Pregnancy at week 39

It is less and less until the baby is born and it is normal for the 39-week pregnant woman to be very anxious, cleaning and tidying the house, preparing the nest for the soon arrival of the baby. But, she must not exhaust all her strength, since she must save energy for the big moment. 

When the pregnancy reaches week 39, it can be said that the baby is “full term”, since from the previous week his lungs are ready for extrauterine life, his body produces cortisone and high levels of the stress hormone that prepare him for the time of birth.

These last days of pregnancy are loaded with many emotions and anxiety on the part of the mother, parents and family members. But, also for the baby, because everyone involved knows that at any moment the long-awaited, and at the same time feared, labor pains will begin. This aspect is the one that most worries pregnant women: knowing how to identify those signs prior to childbirth. 

But, before knowing more about it, we will talk about how the baby is doing this week.

Not long for the baby

At 39 weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s weight ranges from 3 kg to 3,250 kg. Its length reaches approximately 50 cm. In appearance, the lanugo has disappeared and you can barely see a slight fluff that falls off after the first few weeks of life.

Also, the baby’s top layer of skin is replaced by a new one in the days leading up to delivery, and dead cells accumulate in the amniotic fluid along with the vernix caseosa that has dissolved in it. 

Without a doubt, the baby continues to grow and accumulate fat, even if little is noticed. His movements are also slowed down by the tight space he has now, plus he sleeps most of the time. 

On the other hand, you can hardly notice the germs of what will be your milk teeth and that will appear, approximately, in the sixth month of life. By this time, the baby’s body is producing more hormones that will help him get his vital organs working when he is no longer dependent on the placenta. That is why it can be considered that in pregnancy, week 39 marks the final stage of gestation, but there are still surprises to experience.

Main changes

Although it might be thought that the changes will be less in the last stage of gestation, the truth is that they intensify. At this time, the expectant mother is flooded with emotions and anxiety from the wait. The nest instinct has developed in her, so she often spends several hours a day cleaning, ordering and preparing everything necessary for the soon arrival of the baby.

Although these activities help to distract and channel tensions, it is not wise for the mother to exhaust her energies in these physical efforts, because we do not know when she will need all those forces for childbirth, and how exhausting this can be.. 

As for your body, the cervix begins to soften these days and you can feel some frequent contractions, related to the movement of the baby towards the vaginal canal, that is, its complete descent.

At this stage, the bladder is much more pressured, so visits to the bathroom are more frequent, as well as episodes of incontinence when laughing, sneezing or coughing. Similarly, these days a diet rich in fiber should be maintained to avoid constipation and hemorrhoids. 

On the other hand, we cannot ignore that in the last weeks of pregnancy it will be much more difficult to find a pleasant position to rest. In this case, using a nursing pillow or maternity pillow can help relieve the pressure you feel in the lower part or make it more comfortable when lying on your side. 

There is no doubt that these discomforts are intensified by the anxiety that the mother may feel, making it even more difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, you can perform meditation and relaxation techniques before bed, as well as practice the preparation exercises indicated by the midwife, doula or your gynecologist. 

delivery is near

Now, for many women it is normal to reach the 39th week of pregnancy without contractions, that is, the Braxton Hicks contractions passed with little intensity and they did not even perceive them. However, there will be some important signs to watch out for. In this order of ideas, at 39 weeks of pregnancy the symptoms of labor are the priority.

For this reason, they may feel fear and nerves when the intense contractions arrive this week, these being the pre-labor contractions. The main characteristic of these contractions is that they are not rhythmic, but they can be painful because they are the final widening of the pelvis. The good news is that they can decrease when you change position. 

In the 39th week of pregnancy, the symptoms that indicate the proximity of childbirth are, among others, the rupture of the amniotic sac , which occurs prematurely in 15% of pregnant women. If this is not accompanied by strong contractions, the woman can take the time to take a shower, gather her things and go see the doctor for a check-up, since it can take several hours from the rupture of the sac until the first contractions appear of childbirth.

With regard to the contractions of childbirth, you can clearly identify them because they resemble intestinal cramps or intense menstrual pain, reaching the legs and lower back.

The intensity of these contractions increases over the hours, they become rhythmic and can occur every hour, every 15 minutes or 10 and, consecutively, reduce the time between each contraction. This tells us that the time is drawing near. 

By now you should be in the hospital, being accompanied by your doctor or midwife, who will be monitoring the frequency and intensity of your contractions. Likewise, with a prior birth plan, they will be able to take the necessary measures regarding the use of analgesics and medications to assist in labor. 

We know that at this moment the pain can be unbearable and it is difficult to remain relaxed, our consolation is that in a short time the wait and the pain will be over, everything you suffered will soon be a distant memory, because what matters now is that you are to hold your baby in your arms and it will be the first of many happy moments of your life next to that little person.