Enjoying your pregnancy
If you are pregnant, whether it’s for the first time or not, you know that your life is going to change forever. Bringing a child into this world will change everything about you, be it physically, emotionally, mentally, morally and socially. Don’t worry, as god has given you a time period of 9 months to prepare for this event. So take a deep breath and start.
When you are pregnant, you will find that a lot of people, from amongst your friends and relatives, and even those who you don’t know, giving you a lot of advice. Of course, all the advice is well- meant, but you need to take all of that with a pinch of salt! This is because no amount of advice can prepare you for the whirlwind that is going to turn your life upside down!
During this time, not only do you need to take good care of yourself, you can also fill your leisure time with reading as much about pregnancy and taking care of a newborn baby as you can. Don’t just rely on the internet. Visit your local library and read up on the subject. But too much information is bad as you are going to be nervous if you read up all the statistics on everything negative that has ever happened to babies!
Enjoy your pregnancy while it lasts. Do things you like, don’t over- stress yourself at work and spend quality time with your partner. It will make you a happy mother when your little one arrives.
40th Week of Pregnancy
By 40th week of pregnancy, your baby is around 19 to 21 inches long and weighs about 7 to 9 pounds. By this time, your baby has grown up and has developed her organs inside your uterus. All her bones except the skull have hardened. The skull of your baby is still soft as it helps your baby navigate her way through vaginal canal during delivery.
Some of you may not show symptoms of starting of labor during 40th week of pregnancy too. In such case, your health care provider will suggest inducing labor. He/she may start some medicines to induce labor. It is done keeping in mind your and your baby’s safety. As you proceed in pregnancy, level of amniotic fluid decreases gradually, if that level is too low, then there is a chance that your baby will not get sufficient nutrients through amniotic fluid. In such cases, the health care provider may induce you labor to avoid further risks to your and your baby’s health.
If you go into labor but it does not progress, your and your baby’s health is at risk because of this then your health care provider may induce labor. If your baby is in breech position or there are risk factors involved if you are to give birth vaginally then your health care provider may suggest delivery by C-section depending upon your individual situation. As each pregnancy is different and unique, your health care provider will make a decision depending upon your health.
If you are planning to breast feed your baby, then let your hospital staff know your wish so that you will be able to feed your baby as soon as possible after delivery. The early milk or colostrums contains protein and antibodies that help your baby improve his/her immunity and fight diseases to certain extent.
There are many advantages of breast feeding your baby. Apart from your baby getting antibodies and proper nourishments, it benefits you too:
It helps you loose weight quickly as more calories are burned during breast feeding.
While breast feeding, uterus contracts and bleeding reduces. Thus it speeds up your recovery process.
Apart from being economical it reduces the chances of breast cancer.
Above mentioned are a few advantages of breast feeding. If you are planning for formula feeding, then consult your doctor or a pediatrician for their recommendations.
Some of you may experience hemorrhoids, vaginal bleeding and swollen breasts after delivery. Many women suffer from postpartum depression, most commonly referred to as ‘baby blues’ due to additional hormones in the body. Consult your health care provider before taking any medicine for these symptoms.
Take proper rest during this week as you may not be able to get enough rest and sleep once you arrive home with your baby. Spend time reading baby care books or doing things you like to do. Once your baby arrives, your life will be changed totally therefore plan everything in advance so that you can take care of your baby properly.
39th Week of Pregnancy
By 39th week of pregnancy your baby is around 18 to 20 ½ inches long and weighs about 6 ½ to 8 pounds. Though you might not notice change in your weight or size, your baby is continuously growing and preparing for her birth. Monitoring your baby’s movements is essential. If you find any change in your baby’s movements and feel that your baby has become less active, then contact your health care provider without wasting any time.
Now that you have a few more days before your baby arrives, use this time to make sure you have adequate supply of nursery supplies. If you have bought clothes for your baby, make sure they can be exchanged if the size does not fit. Keep all the tags so that you can exchange the clothes. Ask about the shop’s exchange policy before buying baby clothes. If you have not already taken a practice run to your hospital, do it now. This way you will know the time you take to reach the hospital in case you need to rush there in emergency.
If your partner wants to accompany you in during delivery, let your health care provider and hospital know it in advance. Many hospitals allow filling of forms in advance so that the expectant mother and her partner can be admitted quickly without wasting time on documentation on the D-day. If you have elder kid/s, then spend it with them as you will get little time once your baby arrives home.
Your health care provider will ask you to monitor your baby’s movements as your baby gets lesser space in your uterus now. Some of you may experience breaking of water sac. There is no need to panic, however contact your health care provider immediately. Your baby might take some more time to arrive however you should act as per your health care provider’s advice.
You will be surprised to know that only 5% to 6% women deliver on their due date. Therefore its some days past your due date, there is no reason to worry. However if you are more than a week past your due date, then your health care provider may induce labor after some tests to determine whether to wait for some more time or induce labor so that you can deliver your baby safely.
After delivery, many women expect to loose weight immediately. However, you will reduce gradually even though some websites want to tell you a different truth, but usually those websites just have a product aimed at rapid weight loss and done a good amount of SEO work to land in the top results so beware let nature take care of your gradual weight loss 
. You will loose 10 to 12 pounds right away after delivery but you will take some more time to get back to your pre pregnancy weight. If you are planning to breast feed your baby, then you have the chance of loosing weight faster and getting back to your pre pregnancy shape. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise after delivery. If you undergo C-section, then your body will take more time to heal and strengthen.
