the Hospital.
Don't forget Dad! Although you are focused on obvious things, keep your partner involved.
Tips for Dad
Your due date is just around the corner. Mom is probably anxious and need some reassurance until the baby arrives. The baby is still gaining weight, even up to the last week. It fills Mom's uterus and has very little room to move. It won't be long now!
When you arrive at the hospital, you will be asked many questions. Help Mom remember the answers to the following:
- Are you having contractions? How often?
- Are you bleeding?
- Has your water broken? When did it break?
- When did you last eat? What did you eat?
- What kind of medical problems do you have?
- What medications do you take?
Alert them to any complications you may have experienced along the way. Hang in there Dad!
Plus, ask about your hospital's maternity ward security and get a copy of their guidelines. Get to know the nurse assigned to your baby and the maternity ward staff. Learn what a proper ID badge looks like and do not give your child to someone without a proper badge. And, of course, do not leave your baby unattended for any reason. Why all this? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will tell you, although it is highly unlikely, infant abductions do occur.
Complications to Watch For
Most pregnancies occur without any complications or problems. But there are times when your physician should be contacted immediately. The following list contains symptoms to be aware of during pregnancy.
- Vaginal bleeding
- Severe swelling of the fingers and face
- Severe abdominal pain
- Loss of fluid from the vagina, usually a gush of fluid, but sometimes a trickle or continual wetness
- A big change in the baby's movements or a lack of movement
- High fever (more than 101.6F;38.7C) or chills
- Severe vomiting or an inability to keep food or liquid down
- Blurring of vision
- Painful urination
- A headache that won't go away or a severe headache
- An injury or accident, such as a fall or automobile accident, that causes you concern about the well-being of your pregnancy
7800 Wolf Trail Cove, Germantown, TN 38138
Phone: (901) 682-9222; Fax: (901) 682-9505