Highlights this week
Baby development at 39 weeks
- Surface skin cells are sloughing off as new skin cells form underneath
- Fingernails have grown and may need trimming after birth
- Your baby's organs are good to go for life in the outside world
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Your baby is as heavy as a mini-watermelon
length
50.7
cm
head to toe
weight
3.3
kg
Pregnancy symptoms at 39 weeks
The last few weeks of pregnancy can be tough if you suffer from heartburn. Skip rich foods and follow our tips for eating well in the last week or so.Do you feel that time has flown since the beginning of your pregnancy? If so, then get ready for a change of pace. These final few days will probably feel longer than the past nine months.
You may be feeling anxious about the birth, or worried that your pregnancy will outlast your due date. Most doctors and midwives will wait seven to 14 days after your due date before considering your baby overdue and offering to induce your labour. Your midwife or doctor may offer a membrane sweep to try to get labour started naturally. If this is your first baby, your labour may be long and slow, but there are ways to speed things up both naturally and by intervention from your midwife or doctor.
In the meantime, you and your partner may try relieving the tension with a little love-making. Sex is thought to be helpful in getting labour started. Even if it doesn't work, at least you'll have fun trying!
- If you think your waters have broken, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible
- Your cervix may have started thinning out and dilating
How your life's changing
If your mum's coming to stay when your baby arrives, let her make a fuss of you. And leave any chores for someone else to do or just to pile up.Having lots of visitors when you are getting to know your newborn can be overwhelming. So don't feel bad about putting some people off for a week or two. Or for suggesting that they just come over for quick a cup of tea and don't outstay their welcome!
Your first priority is yourself and your baby. You'll need time to rest and recover. It's also a good idea to restrict who can hold your baby to close friends and family in the early weeks.
What you need to know
- Find out what your mucus plug might look like. When the mucus that has been blocking your cervix comes away at the start of labour it is often called a bloody show.
- You may feel utterly exhausted or completely exhilarated after your baby is born – or both!
- Don't be surprised if your baby spends most of the time sleeping and feeding once you come home. Find out how your newborn develops in the first few weeks.
- Make sure you and your partner have the labour ward phone number on your mobile. You'll be able to call for a midwife from the hospital entrance, if you need help as soon as you arrive.
- Be prepared for the baby blues. Hormonal changes a few days after your baby's birth may make you moody and weepy. It's normal and for most people it passes by itself.
Pregnancy tip: it may take longer than you thought
"When I had a show, I expected to be in labour almost immediately. I didn't know I'd have to wait for nearly three days before my waters broke!" -- BelDanielle Townsend is a content and communications specialist. She was an editor at BabyCenter for over a decade.
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