Enjoy the remaining days of your pregnancy as your life will be way different once you arrive home with your baby.
38th Week of Pregnancy
Now you are carrying a full term baby. Your due date may be another week or two ahead but you can expect your baby’s arrival anytime now. Your baby is around 17 to 20 inches long and he/she weighs somewhere between 6 ¼ to 7 ½ pounds now. Most of the organs in your baby’s body are fully developed and functional except for lungs and brain. Your baby’s lungs will start functioning right after his/her birth. [...] Continue Reading…
37th Week of Pregnancy
Around 3th week of pregnancy, your baby is around 18 inches long and her weight is about 6 to 7 pounds. You should have gained somewhere between 25 to 35 pounds. Generally 37th week and onwards during pregnancy, some of the moms-to-be do not gain much weight. However you must remember one thing that each pregnancy is unique and each baby’s growth will differ from other babies. Therefore if you find other women’s growth measures are [...] Continue Reading…
36th Week of Pregnancy
36th Week of Pregnancy
By 36th week of pregnancy most of the expectant moms will get Braxton Hicks contractions more often. Many times true labor pains start after Braxton Hicks contractions but there are great chances that you will be told by your health care provider that it is a false labor or false alarm once you reach hospital. Do not be frustrated if you get to hear this and sent back to your home.
Your baby is [...] Continue Reading…
35th Week of Pregnancy
35th Week of Pregnancy
By 35th week of pregnancy your weight gain should be around 24 to 29 pounds. Each pregnancy is different therefore do not compare your weight and your baby’s growth with others. If you have some apprehensions and worries regarding this, discuss your concerns with your health care provider.
As you proceed further in pregnancy, your baby starts descending down in pelvis. This process or time during late pregnancy when the fetal head begins to [...] Continue Reading…
34th Week of Pregnancy
By 34th week of pregnancy, you can make out the consistent growth of your abdomen. Now your tummy has to accommodate around 17 ½ inches long and 5 to 5 ½ pounds baby inside. The growing abdomen may make your belly button very sensitive and might push your belly button slightly outwards.
Your baby’s skin is getting fat stored under it. This will help your baby control and normalize his/her body temperature once your baby arrives in [...] Continue Reading…
33rd Week of Pregnancy
Another few weeks and you will be proud mom of your little one. You might feel anxious; worried about your delivery and child care once your baby arrives. Discuss your worries with your partner. You partner also may be worried about some things regarding your pregnancy, delivery and child upbringing. You can be good support for each other and it will also help you bonding even better with each other and your baby.
Your baby is now [...] Continue Reading…
32nd Week of Pregnancy
As you near your due date, most of the moms-to-be gain one pound per week. Your baby is also gaining weight and she is around 4 to 4 ½ ponds now. Your baby’s height when measured from head to toe can be around 16 inches. Your baby’s lungs are becoming stronger week by week. Baby’s finger nails and toe nails are formed properly by 32nd week of pregnancy. Though all the bones are formed, they are [...] Continue Reading…
31st Week of Pregnancy
By 31st week of pregnancy, your body gets almost ready for nursing your baby after birth. Some of you may notice milk like substance coming out of breasts. It is called pre milk or colostrums a yellowish fluid rich in antibodies and minerals that a mother’s breasts produce after giving birth and before the production of true milk. It provides newborns with immunity to infections. If you do not notice any colostrums leak, do not worry. [...] Continue Reading…
30th Week of Pregnancy
Around 30th week of pregnancy your baby is around 15 inches long and weighs about three pounds. Your baby can now differentiate between light and dark in the uterus. Though she can now open and close her eyes, your baby’s eyes will remain closed for maximum time after birth for a few days. Your baby’s lungs are ready for the first breath. If born this week, your baby has good chances of survival with timely and [...] Continue Reading…
29th Week of Pregnancy
As you enter 29th week of pregnancy, your weight gain would be approximately between 19 to 25 pounds. Your baby now weighs about 2 ¾ pounds and is roughly over 14 ½ inches in height when measured from the head to heel. Your baby’s development is really very fast since 28th week and it will continue in this week as well. Your baby’s lungs are maturing and getting ready for the first breath of your baby [...] Continue Reading…
28th Week of Pregnancy
Now that you have entered 3rd trimester, you are going nearer to your delivery day. Most of the pregnancy symptoms from previous weeks will show their presence during this week too. Constipation, heartburn, leg and lower back cramps, sleeplessness etc are some of the symptoms. Many of the moms-to-be may experience hemorrhoids i.e. painful varicose veins in the canal of the anus due to increased pressure in pelvic area during pregnancy.
Though it is quite common during [...] Continue Reading…
27th Week of Pregnancy
Your 13 ¾ inches long baby weighs around 2 ¼ pounds by now. Now your baby can open and close her eyelids. Your baby has now begun the cycle of going to sleep and waking up. Your baby’s sleep timings will not match yours though. Your bay may feel like waking up and playing just when you decide to take some rest. Therefore sleeping might become little bit difficult.
By 27th week of pregnancy, most of you [...] Continue Reading…