Week 39
Your baby is about 49.8 cm (19.6 in) long and weighs around 3.1 kg (6.8 lb), about the weight of a small watermelon. Remember that babies vary, and many healthy ones are bigger or smaller. Your baby's organs are ready for life outside, and the last stores of fat are going on. The gut holds the first stool, called meconium, which is usually passed after birth. You may be very ready to meet your baby, and very tired of being asked when. This week covers two things you may be offered as your due date nears, a membrane sweep and induction. It also covers the long wait, what does and does not bring labour on, and why your baby's movements still matter to the very end.
Day 267 · 38 weeks 0 days
Your baby is ready, and still putting on the finishing touches By now your baby's organs can all work on their own. The lungs are ready to take that first breath. The heart and blood vessels are set to change their circulation within minutes of birth, when blood starts flowing to the lungs instead of bypassing them.
Most of the fine, downy lanugo has gone, though some babies are born with patches on their shoulders and back. The creamy vernix that coated the skin is thinning, often leaving a little in the folds. The intestines hold meconium, a thick, dark green stool made of swallowed fluid, cells and bile. Your baby usually passes it in the first day or two after birth. Your baby's head is one of the biggest parts of the body. The skull bones are not yet fused, and there are two soft spots called fontanelles. This lets the head change shape slightly to fit through your pelvis. A newborn's head may look a little pointed or uneven at first. That is normal and usually rounds out within days.
Try this: Look at a few photos of newborns just after birth, so the vernix, the colour and the shape of the head do not surprise you on the day.
Day 268 · 38 weeks 1 day
A membrane sweep may be offered near your due date
A membrane sweep is a simple procedure that can help labour start on its own. During an internal exam, your midwife or doctor slips a finger just inside your cervix and moves it in a circle. This gently separates the membranes from the cervix, which releases natural hormones called prostaglandins.
A sweep can make labour more likely to start within the following days, and it can lower the chance of needing a full induction. It does not work for everyone. It is usually offered around or after your due date, and sometimes earlier for particular reasons. It can be repeated.
It is often uncomfortable, and some people find it painful. Afterwards, you may have cramps, some irregular tightenings and a little spotting. These usually settle within a day.
A sweep is your choice. You can say yes, no, or "not yet". You can also ask your care provider to stop at any point.
Call your care provider if, after a sweep, you have heavy bleeding, your waters break, the pain is strong and steady, or your baby is moving less than usual.
Try this: Ask at your next visit whether a sweep is offered where you are, and when.
Day 269 · 38 weeks 2 days
Induction gives labour a start when waiting is not the best choice An induction means starting labour artificially rather than waiting for it to begin on its own. It is one of the most common procedures in pregnancy. There are many reasons it may be offered. Common ones are going well past the due date, waters breaking without labour following, high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, diabetes, concerns about the baby's growth or movements, or other health conditions. For a straightforward pregnancy, induction is often offered somewhere between 41 and 42 weeks. Your care provider will explain their reasons and what waiting would mean. Induction often happens in steps. First the cervix may need softening, with a medication such as a prostaglandin, or with a small balloon placed in the cervix. Then the waters may be broken. If contractions still need help, a hormone drip called oxytocin is started through an IV.
An induction can take a day or longer, especially in a first pregnancy, so pack for a wait. Your baby's heartbeat is usually monitored more closely. You can still use the full range of pain relief.
It is fine to ask questions before you agree: why now, what happens if we wait, what are the steps here.
Try this: Pack a book, a long phone cable and snacks in your bag, in case labour starts with an induction.
Day 270 · 38 weeks 3 days
The wait can feel longer than all the months before it
These last weeks have a strange quality. Every twinge makes you wonder. Every night you go to bed thinking "maybe tonight". Then you wake up and it is just another day, and your bag is still by the door. On top of that, the messages start. "Any news?" "Still pregnant?" People mean well, but the questions can wear you down. It is fine to set a boundary. You might send one message to family and friends now: "We will let you know when there is news. Please do not ask in the meantime." Or ask your partner to handle the replies.
Plan your days so they have some shape. Meet a friend, see a film, take a short walk, or do something you will not have time for soon. Small plans give you something to look forward to besides labour.
Waiting is also a time some people find surprisingly precious. It is the last stretch when your baby is with you in this way. Let yourself notice that too, if you can.
Try this: Write and send one short message today that sets the tone for updates, and let your partner know you have done it.
Day 271 · 38 weeks 4 days
Most tricks to start labour do not work
Ask around and you will hear plenty of ways to bring on labour: spicy food, long walks, bumpy car rides, pineapple, sex, raspberry leaf tea, castor oil. Most have little or no good evidence behind them.
Staying active is still worthwhile. Walking, gentle swimming and stretching can help your comfort, mood and sleep, and keep you fit for labour. Sex is safe for most people if your waters have not broken and your care provider has not advised against it. It will not do harm, though it is not proven to start labour either.
Some methods carry real risks. Castor oil can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration. Nipple stimulation can trigger strong contractions and is best only with your care provider's advice. Herbal remedies and supplements are not well tested in pregnancy. Check with your midwife or doctor before taking any.
The safest approach is to let labour begin when your body and baby are ready, or to talk with your care provider about a sweep or induction if there is a reason to start things.
Try this: Go for a 20-minute walk today for its own sake, because it feels good, not to make anything happen.
Day 272 · 38 weeks 5 days
Your baby keeps moving right up to labour
Many people are told that babies slow down near the end. This is a myth. Your baby has less room, so the movements may feel different, more like rolls, squirms and stretches than sharp kicks. But they should not become less frequent.
You came to know your baby's own pattern in the weeks you read about earlier. Keep paying attention to it now. Many babies move in a similar way at the same times each day. Your baby should keep moving during labour too.
If you think your baby is moving less, do not wait until the next day, and do not try to "count it out" alone at home. Do not rely on a home heartbeat monitor or app, since they can give false reassurance.
Get help right away if you notice a reduced or changed pattern of movements, or no movements at all. Call your care provider or birth unit, any time of day or night. You will not be wasting anyone's time. Also keep watching for the signs of pre-eclampsia you read about earlier: a bad headache, vision changes, pain under your ribs, or sudden swelling of your face and hands.
Try this: Write the birth unit's number on a sticky note and put it on the fridge.
Day 273 · 38 weeks 6 days
Make a little time for the two of you
Soon your days will revolve around a baby. Now, while it is still quiet, is a good moment to spend time together as you are, whether this is your first baby or your fourth.
It does not need to be big. A meal out, a slow breakfast, a walk somewhere you both like, or an evening with a film and no talk of the birth. Some couples like to talk about what they hope for as parents. Others just want an ordinary night.
It is also a good time to talk honestly about the weeks after the birth. Who will get up in the night? How will you share the load? What will you both need to stay well? Couples who talk about this before the baby arrives tend to cope better when sleep runs short.
If you are doing this without a partner, the same idea applies. Spend time with the people who will stand by you, and let them know how they can help.
For your partner: Plan a simple evening together this week and take care of every detail, so the only job left is to show up.