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| 38 Weeks Pregnant |
In this article
- Pregnancy Week 38: All About You
- Pregnancy Week 38: All About Baby
- How Big Is Baby?
- Most Common Pregnancy Questions
- Take a Break
- For Your Partner
- Fun Fact
- Follow The Chronicles of a Real-Life Pregnancy
- Tell Your Due Date Club
Are your Braxton Hicks contractions becoming more frequent and intense?
At 38 weeks pregnant, you are now considered full term. Learn about what to expect during these final weeks and at the hospital. Pack your bags and put them by the door! No need to stress about what to bring; we've got a checklist of the absolute necessities and some luxuries that might make your experience a little more comfortable and enjoyable. Even if you plan a home birth, you should pack a small suitcase. These last few weeks of pregnancy can be so hard; you're deep in the waiting game! Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent and intense. You may feel large and ungainly but, unless your water has broken, it's fine to have sex. As a matter of fact, intercourse and nipple stimulation are some methods people use to induce labor naturally.
Pregnancy Week 38: All About You
You're at a milestone: 38 weeks marks full-term pregnancy status! The pain of backaches and leg cramps are swallowed up by excitement about your baby's impending arrival. You may experience false contractions off and on throughout the day. Inside your body, your cervix is readying for delivery. You may notice clear to white vaginal discharge, sometimes streaked with blood, as your cervix thins (or effaces).What to Expect During Labor
"Labor" can be a confusing term. Most often in TV and in movies, a pregnant woman announces, "It's time," rushes to the hospital, and within minutes delivers her baby. In real life, labor is more often a process than a quick event.
Labor can be divided into three phases: the first phase, or latent phase; the second phase, or active labor; and the third phase, or transitional labor, which prepares you to deliver.
The First Phase: The first phase of labor can last for a few hours or a few days, but the contractions you'll experience during this phase will be fairly short and manageable.
At this point in your labor you should be able to continue your normal routine. You can still do the dishes, fold laundry, and watch TV. In fact, your doctor or midwife has probably given you instructions to keep track of how many contractions you're having in a hour, but to wait to call her until the contractions are intense and close together (the second phase of labor).
In your body, your cervix thins and opens in response to these contractions. Your cervix will open to about three centimeters during this first phase.
Some circumstances indicate you should call your healthcare provider right away, such as your water breaking. Also, if you tested positive for the group B strep virus (a potentially harmful virus if not treated with medication), your doctor may want you to receive antibiotics in the hospital as soon as labor begins.
The Second Phase: During the second phase of labor, contractions become more regular and intense. Instead of several minutes apart, your contractions will come three to five minutes apart and last for more than 30 seconds. And how your experience the contractions will change, too. Instead of a constant dull pain, your contractions will start comfortably and then peak in an intense pain before subsiding. This phase generally doesn't last as long as the first phase, usually hours not days.
Once your contractions become regular and strong, you should let your healthcare provider know. Your doctor will probably ask you several questions about your contractions to determine if it's time to go to the hospital or whether you're still in the first phase of labor.
In your body, the cervix is being stretched apart with each contraction. The cervix wall thins (or effaces) to make it easier for your baby to pass. Your water may break during this phase, or your doctor may break it for you to speed up your labor. At the end of this phase your cervix will be opened (or dilated) to four to seven centimeters.
At the hospital, your heart rate and the baby's will be monitored. You may also receive IV fluids and medications. As the contractions intensify, you may want to start your coping strategies, whether you're practicing breathing techniques or receiving pain medications.
The Third Phase: The last phase is also called the transition phase because you're almost ready to push and deliver your baby. In this phase, your contractions will continue to lengthen and intensify.
As with the second phase, you'll need coping techniques to guide you through the pain in this stage, whether you've chosen breathing, homeopathic remedies, or medication.
Your cervix will stretch from seven to 10 centimeters so that your baby will have a wide enough opening to go through.
Toward the end of this phase you'll have the urge to push, but wait until your healthcare provider or labor nurse tells you it's time. "When the cervix is not fully dilated, pushing the baby down can cause swelling and actually delay labor," explains certified nurse midwife Dr. Joanne Motino Bailey, PhD.
Deliver: Now that your cervix is fully dilated, you're ready to push. Your healthcare provider, doula, or nurse (maybe even a combination of all three) will guide you through pushing your baby out the cervical opening, past the birth canal, and into your arms.
If for some reason your labor seems stalled, your healthcare provider may recommend a Cesarean section. There are a variety of reasons for a C-section, but according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), "about one third of Cesarean births are done because labor does not progress normally." With a Cesarean delivery your recovery time will be longer than with a vaginal birth. As with any major surgery, your incision will need time to heal. You should not place any weight on the abdominal area, including your baby. So, you may need to nurse lying down instead of sitting up to keep pressure off your incision for a while after birth.
Pregnancy Week 38: All About Baby
Your baby's internal organs and systems are now fully developed. She's ready to enter the world. Her once spacious home inside your uterus has become cramped, and she has little room to stretch out her arms and legs.How Big Is Baby?
