39 Weeks Pregnant: Meeting Your Baby

39 Weeks Pregnant

In this article

• Pregnancy Week 39: All About You
• Pregnancy Week 39: All About Baby
• How Big Is Baby?
• Most Common Pregnancy Questions
• Multiple Madness
• For Your Partner
• Fun Fact
• Follow The Chronicles of a Real-Life Pregnancy
• Tell Your Due Date Club

During pregnancy week 39, use this time to rest, prepare for baby, and consider the future. Long slow walks may help to bring on labor.

Many women lose their mucus plug a week or two before delivery (though for others it doesn't happen until right before delivery). If the mucus is pink or streaked with blood, it is known as the "bloody show" and usually means labor will begin within the next day.

Pregnancy Week 39: All About You

One week to go—although doctors already consider you full-term, so you could have your baby anytime. With your uterus stretched tight to hold your full-sized baby, he has little room to move around. With the lack of space, you may notice your baby isn't kicking as much. Your little one isn't the only one who's scrunched—your internal organs have less room too. Breathing will become more labored as your lungs have less space, and your stomach has less room too, so you should expect to eat several smaller meals throughout the day.

Your First Meeting with Baby:
You've probably been thinking—even dreaming—about meeting your baby. If you're picturing the pudgy, perfect-faced babies that adorn books and popular magazines, you may be surprised at your newborn's appearance. Childbirth isn't just a workout for you; it's strenuous for your baby too. His appearance will most likely be a reflection of his time in the cramped birth canal.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Your baby's face: After a tight squeeze through the cervix, your baby's face may be swollen. You may even notice bruising on her face and other parts of her body.
• Your baby's head: Your baby's malleable skull bones shift position to make it possible for him to pass through the birth canal. This may result in a temporarily disfigured head, such as a "cone-head," but the skull bones will go back into place, giving your baby a more normal head shape in a week or two.
• Your baby's skin: Inside your uterus, your baby lived in the amniotic sac surrounded by fluid. To protect your unborn baby's delicate skin within her watery home, her body was covered with a coating, called vernix. This cheesy-looking coating goes away as your baby's due date draws closer, though you may notice bits of it in your baby's skin folds. If your baby is born premature, she'll have more of this coating left on her body.
• Your baby's hair: Earlier in your unborn baby's development, soft tiny hairs covered her body and acted as an anchor for her skin to form. As your baby draws nearer her delivery day, these hairs downy begin to disappear, though you may find a few on your newborn.
  Your baby will also have hair on her head. The amount of hair babies have varies, but the hair your baby has at birth will look very different from her hair once she gets just a few weeks older. Don't count on your baby having dark hair or light hair just because that was her hair color at birth.

• Your baby's eyes: While your baby's eye color may be one color at birth, that doesn't mean they'll stay that way. Baby's true eye color won't appear for at least two months, sometimes up to six months of age, according to the University of Michigan Health System. If you're trying to figure out your baby's true eye color, it may not be as easy as looking at your own and your partner's. Research from the Oregon State University shows that while brown is still a dominant eye color, there are several genetic factors that go into creating your baby's unique eye color.

No matter what your baby looks like right after birth, you'll know he's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. And just like it will take you a few days to recover from delivery, it will take your baby a few days to recover, too!

Pregnancy Week 39: All About Baby

Your baby is most likely positioned with his head facing down and his bottom toward your ribs. If this is your first baby, your baby may "drop" a few days to a couple of weeks before delivery. "Dropping" simply means your baby moves further down into your pelvis, readying for birth. Some babies prefer being head up. This position called breech, carries risks to your baby's health during delivery. While you may still be able to deliver vaginally, healthcare providers often recommend you have a Cesarean section.

How Big Is Baby?

Your baby may be 7 pounds or more and almost 20 inches long (crown to heel) this week.

