40. one week of pregnancy is the best time to give birth to a baby - she is ready to live outside her belly. You may be just hours from giving birth when you read these words. But if you do not give birth by the end of your 40th week of pregnancy, your doctor will identify your pregnancy as a carried over or overdue pregnancy.

Contents:

  • 40. week of pregnancy: how is your baby developing?
  • 40. week of pregnancy: what's happening to you?
  • 40. week of pregnancy: the most important recommendations

40. week of pregnancy: how is your baby developing?

Although this is the end of pregnancy, the fetus is still gaining weight and the circumference of its head is also increasing. Both of these dimensions are important as they may be an indication for a caesarean section (if, during the ultrasound, the doctor decides that the baby is too big to fit through the birth canal).

  • Caesarean section: when is it necessary?

When your baby moves, his entire belly "jumps" with him. Such situations, however, are rare, because due to the tightness of the uterus, it is difficult for the baby to move around. However, if it does not give any sign of life for a few hours, be sure to come for a CTG test.

In the 40th week of pregnancy, nerve cells continue to multiply intensively in the fetal brain, and the fetus recognizes not only the voice of mom, but also dad.

  • What does the fetus see, feel and hear?

The fetus gets a very large amount of nutrients that will help it survive the first hours or even days on the other side of the abdomen, when it will not be able to suck yet, and thus eat enough.

  • What happens in the last moments before the birth?

A baby in the 40th week of pregnancy should already be low in the pelvis. Just before delivery, the hypothalamus of the fetal brain receives a signal that delivery is about to take place. This signal is "strengthened" by the hormones circulating in the mother's body and by contractions, during which the fetus is pressed by the walls of the uterus.

6 things you need to do before giving birth

40. week of pregnancy: what's happening to you?

In the 40th week of pregnancy, as in the previous weeks, you have the right to be quite tired - only a few future mums feel a surge of energy during this period, thanks to which they are able to finish their professionalobligations before going on maternity leave.

If you are unlucky, you may even suffer from all pregnancy ailments at once - insomnia, calf cramps, digestive problems, swelling. Consolation should be the thought that in a moment everything will pass and you will forget about it quickly.

  • How to deal with puffiness in pregnancy?

As the abdomen has already lowered as the fetus in the 40th week of pregnancy has already inserted into the birth canal, your body's center of gravity has changed again. So when you walk, you may feel that you are moving like a duck and that you lose your balance more easily. Be careful especially on the stairs and on the wet bathroom floor - you can fall over.

Slight spotting may appear in the 40th week of pregnancy. They are the result of the shortening of the cervix, which is the introduction to labor. However, if there is a lot of blood, go to the hospital as soon as possible.

  • Symptoms of childbirth: how can you tell if it's already giving birth?

Irregular contractions in your 40th week of pregnancy are normal and you may feel them quite often. Count their length and the spacing between them - if they become regular, it is a sign that labor has started.

40. week of pregnancy: the most important recommendations

In the 40th week of pregnancy, you should come to the hospital every 2-3 days for a CTG test, i.e. a test of the fetal heart function with simultaneous recording of uterine contractions.

You may be referred for an oxytocin test during one of these tests - you will be connected to a CTG machine and given a small amount of oxytocin to induce contractions. This test checks your baby's heart rate during contractions. If everything is okay, the result will be marked negative.

  • Calculate your due date!

However, if the baby's heart rate dropped during the contractions, the test will come out positive - perhaps then it will be necessary to induce labor artificially. If you do not give birth by the end of the 40th week of pregnancy, you will have an ultrasound examination, during which the doctor will assess, among others, the condition of the fetus and its activity.

  • Post-term delivery: what to do when pregnancy is transferred?

Don't get upset that your due date is over and you don't have any birth symptoms yet. The time when a child should be born appointed by the doctor is only approximate.

Usually you will wait until the end of the 41st week of pregnancy to start labor - after this time, if nothing is still happening, you will be referred to the hospital, where, if necessary, the delivery will be artificially induced.

Also read:

Third trimester of pregnancy

39. week of pregnancy

38. week of pregnancy

37. week of pregnancy

Category:

Pregnant examinations