40 Weeks of pregnancy or gestation
Congratulations, your baby is about to be born! At any time you can put in labor. The pregnancy week by week has reached the end, your baby is full term and in week 40 of pregnancy you are ready to receive your baby and cradle him in your arms. After nine months of sweet waiting, this is the week yo
Congratulations, your baby is about to be born! At any time you can put in labor. The pregnancy week by week has reached the end, your baby is full term and in week 40 of pregnancy you are ready to receive your baby and cradle him in your arms. After nine months of sweet waiting, this is the week you've been dreaming about for so long. Finally, you will meet your baby.
However, some births are done by begging and delayed a little. Keep in mind that your baby can also be born in week 41 or 42. Your gynecologist and the medical team that treats you will perform tests every few days to determine the status of the placenta and know if it continues to properly nourish and oxygenate the baby.
Changes in the body of the pregnant woman
You feel pleased every time you feel the kicks and movements of your baby. And it is that every time moves less, but notice the vigor of your kicks fills you with tranquility because it is a sign of good health. When you have more than an hour without noticing that it moves inside, you can stimulate it by drinking a juice or by taking some cookies, since sugar gives you energy and encourages you to move. Keep in mind, that if after a while you still do not notice their movements, you should go to the Emergency Department.
In the week 40 of pregnancy, you must be very attentive to any symptom that indicates you may be in labor. Remember that you can begin to notice more and more contractions. You will be in labor if the contractions are rhythmic, every 5 minutes and they stay with that regularity for more than an hour. If the contractions are not very followed, but you notice intense pain, also go to the Emergency Department.
Bleeding greater than or equal to a ruler and ruptured bag or amniotic sac will also tell you that you are in labor. Occasionally, rupture of the amniotic sac does not imply an abundant fluid leakage. Sometimes, the break is a fissure and the loss of fluid occurs in small amounts. In any case, you must go to motherhood because it is an unequivocal sign that your baby will be born in the next few hours. It is important that you notice the color and appearance of your amniotic fluid. If the liquid is transparent, everything is fine, however if it has a yellowish or greenish color, it could be a sign that the baby is suffering from fetal distress and you should go to motherhood as soon as possible.
Development and growth of the baby in pregnancy
Your baby is full term. It has the full size and is ready to be born. Its length usually varies between 48 and 53 cm and its weight can be between 3 and 4.5 kg,depending on the sex of the baby. Normally, children are taller and weigh more. Most of the vermix caseosa (the fat that covers it) has disappeared, although there may be some remains in the folds of the skin. Although many babies are born bald, most likely have hair and long nails, which can scratch the face shortly after birth. The bones of your baby's skull are still separated and will remain so to allow the head to be compressed as necessary to cross the birth canal. Fontanelles close months after birth.
Health and emotions during pregnancy
Anxiety and nervousness are the dominant notes of your emotional state
in the days before delivery during the 40th week of pregnancy. The gynecological protocol will mark the last days before delivery, since it is very important that the medical team knows exactly your state of health, the baby inside the uterus, the state of the placenta, the cervix and the birth canal. In the 40th week of gestation, following the protocol of the SEGO (Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics),
the first fetal monitoring is performed , also called basal test to all low risk pregnant women. It is a simple method, easy to perform, non-invasive and harmless for both the mother and the fetus. It is advisable not to perform this fasting test in order to measure more accurately certain variables such as the fetal heart rate and its variability with ascents or decelerations.Monitoring can be classified as reactive or non-reactive. When the basal test is not reactive, it is necessary to enter the pregnant woman to repeat it or finish the pregnancy. If the test shows signs of loss of fetal well-being or that your baby may begin suffering from fetal distress, you will be admitted to end the pregnancy, either inducing labor or performing a cesarean section, depending on the degree of fetal distress that exists.
In the meantime, you will have an exploration to see how the cervix is changing. If you are very dilated, you will be admitted to the hospital to give birth. You will be assigned a room to carry out labor during the dilation phase until you reach 10 cm. At that time, they will take you to the delivery room, where your baby will be born.
If it has been necessary to schedule a caesarean section because the baby is breech or transverse, you have not dilated the neck or have a previous caesarean section, the period of dilation is not necessary and they will take you directly to the delivery room.
Diet and feeding for the pregnant woman
In week 40 of pregnancy,
you may feel food-related cravings more often . There is so little left to give birth that you can treat yourself. Whenever you can, choose healthy snacks like vegetable sticks, fruits, skimmed yogurts ... before salty snacks or sugary soft drinks.However, it is normal to feel like eating between meals. Keep making 5 small meals a day. They will help you keep your blood sugar levels in good condition and avoid energy downturns that could make you slightly dizzy, because due to the fact that the growth of your uterus and your baby are at their peak, it is normal that you feel more tired and exhausted than usual.
Hydration is essential. Try to drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day between juices, soups, infusions and water. Maintaining optimum levels of hydration will help you in the final stretch of pregnancy to take care of your health and that of your baby.
And finally, think that you are about to give birth and you need to have strength and energy to face the birth in the best conditions. All the nutrients that you ingest in these last days will not only serve to nourish the development of your baby, but also will provide everything you need to perform labor in the best conditions. Remember that if you go into labor at home, it is a good idea to eat something before going to the hospital, since the normal thing is that in a first birth the dilation lasts about 6 hours on average and also in the maternity you will be given an enema to empty the content of the stomach before giving birth.
Curiosities of the 40th week of pregnancy
Only 4 percent of the women go into labor at the expected date of delivery.
Generally, 98 percent do so in the two weeks before or after. Surely your baby will be inside that 96 percent of babies that are born head down, but if you are finally going to perform a cesarean because your baby is in the breech or cephalic position, you should know that it is a safe method to be born, although recovery of a cesarean is usually slower than vaginal delivery. The duration of delivery varies from one woman to another. In the primiparous it usually lasts 6 to 8 hours on average, while in the multiparous it usually lasts from 4 to 6 hours. Afrotar labor with safety and confidence, without tension or nervousness, will help you a lot to have a birth without complications and facilitate the birth of your baby. The closeness and support of your partner and your family will be of great help.
After birth, your baby will continue to receive antibodies through breast milk, whereas before it did so through the placenta. Most of the lanugo that protected its skin has already disappeared, although it will be born impregnated with vernix caseosa. While it was previously customary to wash them and take away that natural protection after birth, now it is considered necessary to keep it a few days for a better protection of the baby's skin.
As soon as you are born, your baby will undergo the Apgar test, which is carried out in two phases, one at birth and another at 5 minutes. In both cases, the baby's reflexes are scored on a scale of 0 to 10, which will give an account of the baby's vital state and health at the time of birth.
