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. Both brain and lungs will continue to develop throughout his/her childhood.
By this time, you should be ready with your hospital bag as your baby may arrive anytime now. If you have elder kid/s then do not forget to pack a surprise gift for them as it will prove useful in bonding the siblings as the elder kid/s may get jealous of the new born baby. Keep your health care provider’s phone number at hand so that you can reach him/her in emergency too.
Unlike what they show in movies, labor is a long process. The first stage of labor may start a few days or hours before the active labor. During this stage, your cervix, the neck of the womb, consisting of a narrow passage leading to the vagina, may dilate
If your water sac breaks, then rush to the hospital without wasting any time. Once the water sac breaks, the process of labor speeds up. There is a possibility of you and your baby contacting any infection as the sac containing amniotic fluid protects your baby from getting any outside infections. Therefore it is necessary for you to reach your health care provider or doctor immediately.
Many pregnant women complain of swelling on their feet, ankle, face and hands during last few weeks of pregnancy. It is quite normal, however if you notice sudden rise in swelling, then contact your health care provider immediately as this may cause some serious problem to your and your baby’s health.
If you have decided to breast feed your baby then make sure your doctor and other staff in your hospital knows this so that you can breast feed your baby as soon as possible. Apart from protecting your baby from various infections, breast feeding reduces the risk of breast cancer.
If you have not got the infant car seat installed till now, make sure you get it now. As the hospitals do not allow parents to take their baby home without a car seat. Some local stores offer help in installing car seat, so if you have any doubts you can get help from such local stores. Make sure you install the car seat properly keeping in mind your baby’s safety.
Take this time to relax and do things you like to do. Once your baby arrives, you will be so busy looking after your baby that you will get very little time for yourself. Spend some quality time with your partner as you will not be able to give him sufficient time once your baby comes home.
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