You will need to be alert to some of the subtle signs of impending labor. You may feel that the baby has dropped into the birthing position. This is called lightening and can occur days and weeks before actual labor starts. Lightening will change your center of gravity and help relieve some of the pressure you have felt on your diaphragm.  However, you will notice more pressure on your bladder and you will begin to make frequent trips to the restroom.

Your physician will make pelvic exams on your weekly visits and check for the ripening, or thinning, or your cervix. The cervix will thin from about one inch thick to paper thin and when this process, called effacement, is complete your body is ready for labor. Your cervix will also begin dilation during this process. The cervix dilates up to 10 centimeters for the birth of the baby.

The loss of the mucus plug will indicate the relaxation of the cervix and is an indication that labor will begin within the week. The mucus plug is a blood tinged thick discharge. A gush of warm fluid is the breaking of water. The amniotic sac that holds the baby will rupture and birth is imminent. If labor has not begun within 24 hours, your physician will induce the labor. You should be able to identify when labor will begin because your body’s response to the hormone prostaglandin can cause diarrhea and nausea.

Anxiousness and restlessness accompanied by spurt of energy is called nesting behavior and these urges will occur within days of labor. Consistent back pain or cramping of the abdomen may indicate early signs of labor. Measuring the frequency of these cramps can help determine progression of labor. Labor will begin with contractions that measure 30 seconds to those of longer duration. You have reached 40 weeks pregnant and you will soon welcome your baby.

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.

You are waiting for the birth of your child which will occur within the next few days or weeks. You may experience some nesting behavior and use those bursts of energy to finish up last minute nursery preparations. You may take a nap and rest frequently. If your feet begin to swell a little, this is normal at this stage of pregnancy. If you notice sudden swelling or excessive swelling you should contact your health care provider immediately. Puffiness around your eyes and sudden weight gain may signal the onset of preeclampsia. This is a condition that is caused by the sudden rise of blood pressure in the mother that can be life threatening. Only the birth of the baby will allow the blood pressure to return to normal.

If you have severe headaches or changes in your vision, if you have abdominal pain and tenderness or nausea and vomiting you should notify your health care provider. These are not normal signs of pregnancy at this stage of gestation. It is a signal that something may be wrong. If the physician feels that your life or that of your unborn child is in danger he may suggest inducing labor. This is relatively safe at this stage of gestation for the baby. The baby has matured enough to have few complications from an early delivery.

You may start to notice some changes in your body that signal labor will begin. You may pass a mucus plug or your water may break. The mucus plug signals that labor should begin within the week. When your water breaks if you have not started labor within 24 hours the doctor will induce your labor. Without the protective amniotic fluid the baby will be exposed to infection. Your baby should already be in the birthing position and you should feel the change in gravity as the baby drops into place. You will urinate frequently as the baby puts more pressure on your bladder. More than four contractions in a one hour period should be discussed with your physician.

At 38 weeks pregnant you and your baby are just a few days away from the birthing process.

]]> http://www.pregnantbellypictures.net/38-weeks-pregnant-signs-of-labor-cramping-what-to-expect/feed/ 0 http://www.pregnantbellypictures.net/37-weeks-pregnant-what-to-expect-signs-of-labor-cramping/ http://www.pregnantbellypictures.net/37-weeks-pregnant-what-to-expect-signs-of-labor-cramping/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:45:08 +0000 admin http://www.pregnantbellypictures.net/?p=345 Your baby is full term at 37 weeks pregnant but the closer to 40 weeks that the baby is delivered the better the baby will do. If you start labor at 37 weeks the physician will probably not intervene to stop the labor. Some of the signs of labor are cramping or contractions that last longer while the time between the contractions decreases. You will probably notice the loss of the mucus plug or the breaking of the amniotic sac.

