At the onset of the 38th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother begins to worry even more, because before meeting the baby there are only a few weeks, and maybe days. In most cases, childbirth occurs from the 38th to the 42nd week. Which, of course, can increase anxiety in women. But the period of precursors is considered to be from the 38th week of pregnancy. Before the baby is born, a huge change occurs in the pregnant body. The state of the muscles and ligaments, as well as the hormonal and psychological background, are changing. Paying attention to such internal changes, you can recognize the symptoms of childbirth and mentally prepare for them. In this article, we reveal the precursors of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparous and multiparous.
Features
Note that the signs of approaching early births in primiparous women from multiparous can differ significantly. As a rule, a woman who knows firsthand what childbirth is, when she is pregnant again, feels calmer. She already knows the approximate algorithm of actions, so she is much less focused on her body, unlike a woman who is waiting for her first child. Moreover, during the second pregnancy, it is easier for a lady to distinguish real contractions from false ones.
In addition to psychological features, there are physiological ones. As a rule, in multiparous women, labor can occur earlier than during the first pregnancy. In addition, the girl, in anticipation of the first-born, can detect precursors for a long time before the actual birth, while in the case of a mother with experience, similar symptoms may appear just a couple of days before the birth of the baby.
It cannot be ruled out that the precursors of labor in multiparous babies at the 38th week may be smoother and less pronounced, as, for example, during the first pregnancy.
When to expect?
Experienced mothers should already know that each pregnancy is individual and sometimes it is simply impossible to predict the date of birth. It is believed that precursors of childbirth occur in multiparous on the 38th week. But it also happens when the first signs in women during repeated pregnancy appear in the period from the 36th to the 37th week.
In primiparous this process can begin a little later than in multiparous, approximately during the 38-39th week of pregnancy. The precursors of childbirth by the fourth or third child are usually similar to the second pregnancy and may occur between the 36th and 38th weeks.
What is going on in the body?
Shortly before birth, significant changes occur in a woman’s body. In the blood of the expectant mother, the level of hormones that stimulate labor is gradually increasing. Relaxin is a hormone that helps soften ligaments and joints. With its significant increase, the pelvic bones become the most malleable. Because of this, a woman may experience weak and pulling pain in the sacrum and lower back. Under the influence of estrogens and oxytocin, the cervix changes shape, which indicates preparation for childbirth. At this time, sensations and the frequency of false contractions can increase significantly. As a rule, similar precursors of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparous can begin much earlier than in multiparous. Usually, women expecting a first-born, labor begins with weak labor, the strength and frequency of which can increase during the day or even more. In this case, you need to be patient and wait for constant fights.
The precursors of labor at the 37-38th week of pregnancy include abdominal prolapse. This is due to the fact that some time before the baby is born, his head is more closely adjacent to the pelvic floor. The omission of each mother occurs at different times. So, one may go a week before the birth, and the other - a couple of days. Many women note that breathing becomes easier after lowering the abdomen and less worries about heartburn. It often happens that the precursors of childbirth at the 38th week of pregnancy in nulliparous and multiparous can become nausea, vomiting, and also diarrhea.
A change in the hormonal background affects not only the physical condition of the woman, but also the psychological one. For example, mom may notice emotional instability and mood swings. It is worth noting that the precursors of childbirth at the 38th week among primiparous and multiparous births exist quite a lot, but it is not necessary for a woman to expect them in full. Sometimes the presence of one or more signs is able to notify the imminent birth.
Signs of approaching
Symptoms of the approach of birth are divided into two groups: subjective and objective. The first option is an emotional color: insomnia, a sense of anxiety, mood changes, as well as pain of a different nature. From a medical point of view, the above cannot become the basis to believe that the birth will take place soon.
The second group includes the physiological changes of a pregnant woman who have a more justified medical origin, which is why they are taken into account by doctors. Let us consider in more detail the precursors of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparous and multiparous women.
Decreased fetal activity
A sharp decrease in the activity of the baby may indicate that a few days were left before meeting with him, and maybe hours. The fact is that for the fetus, getting out of the womb is considered a serious test, for which it is necessary to prepare. That is why the baby begins to save power. But this fact is associated not only with the approach of childbirth, but also with the lack of sufficient space in the uterus, since in the womb the child is in very cramped conditions. Therefore, the vigilance of the future mother is important in this matter.
According to experienced mothers, it follows that the baby becomes less active about three to four days before labor. However, a woman needs to continue to count the baby's movements, despite his physical "lull." If within half a day the mother does not feel jolts and movements inside the abdomen or if there are less than ten for this period, you should consult a gynecologist. This step is very important. Since silence in the abdomen may be associated with oxygen starvation of the fetus.
Colostrum
Colostrum is a relatively rare and not very informative harbinger. But, nevertheless, it will not hurt every mom to watch this indicator. As a rule, in primiparas, colostrum appears on the second or third day after birth. As for the multiparous, in them it can begin to produce at any stage of pregnancy. Only if during the entire period of gestation the colostrum was absent, and appeared a few days later, can this be considered an indirect harbinger of an early birth.
When colostrum occurs, mother needs to wash her mammary glands with warm water without soap every day, and pay special attention to her nipples. A woman needs to be especially serious about breast health to further provide her baby with unhindered breastfeeding.
