40th week
LET'S GET MEASURED!
Size of baby: 51 cm
Baby's weight: 3.4 kilos
... 40th week and you have now reached the end of the journey! What happens? Are you anxious about not having given birth yet? Don't panic, you should know that only 5% of the babies are born exactly on time. As we said, the baby will come when it wants (if there are no complications). You 'll say, you're tired of waiting and you have gotten very heavy. And we understand that, you're right. Calm down, everything will take their course in a while! The countdown has begun...
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
...The moody behaviour and emotional ups and downs you might be experiencing after birth may be due to "postpartum depression"? The first period with the baby at home, apart from the immense happiness that entails, it is accompanied with unprecedented emotions and situations that you find difficult to handle mentally. This is a huge responsibility and so is your anxiety about whether everything will go well. Your attention is constantly drawn by the baby and the strain of being satisfactory at all levels is significantly stressful for you... Close your eyes for a few seconds, take a deep breath and keel going. Nothing will go wrong. And if something happens, you will face it bravely and dynamically, as you have all this time. Give your partner a hug and enjoy the wonder of nature that unravels before your eyes...!
Let's go back to .. "waiting"! So you're ready and want to finally get started with the process. Below you will find some ways that have empirically helped other pregnant women to accelerate their labour:
Sexual intercourse. But yet. Semen contains prostaglandins and an orgasm can "activate" apart from your senses... your contractions too! Castor oil and plums. Yes, foods that can stimulate the intestine, may be able to help with contractions too. Spicy food. Prepare some spicy dishes and if you can tolerate "hot stuff", try a hot pepper.
Walking and exercises: Try this. Sit with legs crossed on the floor or in a chair. Straighten your shoulders at right angles to your legs. Put one hand on the belly and the other on your waist. Take a deep breath, while at the same time expanding your belly. Breath out, while at the same time drawing your belly button inward. Press a little and stay in this position. Repeat several times and at regular intervals during the day. And who knows, maybe your baby... gets the message!
If 1-2 more weeks pass from your expected due date, and still the baby boy or baby girl doesn't feel the need to come out, then the doctor will take over. He will check the maturity of your cervix, its position, how soft and how dilated it is, and the quality of the placenta. The baby's health depends on your own health. So, if he decides get started with labour right away, he will "induce" artificial contractions by administering drugs (prostaglandins or oxytocin). In some cases, and more so if something alarming comes up during examination, he will need to perform a caesarean section immediately.
Advice
Remember that pregnancy is a family affair. Give your partner a taste of what it is like to be pregnant, make him participate in experiencing this together. Women are gifted by nature to perceive the miracle taking place within us, but men will feel fatherhood after holding the baby in their hands. You will do all the hard "work", but he too plays his part. For the moment, he will need to take care of you, so that you can be as calm and serene as possible and be able to accomplish the hard task that lies ahead of you. Share the experience and happiness with him! But also ask for his help with as much as he can... He is there for you!
Have a pleasant week... and good luck with the birth!
Source
http://www.paidorama.com
