You are 39 weeks pregnant and impatient, uncomfortable, and fatigued. Your baby is becoming more sensitive to light and sound and reacts by frequent movements. You are gaining around a pound per week and feeling the aches and pains of the later stages of pregnancy. You will probably become very hungry as your body urges you to support the demands of your growing baby. You need about 300 extra calories a day and these are best consumed in small nutritious and frequent meals. Eating fruits and vegetables will help you feel full and can help reduce the constipation that comes with pregnancy.
It is very important that you remain active at this stage of pregnancy even though the fatigue will discourage activity. Swimming, walking, and stretching can keep your body in shape for the impending labor. Watch the signs and signals your body is sending. When you are tired, rest. When you are hungry eat a healthy snack. Watch for bleeding, swelling, and contractions that are more frequent than four per hour. Monitor the movements of your baby. You should feel a minimum of 10 kicks per hour. If movements decrease or stop contact your physician immediately.
You and your physician may have a discussion about inducing labor. Be sure that you do all the research and gather as much information as possible to insure that you understand the risks involved. The Bishop’s score will tell the physician how well your cervix will react to induction. Keep in mind that if you fail to deliver after you have been induced, you will face a C-section birth. Some of the reasons that you may need to have an induced labor are a history of birthing a large baby, preeclampsia, or problems with the placenta. Your baby is developed enough by 39 weeks to have few complications from an early delivery.
Your baby weighs around 3kg and can be as much as 50cm in length. Your baby is losing the vernix caseosa or white substance that covers his skin. New skin is forming as the sloughing process continues. Your baby will have hair and fingernails. His skull is not fused yet because the bones will overlap as he passes through the birth canal. This may cause the baby to have a ‘cone head’ when he is born. Within hours or a few days the head will regain a more normal shape.
You and your baby have safely made it to 39 weeks pregnant and you can be certain that within a few days you should have a healthy baby.