If there is a lot of nutrient liquid and it stains clothes, you should use special pads for the chest or wear a bra for nursing, which will help to absorb excesses effectively.
Cervical ripening
Earlier, we said that the precursors of childbirth at the 38th week of pregnancy in primiparous and multiparous include modification of the cervix. Let us dwell on this issue in more detail. This symptom is the most informative, but the obstetrician-gynecologist can directly determine the readiness for labor by the condition of the uterus.
The neck is a round muscle, the maturation of which is softening, which allows to provide the necessary degree of disclosure during contractions. Reducing it to one centimeter indicates the imminent completion of ripening. In the process of labor pains, the neck will completely smooth out and open the fetus to a huge world, where his mother is looking forward to meeting him.
With maturation of the cervix, discharge may increase, and tingling pain may appear inside. If maturation does not correspond to the gestational age, the expectant mother is hospitalized in the hospital and stimulation is carried out with the help of medications. In the absence of the proper effect of drug treatment, a woman is waiting for a cesarean section.
Abdominal prolapse
The precursors of childbirth at 38-39 weeks include abdominal prolapse. It should be noted that in the first pregnancy, the abdomen descends long before the birth. And with repeated, it can become much lower in just a couple of days. There are times when the tummy falls already in the process of labor.
Notice the omission is not at all difficult. When the baby takes the “starting” position, the woman becomes free to breathe, as the uterus goes down and stops squeezing the diaphragm and lungs. But due to pressure on other internal organs, constipation may occur and urination becomes more frequent.
With twin pregnancy at the 38th week, the precursors of childbirth may be weakly expressed in contrast to a singleton pregnancy. It is noted that by the 38-39th week the abdomen may not fall during a multiple pregnancy. Polyhydramnios may prevent omission. And also the situation when the fetus takes a pelvic presentation at the 38th week of pregnancy. Harbingers of childbirth are individual. They may not be applicable to absolutely all pregnant women.
Cork
The mucous plug is located inside the cervix. During the entire period of pregnancy, it protects the uterine cavity from the penetration of various fungi, viruses and microbes. When labor occurs, the cork leaves the cervical canal in whole or in part. With its complete discharge, a large clot of mucus of a yellowish tint comes out. Partial discharge is manifested by jelly-like mucous pieces in the discharge. In both cases, small particles of blood may be present.
In the second birth, at the 38th week of pregnancy, the precursors cannot always be identified on their own, since the cork can pass unnoticed in multiparous children: during urination or defecation, as well as when taking a bath.
If a pregnant woman found clots of mucus in the secretions, then it is likely she will soon go to the maternity hospital. From this moment, intimate relationships and bathing are prohibited in order to avoid infection in the uterine cavity.
Weight loss
Towards birth, mom may notice a clear decrease in body weight. Doctors have a physiological justification for this fact:
- By the end of pregnancy, the level of the hormone progesterone, which was previously responsible for the accumulation of nutrients and fluids in the female body, is significantly reduced.
- In connection with the growth of the fetus, the amount of amniotic fluid also decreases.
- By nature, it is arranged that before childbirth, the body begins to cleanse everything that is superfluous, due to which internal reserves of fluid go away.
- Due to frequent urination, the fluid does not stay for long. In addition, diarrhea, which tends to appear about 2-3 days before an unforgettable event, is also referred to the forerunners of early births.
It is worth noting that with multiple pregnancy, gestosis and kidney pathology, this symptom may not appear. In the event of diarrhea and a sharp decrease in weight without other symptoms of an early birth, you should consult a doctor.
Contractions
It is more difficult for women who are expecting a first-born to distinguish real fights from training ones. False can appear for a decent period before labor. They are characterized by irregularity, which can not be said about real fights. This is just the opposite: seizures increase in intensity, their duration increases each time, and the interval between them begins to decrease. As a rule, labor in primiparous children takes from 10 to 12 hours, which is fundamentally different from the second and third pregnancy. At the 38th week of pregnancy, the precursors of childbirth in mothers with experience take less time. So, the duration of the birth process in multiparous is half that of primiparous. However, many experts note that contractions before the second birth become painful and intense almost immediately due to increased tissue sensitivity.
Amniotic fluid
The outflow of water can be attributed to the main signs of labor. It is believed that this process should occur at the time of sufficient opening of the uterus. But, as practice shows, an outpouring can occur before the onset of labor. In addition, amniotic fluid can flow in the form of mild leaks - this is one of the harbingers of labor at the 38th week. This is due to the fact that at a decent gestational age, the fetus can damage the bladder with the corresponding fluid, as a result of which it begins to pour out through the holes formed.
It is worth noting that in multiparous women, even episodic and insignificant leakage of amniotic fluid that occurred before contractions can indicate a rapidly approaching labor.
What to do in the absence of precursors?
If at the onset of the 38th week there are no precursors of childbirth, and the expected date has approached, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist for an additional examination. But most importantly, it is important to remember that childbirth is a unique process that can begin at any time.
That is why, starting from the 38th week, every woman should carefully consider all changes in the body so as not to miss the onset of labor.