When you have reached this point in the gestation period you may not gain more weight. Your baby will continue to grow about one half pound per week until delivery. Because of the size of your uterus you will find sleeping difficult. If you sleep on your left side you will relieve the pressure on the vena cava, a major artery. This will allow both you and the baby to receive unrestricted blood flow. The ligaments that support the uterus may be painful as the heavy uterus stretches them to a maximum. If you have not seen the appearance of stretch marks on your skin you may begin to see them.

There are ways for you to help speed the delivery of your baby at this time. Having sexual intercourse can be difficult but it is possible. The sperm contains hormones called prostaglandins that help stimulate contractions. If your physician is in agreement with early labor, he can strip the membranes inside your cervix. This scraping will also release prostaglandins that prepare your body for delivery.

As you walk your hips swing and this helps to guide the baby into the birthing position. Gravity pulls the baby into the pelvis. If you are having minor contractions and want to strengthen the contractions, this can be a way to do so. A medication used to induce labor is called pitocin. If you massage your nipples you can produce oxytocin which is the natural form of pitocin. You must speak with your physician before doing any of these suggestions. Nipple massage will cause strong contractions that can slow the heart rate of your baby.

An old wives tale suggests taking castor oil. The belief is that castor oil causes the muscles of the intestines which surround the uterus to cramp and may start the labor process. Mix one to four ounces of castor oil with six ounces of juice. Drink without stopping because the taste is not very pleasant. You are at 37 weeks pregnant and without doing any of the above suggestions to start the labor process; you may find that your body will begin the process on its own.

There are changes to your body as well. Because you know the baby is growing at a fast pace, you must make sure that your nutrition is adequate and that you are supplementing your diet with prenatal vitamins. You must get plenty of rest and avoid cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol which are extremely harmful for your baby. There are several things that can go wrong and you may have to make the decision with your physician to induce, or start labor, to prevent harm to the baby or the mother. The MarchofDimes.com states that 99% of babies delivered prematurely at 36 weeks gestation will have few health concerns. Let’s look at some of the complications that can cause early birth.

Preeclampsia is basically hypertension, or high blood pressure, and protein in the urine is a key indicator. There are medications that can help prolong the pregnancy but there is no cure for the disorder. The only thing that will help relieve the symptoms is to deliver the baby. Because high blood pressure in the mother can cause undue stress during delivery, the decision to deliver the baby is usually made to prevent harm to the mother.

Another reason babies may be born early is because there are multiples. Multiples can be twins, triplets, and more. With each addition of a baby, the risk to the babies and the mother increases exponentially. The March of Dimes says, ‘The preterm birth rate among multiple deliveries in the United States was 62.9% in 2006.’

The final reasons for early delivery that we’ll discuss are placenta previa, low amniotic fluid, and premature rupture of membranes. Placenta previa is a condition where the placenta is close to covering the cervix. Placenta abruption is a condition where the placenta separates from the uterus. Either of these conditions with the placenta can cause heavy bleeding and are reasons for inducing labor at 36 weeks gestation. Low amniotic fluid is called oligohydramnios and will cause a physician to decide to induce labor. The fluid levels are monitored by ultrasound. If there is a premature rupture of membranes, PROM, your water breaks. If you are 36 weeks you are diagnosed with PROM, but if you are 37 weeks this will not be the diagnosis. The AmericanFamilyPhysician.org states that PROM occurs in 3% of pregnancy and causes 1/3 of the preterm deliveries.

You have read about many expected and unexpected things that might happen when you are 36 weeks pregnant and you should speak with your physician if you feel any symptoms mentioned above that causes you alarm.

It is no longer considered healthy to ‘eat for two’ during pregnancy. Also, the mother is encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet and not to assume that cravings are her body telling her what it needed. Hormones are thought to play a big part in the early part of the pregnancy cravings and aversion to certain foods. You must seek the advice of your physician when you are pregnant and follow his dietary recommendations for a healthy pregnancy. If not, you may find that a diagnosis of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia is a result of poor nutritional habits during pregnancy.