Your baby is now 6 pounds, 13 ounces and is about 19.5 inches long (crown to heel). She'll be ready for delivery soon!Most Common Pregnancy Questions
My baby is breech. If she stays in this position, will I still be able to deliver vaginally or will I need to have a C-section? If I can deliver vaginally, will the doctor need to do anything differently to help my baby?Babies are meant to be delivered head first. But occasionally a baby presents with his feet or bottom first. This type of presentation, called "breech", occurs in about 3 to 4 percent of all deliveries.
Let's talk about what it means to be breech and what your doctor may discuss with you.
Babies in utero can be quite the little gymnasts and occasionally end up "getting stuck" in a breech position. (Many babies actually present as breech early in the pregnancy, but then move into a head-down position before their due date). There are three forms of breech presentation:
- Complete Breech: Baby is tucked into a ball with the bottom pointing down
- Frank Breech: Baby is situated with his or her hips flexed and knees extended (pike position)
- Footling or Incomplete Breech: In this case, Baby's presenting part is the foot.
Quite often in the case of twins, one baby or both may be breech. When a mother delivers her baby early (pre-term) these babies are also commonly found in breech position.
Some doctors are OK with delivering babies in the breech position (if their gestational age is close to full term). Think you'd like to go ahead with a vaginal delivery if you learn your baby is breech? If this isn't a first-time delivery, if it is determined that you have an adequate (large enough) pelvis, and if your baby is not too large, vaginal birth may be an option for you.
Your doctor can determine by ultrasound and sometimes by external palpation (physically feeling around Mom's belly) the position of the baby. If it is determined that the baby is breech, you'll have a few options: You can elect to have a C-section; or you and your doctor may agree to an ECV (external cephalic version), a fancy name for turning the baby from the outside. (An ECV can be done if your baby has not turned by the time you are 37 weeks.)
Not every woman is a good candidate for an ECV. If you experience any of the following problems, ECV may not be right for you:
- Low-lying placenta or one that is covering the cervix
- Non-reactive, non-stress test
- Small for gestational age baby
- Vaginal bleeding
- A low level of amniotic fluid
- An abnormal fetal heart rate
- Premature rupture of the membranes ("water has broken")
- Twins or other multiple pregnancy
- Premature labor
- Premature rupture of the membranes
- A small amount of blood loss for either the baby or the mother
- Fetal distress leading to an emergency C-section
- The baby might turn back to the breech position after the ECV is done
As with any concerns or questions with regard to you or your baby, ask a lot of questions and discuss your options with your doctor.
Take a Break
The First Few Weeks at HomeMany new moms worry that they're being lazy if they lie on the couch in their pajamas all day. Trust me, in a few months or years, you'll wish you had a valid excuse to lie on the couch in your pajamas all day. So take advantage now.
Use this time to relax in comfortable attire. Ignore the carpet that needs vacuuming or the bookshelves that need dusting. If you can't stand unfinished housework, hire someone to clean for you for a couple of weeks or enlist the help of family and friends. It's amazing the uplift a clean bathroom can provide, but not if you're the one scrubbing it.
Accept help whenever it's offered. People who offer truly want to help, and you'll have many years to repay their kindness.
Put meat, some vegetables (fresh or frozen), and a can of crushed tomatoes in the crock pot each morning. It will provide you a warm meal whenever you'd like it throughout the day (and evening).
Don't answer the phone if not necessary. If it's important, the caller will leave a message. In fact, turn the phone off during the day!
Do what feels good to you. Some women truly need to shower each day to feel human, while others relish having an excuse not to. Allow yourself some mindless television. Sleep as much as you're able.
Pay no attention to your concerns about weight loss or schedules. There will be time for those things. Right now, it's your time to reward yourself for a job well done and relax. You deserve it!
For Your Partner
The Learning CurveOften one of the many concerns of fathers-to-be, and one that is frequently daunting, is how to know best what Baby needs. Most mothers seem to quickly learn what each cry means, but will you as a dad know, too?
Absolutely. An attentive father will certainly learn what each cry means. Is it a cry of pain? Of hunger? Of boredom or loneliness? Of fear? You will, amazingly, learn these distinctions quickly ... especially if you are spending time with your baby.
Of course, once you begin to recognize your child's cries, it becomes easier to soothe your baby. If he's hungry, you'll help him to get some milk. If he's hurt, you'll care for him and hold him until he feels better. If he is bored, you'll play with him. When you feel like you can meet your baby's needs, you will find yourself becoming infinitely more confident as a dad and more and more comfortable in your new family role.
During the first few weeks you may feel like you have no idea what you are doing, but don't worry! It won't take long until you will be able to meet your baby's needs in your sleep. (Unfortunately, you may have to meet your baby's needs in your sleep, so that will really be helpful!)
Fun Fact
Women who ate during labor didn't experience any adverse effects from their snacks. The study did report, however, that eating can slow labor.|
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