The last weeks of pregnancy can be both the time of birth of the baby, and an occasion to go to the hospital for preservation. Most women give birth in recent weeks, that is, in the middle of the ninth month. There is nothing to worry about, although many have to wait for the 40th week for the long-awaited meeting with the child. Staying at 38 weeks to worry about preterm birth is no longer worth it. The kid is fully formed and ready for the birth of the world, so if the fights begin, you need to calmly pack up and go to the hospital.
38 week definition
This period can be called the finish line in bearing a baby. 38 weeks is eight and a half months of pregnancy. A woman at this time, usually, begins to feel the approach of childbirth. Baseless fear disappears, it becomes difficult to lie down, sleep, I want to quickly give birth and see my child. Also at this time, the so-called instinct of "nesting" begins to manifest itself intensely. Expectant mother wants to tidy her house, wash everything, iron out and prepare for the arrival of a new little resident.
Body signals
In the body, another hormonal adjustment begins to occur. The level of oxytocin rises, and progesterone, on the contrary, decreases. Vigor appears and mood improves. Many women note that this period of carrying a baby is the most vivid and emotional.
At 38 weeks of gestation, the abdomen descends, as the baby begins to closely press its head against the pelvic bones of the mother. From this, a woman can often want to go to the toilet, since the bladder is in constant pressure. The baby at this time begins to actively respond to the sounds of voice and touching the stomach. Movement of the legs and arms can be clearly seen by pulling the skin. But the baby is not moving so often. This is due to the fact that the uterus in the penultimate month is not so spacious.
Signs of 38 weeks
The main and tangible sign of the 38th week of pregnancy is the increase in training contractions, which from time to time are slightly painful. Some women in a panic begin to consider them signs of an approaching birth. However, this is not at all true.
The child at 38 weeks of pregnancy becomes difficult, begins to put strong pressure on the pelvis of the future mother. From this, pubic divergence may arise. This happens when the ligament of the pubic bones becomes soft and a gap of up to 1 centimeter appears in its place. This deviation is not the norm and requires immediate treatment.
The back at 38 weeks is becoming increasingly tired of the heavy burden. The lower back is most affected. In the evenings, a pregnant woman may feel aching pain in the coccyx. So that the pain syndrome does not torment much, it is necessary to rest more often, arranging for yourself hours of rest during the day. A relaxing massage of the back and legs will have a beneficial effect on well-being.
Symptoms of the 38th week of pregnancy can also affect the work of the stomach. Because of his squeezing, a woman is able to accompany heartburn and frequent belching. Do not panic and limit yourself to your favorite food, because these are just the consequences of the last weeks of gestation. If desired, you can only exclude from the diet too sharp and acidic foods.
What happens to a woman
At this stage of pregnancy, the body is actively preparing for future births. The cervix begins to soften and mature intensely. A harbinger of labor at 38 weeks of gestation may be a sharp disclosure. Before birth, the uterus becomes completely soft and opens by 2 centimeters. Generic activity is accompanied by the disclosure of up to 10 centimeters.
The level of hormones in a woman’s blood is actively changing. Estrogen rises, so the body may begin to swell. Doctors do not see anything dangerous in the swelling of the ankles and hands. Reasons for concern can only be swelling of the internal organs, which will make themselves felt by poor health and weakness.
Any pain in the 38th week of pregnancy can be a signal for excitement. For a woman, gestosis can become a threat. Therefore, with a quick set of excess weight, you can be under the supervision of a doctor. To avoid late toxicosis, you must not miss a visit to the gynecologist and do the tests on time.
Danger signs at 38 weeks
Among the usual harmless symptoms, dangerous signs may lie in wait for a woman. They are considered a threat to the bearing and health of the expectant mother. The most dangerous of them is sudden vomiting, accompanied by severe edema throughout the body. The resulting nausea may be a sign of preeclampsia. If your stomach hurts at 38 weeks of pregnancy, you need to urgently go to the doctor.
Some women in the penultimate month of pregnancy are diagnosed with placental abruption. The diagnosis is made due to its low location, which is accompanied by blood secretions. The appearance of blood is an immediate reason to go to the hospital as soon as possible for further examination by a doctor. Spotting at 38 weeks gestation is dangerous. If you hesitate and take this seriously, you can endanger not only the life of the child, but also the woman herself.
Too active movement of the fetus or vice versa, lack of movement - an occasion to go to the ultrasound procedure. Such extremes are not the norm, and therefore should be carefully studied by a doctor. Only the expectant mother can subtly feel the state of her baby, so when strange signs appear, it is better to go to the hospital once more than to miss a symptom of something serious.
Fetal development at 38 weeks
The average weight of the baby is about 3 kg, and about 50 cm tall. The normal weight of the fetus is the key to successful delivery. It affects the process itself, as well as the condition of the mother and baby after. If the baby is large, and even with pelvic presentation, the doctor prescribes a cesarean section. A severe child may receive postpartum injuries while being born. Too much delay in the birth canal will cause hypoxia, fractures of the clavicle and other serious consequences.
