Posts Tagged ‘37th week of pregnancy’
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 different from your, it should not be the cause of concern for you. Even so if you have any doubts regarding your weight and your baby’s growth, seek your health care provider’s advice.
Around this time of pregnancy, the mucus cup that was preventing outside bacteria from entering uterus is pushed out so that the cervix can dilate or widen and your body starts preparing for child birth. There is no hard and fast rule as to when a woman will deliver after the mucus cup is expelled. Actual labor can be hours, days or another couple of weeks away.
If the vaginal discharge is colorless, then there is no need to rush to the hospital immediately. However if the discharge is more and is bright red in color, then you must contact your health care provider without delay.
If you have not packed your hospital bag, now is the time to do that. This way you will be prepared when the big day arrives. If your hospital allows, make sure you complete all the documentation beforehand so that you do not have to wait if you have to reach the hospital in emergency.
Now that your delivery day is not far away, you will have to consider some other things as well. You will not be able to cook for a few days once you reach home with your baby. You can cook such dishes now that can be frozen and used afterwards for dinner. This way you can have home made food too. You can have take-out menus so that you can order meals once you come back home with your baby. If some of your friends or family members offer their help in doing cooking for you, do not feel shy as you need as much rest as you can get after delivery.
You must know one thing that very few babies are born on the due date. A few days plus or minus is absolutely normal. However if you are more than a week overdue then your health care provider may induce you labor. It is done for the safety of both mother and baby. If the baby stays in the uterus past due date then there is a possibility that the baby may not get enough nutrients through swallowing amniotic fluid. Fluid also will decrease. If the baby is big then there could be some problem for natural birth and your doctor may have to perform a c-section for delivery.
Consult your health care provider for details about the preferred method for your delivery.