The average weight gain of the mother by week 35 is 24 to 29 pounds. The baby will weigh about 6 pounds and be around 20 to 21 inches long. Let’s look at where the pounds are distributed in a woman who has gained 31 pounds. The baby is about 7 ½ lbs., the amniotic fluid is approximately 2 lbs., the uterus enlarges by 2 lbs., and the breast tissue increases by around 2 lbs. The placenta weighs 1 ½ lbs. and blood volume of the mother is 4 lbs. The nutrients and fat stored by the mother equate to 4 lbs.

You have followed your doctor’s orders and you are at your 35^th week of pregnancy. You will begin seeing your obstetrician each week from now until delivery. Your baby is pretty much physically developed and the baby has functioning kidneys and liver. Your uterus will have expanded to the point that your internal organs have less room and you will find the need to use the bathroom frequently because of the increased pressure on your bladder. Your baby will be considered full term at 39 weeks and you will need to have your birth plan in place. This is a plan for how you want to manage pain and the care of your infant after birth. You have reached a milestone of 35 weeks pregnant and you are within a few weeks of delivering your baby.

Your baby will have developed and resembles very closely her newborn characteristics. She can suck her thumb and fingers and she will open her eyes when she is awake. She hears sounds and shows a noticeable preference for mom’s voice. The baby will turn head down in preparation of delivery. She has fingernails and the male baby will have testicles beginning their descent from the abdomen. The Children’s Hospital states that a baby born at this age gestation will have a good chance of survival. Let’s look at how the mother’s body is changing.

This is the third trimester of pregnancy. The weight gain and the weight of the growing baby can cause periods of fatigue. Frequency of urination is experienced as the bladder is compressed by the growing baby. The mother’s feet and ankles may begin to swell and sleeping may be difficult. Some mother’s will experience problems with vision during pregnancy. Eyes may become dry, but these conditions resolve when the baby is delivered. Adequate vitamin intake is a must, especially calcium. The baby leeches its calcium needs from the mother. If intake is inadequate the mother will suffer skeletal problems and dental issues.

Even though babies will generally have few problems surviving if born at 34 weeks gestation, the mother should seek her obstetrician’s advice if experiencing any preterm labor. A baby born at 34 weeks has a 99% survival rate, but if labor can be delayed or stopped the baby will have an even greater start in life. The last few weeks are critical to the functioning of the baby’s liver and lungs. The longer the baby can remain in the womb between 34 and 39 weeks gestation, the greater the chance the baby is born with mature lungs. As you have read above, 34 weeks pregnant is a milestone for your baby and yourself and marks a point in the gestation period that the baby is viable.

The baby is accumulating more and more fats. It is also getting rid of lanugos. Lanugos are the tiny hair found on the baby’s skin during the earlier stages of pregnancy and it begins to thin out at this time. The more fats deposit under the skin the more hair is shed by the baby’s skin.

The bones of the baby at 29 weeks pregnant are done developing but still remain soft. The skull also continues to be soft so that it is easier for it to pass through the birth canal when the time comes for delivery. You may also have noticed at 29 weeks pregnant that the baby has developed a consistent sleeping cycle. If you are very keen you will notice when the baby is sleeping and know when it is awake. Also during this time, the baby has developed rapid eye movement.

The mother feels very pregnant by 29 weeks pregnant because of the size of her belly. The uterus has moved above the navel almost four inches by now and she has gained somewhere between fifteen and twenty pounds at 29 weeks pregnant. This is the third trimester and it is very important that you take good care of yourself especially concerning what you eat.

Ensure you get enough proteins for your baby, these include cheese, fish, and eggs among others. Milk or fruit juice is very important in your diet because they contain calcium which is vital for the healthy growth of the baby’s bones and spinal cord. Constipation is another issue that pregnant women go through, you can ease constipation by eating fiber rich foods such as beans, legumes and fruits.

