Women who have made it to week 40 are at the full term pregnancy period, and labor is imminent. The fetus is fully developed and capable of surviving the outside environment; they still continue to gain weight at a slower pace until delivery. Women who have gone more than 10 days past their due date can now opt to have induced labor.
What happens during week 40 of pregnancy?
By week 40 of pregnancy, the fetus is fully developed and weighs a little over 3.5kg, and measures about 50cm; however, healthy full-term babies can vary in weight from 2.9kg to 4.2kg. Their movements just before the approaching days of labor can slow down because of the limited space in the uterus. But if women find that the baby has completely stopped moving, it is important to contact the doctor about it.
Women’s bodies would be preparing for childbirth at this point, and it is normal to feel energetic. Most babies are not born on their due date for a number of reasons. Only about 1 in 20 babies are born on their due date or close to it, while more than half of all babies go past the 40th week of pregnancy. Women who go past 10 or 12 days of their due date are advised to have induced labour, especially if there is a risk to their health or the health of the baby.
Preparing for Childbirth
As the due date approaches, it is ideal to have a plan in place for unexpected labour. Labour can sometimes move quickly or take up hours or even days. Therefore it is necessary to have a plan after talking to the doctor. Women would be advised to watch for signs such as pregnancy labour pain that get more intense and have a gap of 3 to 5 minutes in between. Other signs of labour nearing include the mucus ‘show’ where the mucus plug which seals the cervix comes away, indicating that the cervix is starting to dilate. When all the signs indicate imminent labour, it is time to call the hospital and have support such as spouse/family/friends be present to help with moving to the hospital.
After the baby is born, the hospital staff would assist the mother in caring for the infant. The baby will also undergo a few screening tests to look for any preexisting conditions. They would also be given a hepatitis B vaccination and vitamin K injection.
Women who plan to have their delivery at home need to prepare earlier and have the support of a doctor or an obstetrician and a registered midwife to assist with the labour. In the event that the labour is not progressing as it should, there need to be arrangements to transfer the women to a hospital. Homebirth is not recommended for women who have a ‘high risk’ pregnancy.
Wrapping Up
At the 40th week, women have reached full-term pregnancy and can deliver the baby at any time. Women need to learn how to recognize the early signs of labor and have a plan for getting to the hospital. They also need to prepare the home for the arrival of the baby.
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