Most Common Pregnancy Questions

Will my doctor be with me during my entire delivery? And if not, when will she arrive?
When it is time to deliver your baby, your doctor (or one of the doctors from your healthcare group) will be there to welcome your little one into the world. But during the time leading up to the delivery of your baby (labor) your doctor will probably not be with you as much as you would imagine. A big percentage of your labor is spent with your nurse. However, he or she will be there to assess you when you first arrive at the hospital and will continue to check you at various times during the labor process. She will also be there when it is time to deliver the baby, and immediately after delivery. Which leads to the next question …

What will my nurse do for me?
Your nurse will do a lot for you! She monitors your progress by watching contractions, and assessing cervical dilation. She may start your IV for you.

Your nurse will document your whole birthing event (so chances are you'll see her writing a lot). Your nurse will stay in contact with your doctor throughout your labor, keeping her updated on your progress. She will hold your hand, answer your questions, and help you decide how best to manage your pain (she can help you take a shower, go for a walk, or get an epidural). When it is time to push she will assist you and coach you.

When your baby is born your nurse will dry the baby, weigh her, place identification bands on her— and wrap her in a warm blanket and hand her to you!

Multiple Madness

Finding Support
After they get through the first few nights with their multiples, new parents often wonder, "Does anyone out there understand what this is like?"

Yes, they do. The trick is to find them!

Look for a twin club in your area, if you haven't already done so; these organizations can be invaluable. With members whose multiples range in age from newborns to teenagers, almost any question can be answered by someone with experience in raising twins. Check the National Association of Mothers of Twins Clubs to find a local group.

BabyZone is a good resource for you, as are other twins-centric online resources. Online support, especially chat rooms, can be found 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Plus, there's an array of articles, tools, and expert testimony at your disposal. A word to the wise: seek out positive information and support (especially in the area of chat rooms). A slew of negative banter is not good for anyone.

Check with your hospital to see if it offers a parenting multiples group. Many host organizations allow you to join before or after the babies are born to find camaraderie and support.

In today's world, technology is rampant—whatever kind of support you're looking for, it's out there. Be patient and you'll find what you need.

For Your Partner

The Hospital: What to Expect
Many hospitals, especially newer maternity wards, are much more family-friendly than in years passed. More and more hospitals are making accommodations for new dads, such as bigger recovery room beds for both the new mom and dad, or even more comfortable cots so new dads can sleep in the room with his new family.

And more nurses and doctors are getting used to dealing with the expecting dads … but there are still some healthcare professionals who will do and say things that are focused on the mother, not on both of you. Don't take their actions personally; make it clear you will be participating in your child's birth (and most likely they'll adjust to your presence). You are an essential part of the delivery process—not only for your partner but for you baby, too.

Going to the maternity ward to deliver a baby is a lot better than going to the emergency room, fortunately. You'll still have paperwork to fill out, of course, but the chairs and environment are often much more comfortable.

Once your partner is admitted, here's a rundown of what to expect:

• You'll get a room where she can lie down (assuming she isn't ready to give birth right at that moment!). If you're going in for a scheduled C-section, your partner will be prepped for surgery (and you will be able to wait her with her, too).
• Your partner may have a fetal monitor strapped around her belly at this point and soon your room may fill with the sound of your little baby's heartbeat. If you're going in for a planned C-section, your partner will also have an IV fitted.
• Your healthcare provider will check to see how dilated your partner is and will keep checking up on her until she's fully ready.
• Your partner may begin to experience some intense contractions. This is where you can help her with her breathing to manage the pain and be there to support her emotionally with lots of love and attention. (If you're having a planed C-section, you'll need to step away for a few minutes while your partner is moved to the surgical room. You'll be asked to put on scrubs and a sterile mask while your partner receives her epidural is gets situated. Then a nurse will bring you to her and you'll be able to sit with her during your baby's birth.)
• Once your partner is far enough along, she will be moved to the delivery room where she will give birth to your beautiful baby! (If you're having a C-section, you'll stay with your partner throughout the delivery. Then when your baby is born, you'll be able to watch her go through her Apgar tests, cut the chord, and stay with her while your partner's incision is closed. All three of you will be united in a recovery room while your partner's anesthesia wears off (generally, your partner won't be allowed to hold your baby until she can wiggle her toes).

  Fun Fact

  If your due date comes and goes, don't be too discouraged—only five percent of women deliver on their due dates.

Respected Readers: Need your help to keep the site up and running. please donate ! Any help is appreciated.