The baby's brain is already formed, but still continues to improve. In a newborn, it reaches 30% of the total development compared to an adult. The eyes of the baby can already see, and the ears can hear. The lungs actively produce surfactant, allowing them to open up immediately after birth.
What does a child look like?
During this period of its growth, the baby is already fully formed and ready for birth. He already looks like a full-fledged child with cheeks, subcutaneous fat, as well as with folds on his knees and elbows. A baby can weigh more than 3 kg, but this only happens if the mother is sick with diabetes or obesity. Being dependent on her, he takes extra calories through the blood from maternal glucose.
At the 38th week of pregnancy, the baby’s skin was almost completely freed from fluff, barely noticeable by ultrasound, but it still remains on the shoulders and back. The skin is covered with white grease, which has a moisture protective effect. The hair on the head can already be clearly seen, depending on their color in the parents. The nose, ears and eyes of the baby are fully formed.
Diet
Having crossed the threshold of 38 weeks, many women begin to experience discomfort in the stomach. So that digestion does not spoil the last weeks of pregnancy, you should reconsider your diet. To exclude severe edema, doctors recommend reducing salt intake. In recent months, it is better to exclude from the list of daily dishes:
- fried and smoked;
- salt and too fatty foods;
- thick meat broths;
- spicy spices;
- pastries and white bread;
- soda, coffee;
- mayonnaise.
The list of undesirable products is not small, but compared with a comfortable state of health, these restrictions do not seem significant. Moreover, the mother should prepare for the clean nutrition that awaits her after the baby is born. On breastfeeding, at first it will be necessary to limit all foods that can contribute to the onset of allergies in the baby. At 38 weeks of the second pregnancy, the woman already knows what food can be eaten without harm to the baby.
Doctors Recommendations
Among the many recommendations of specialists, there are several main ones that will benefit the child and his mother:
- Have more rest. Daily walks at a slow pace and in the fresh air will only benefit. But here about how to conduct a general cleaning in the apartment, it is better not to think. A woman in the last weeks of pregnancy already experiences a strong load, which affects her internal organs and well-being. Therefore, it is better not to overload the body, but to spend time lightly.
- Stop doing gymnastics. Many are fond of physical education for pregnant women in order to keep the body in good shape and not gain extra pounds. This lesson is very useful for the expectant mother, as it facilitates the birth process in the future. But with a big belly at 38 weeks of gestation, gymnastics can be abandoned, especially if the exercises are difficult to complete. For practice, it is better to leave breathing exercises that can be performed while sitting.
- Better get enough sleep. It becomes difficult to take a comfortable position during sleep. Because of this, sleep deprivation may appear, which will adversely affect the child. To prevent this, doctors recommend that women purchase special pillows for pregnant women. They help the body to take a comfortable pose, and as a result, it is better to sleep.
- Take multivitamin complexes. In order to saturate the body with useful substances, you need to remember about the daily intake of multivitamins. If you neglect this, the child will take all the nutrients for himself, and the woman’s condition will worsen. Hair will start to fall out, nails and teeth crumble, joints hurt.
- Moisturize the skin to prevent stretch marks and drink more. The skin of the abdomen at 38 weeks of pregnancy is subjected to tremendous stress. Daily procedures for moisturizing and nourishing the skin will help to avoid stretch marks only if the woman is not genetically predisposed to them. You can use all kinds of vegetable oils, lotions and fatty creams. In this case, you need to smear not only the stomach, but also the whole body. Sometimes stretch marks can appear in the most unexpected places. Doctors recommend using oils throughout pregnancy and several months after giving birth.
Ultrasound at 38 weeks
If you are worried about what happens at the 38th week of pregnancy, it is better to go for a doctor’s examination. At this time, ultrasound is done only for medical reasons. The doctor easily determines the weight of the child, gender, height, placenta location and the amount of amniotic fluid. 3D ultrasound allows you to see the face of the baby as clearly as possible. It can already be noted which of the parents is more like a baby.
This week of pregnancy may well be the last, so a woman should be aware of all the precursors of childbirth. You should ask the obstetrician gynecologist in detail about all the possible scenarios for which labor can take place.
How to prepare for childbirth
Delivery at 38 weeks of gestation is quite possible. How they will pass, largely depends on the moral condition of the future mother. You can not be afraid and prepare for pain. Doctors and psychologists recommend that pregnant women not perceive childbirth as something terrible and painful. It is necessary to think about the child, about how hard it will be for him to be born. All thoughts should be only about the long-awaited meeting with the baby. If you undergo psychological training, it does not matter, on your own or with the help of a specialist - the birth will be as simple and easy as possible.
Maternity hospital fees
Staying at such a late stage of pregnancy, every woman must necessarily collect a bag for the hospital. It should have everything that a future mother will need in the first days after the birth of a child. First of all, it is necessary to collect all the documents. Then take the following items:
- clothes for yourself and the baby;
- towels and slippers;
- Underwear;
- postpartum pads, diapers;
- wet wipes, diapers;
- nipple cream;
- toiletries;
- table set, water, cookies for snacks.
Having collected all the necessary things, you need to put them in a prominent place and be ready at any time to go to the hospital.