Welcome to Week 39 of Your Pregnancy!
Your Baby in Week 39 of Pregnancy
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Your baby will have a firm grasp on objects. Yet, there isn’t a whole lot to hang on to in the uterus, so how can you know? Researchers and doctors have studied fetuses in the womb, and from observing through an ultrasound, your baby usually has a tightly clinched fist. They can measure the strength in that grasp by how firmly it is clenched. And as soon as your baby is born, they do have a tight grip – on your finger, on a pacifier, on their blanket and around their bottle.
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Only 5% of baby’s deliver on their due date, so you might have a few weeks left! If you are already done working, pick up a new hobby that will keep you busy and distracted. You know the old saying, a watched pot never boils? Waiting with nothing to do will only make your time seem farther away. If you haven’t before, try scrapbooking. This hobby will get teach you how to preserve memories for a lifetime! Begin taking pictures of your pets, landscape, or anything to get practice with a camera before your baby arrives.
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The placenta weighs two pounds at week 39 of pregnancy. It has sustained your baby and will continue to do so for only a few more weeks. After you deliver, you may find the doctor looking over the placenta. This is normal. Doctors routinely inspect the placenta to see if it is unusual in size, shape or color that may indicate there was some type of problem during your pregnancy. Also, if you decided to bank the core blood, it will be done immediately after birth by the doctor. The core blood will be shipped to the holding unit for storage until it is needed.
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The vernix thins and disappears now too. The lanugo vanished a few weeks ago when the fat came, now that most of the fat is in place, the vernix will all go away. The fat is solely responsible (your body is too) for keeping your baby at 98.6 degrees. Your baby may have a slight temperature variation for the first few days as it learns to regulate outside of the womb to different room conditions. That’s why it is important to always keep your baby swaddled in a blanket during the cool months and loosely swaddled during the hot months.
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During week 39 of pregnancy, your baby’s coordination is getting better. They can control their fingers and toes and they could control their arms and legs if there was more room. They are becoming more cramped and will probably drop down in to the pelvic region soon, which will give them more room to kick. That is also good news for you, as their dropped head will relieve the pressure on your lungs, making it easier to breather for you.
- Your baby is still floating in amniotic fluid in week 39 of pregnancy. Even this late in the game, the amniotic sac replaces it self with fresh amnio fluid every three hours. Drinking lots of water will help in the production of the clean and fresh amniotic fluid your baby lives, sleeps and drinks.
Your Body in Week 39 of Pregnancy
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Do you have your list of names narrowed down? Is the baby’s room ready? Are the clothes washed and ready for wearing? All of the last minute details may be getting to you as you try to wash and clean the whole house. And even this is normal, as it is your natural instinct to nest. Nesting means your time for delivery is getting close. Nesting is not predictable – and doctors can’t even prove it’s logical – other than they know it is. Are you up at 3 AM rearranging the canned goods in the cupboard? You had better have your bags packed because you are full out nesting.
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Take care to eat small meals as heartburn might be your consistent companion right now. Since your uterus has grown so big, is can push up on the stomach, making any meal, no matter how bland or small, give you heartburn. Ask your doctor about over the counter antacids and keep them with you at all times. A little relief will go a long way at work, in the car or wherever you go.
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Is dad squeamish about cutting the cord? It’s natural. Not a lot of men will admit it, but cutting the cord creeps them out. The emotion of the event and then seeing all of the blood and fluid of delivery can be overwhelming, and then being handed the task of cutting that nasty looking material also known as the umbilical cord? No way. If dad wants to pass, it’s perfectly fine. Someone else will cut the cord. Mention it to him early so he can decide if he really wants to when it comes time.
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Lighten up the mood and plan some fun for you and your mate, or even the kids if they are older. Try having a diapering race to see who is best. Make up separate competitions: who can diaper the most dolls in 1 minute, who has the best technique, who can do it blindfolded, who can do it the fastest. It can relieve tension from the long wait and make the time pass a little better. And remember, the clock is still ticking down and the end is almost near!
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Whether you give birth tomorrow or next week, it's pretty much all the same for your baby, who is now truly R-E-A-D-Y to face the big bright world outside of your womb. Speaking of wombs, your body is priming up for the big moment and hopefully, you're as prepared mentally as you can be.
Your baby is well stocked up on fat, all their organs have put on the finishing touches. Here's hoping your child is already in the birthing position and basically just "hanging out" waiting for that elusive moment when all sysytems synchronize in your body to trigger the labor process.
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