Drinking enough water is important to keep you hydrated and help with constipation as well as helping to prevent haemorrhoids that commonly occur during pregnancy. The baby is very active at this time and the doctor may advise you to study the baby’s movements and kicks. This is done so as to keep an eye on the baby in case there are any abnormal movements or sudden decreases of activity by the baby. This enables the doctor to detect a problem at an early stage and take the necessary precautions.

At 29 weeks pregnant ensure that you get a lot of rest to preserve your energy for the birth. While resting on a bed, it is good to put your feet in an elevated position. This assists in reducing swelling that occurs during pregnancy. You can try doing some light exercises such as walking around a short distance which will also help reduce the swelling.

The brain of the baby is developing and making a lot of progress at this time. It is no longer smooth as it was some few weeks ago, but it has begun to develop grooves and bumps as millions of neurons are developing at 28 weeks pregnant. If the baby is born at this time it will have hair covering his or her head. It can also be bald at this time although whether the baby has hair on his head or not, it is okay.

The baby is capable of blinking now and then at 28 weeks pregnant. You can see her eyes are developing eyebrows and the eyelashes are growing thicker as the pregnancy progresses. The baby’s eye sight is also developing and it is able to see flickering of light in the womb. At 28 weeks pregnant is the time when the baby decides to move into the head down position which is best for vaginal birth. Other babies may not be in a hurry and may delay this until to later on in the pregnancy.

If you are carrying multiples, at 28 weeks pregnant is when the babies stop growing because there is little space in the womb for further growth. The baby’s yawning patterns will begin to increase at 28 weeks pregnant. Watching your weight during pregnancy is important so that you do not end up being under weight or overweight.

If you are an average sized lady, aim to gain at least twenty-five pounds and at most thirty-five pounds during the pregnancy period. If you are under weight, aim to gain at least twenty-eight pounds and at most forty pounds. For the women who are overweight, aim to gain at least fifteen to twenty-five pounds by the time the baby is due.

You have probably gained about twenty pounds by 28 weeks pregnant and your uterus has moved three inches up toward the navel by now. You will also notice that you are short of breath during this time. This is because your growing uterus is pushing up on your diaphragm.

If you are carrying the baby higher in your belly or carrying twins you are likely going to have more problems breathing. There is not so much you can do about this just like rib pain, but it will go away during the final weeks of the pregnancy when the baby moves down to the pelvic area.

The mother to be will begin to feel stronger and more kicks and movements by the baby at 27 weeks pregnant. This is because there is little space in the womb for the baby to move around as it is growing bigger and bigger with time. The baby’s reproductive organs are in place by 26 weeks pregnant, for the girl the ovaries would contain all the follicles that will produce eggs throughout her fertile life. The boys will have their testicles descend in to the scrotum.

26 weeks pregnant is also another time for the mother to start feeling baby hiccups. Hiccups during this time of the pregnancy are common and usually lasts for a minute or less. The umbilical cord o the baby at 27 weeks pregnant is around the same size as the baby. As the baby grows so does the placenta; it will continue to get longer. The mother is going through the last weeks of the second trimester and the uterus is almost three inches above the navel.

You will begin to start getting tired at 27 weeks pregnant unlike the beginning of the second trimester. This is usually because your growing uterus is demanding more blood and using a lot of your energy. This is the time you should take it easy and ensure you get as much rest as possible.

Another important development at 27 weeks pregnant for the mother is that this is the first time you are going to start experiencing Braxton hicks or the famous false labor pains. These contractions are usually meant to prepare your body and prepare it for delivery. You can get information about the signs of labor so that when you begin to experience Braxton hicks you will know the difference.

Real labor pains usually come atregular intervals of time and get closer to each other and become stronger with time. If these pains go away after some time or when you change your position, this means it is false labor. True labor pains usually persist even when you change your position.

Leg cramping or pain is another common occurrence at 27 weeks pregnant. This is usually caused by the pressure applied on the blood vessels that take blood back to the heart. It can cause a lot of pain and discomfort making it difficult for you to sleep. This tends to get worse as the pregnancy continues.