Pregnancy week 40: Your week by week pregnancy guide
You're feeling a bit impatient, waiting for your baby who seems to have missed the memo. Don't lose sleep over this. Instead, use this time to get all the rest you can get. Think of it as the calm before the storm.
Mummy, you’ve probably been eagerly counting down the days to this final week! Congratulations! It’s almost time for you to meet your little one. Don’t forget, only five percent of babies come out on the day they’re due so worry not if your little one wants to stay in there a little longer.
How Big is Your Baby?
You’re carrying a full sized pumpkin in your womb! Since baby is at full term this week, he or she is measuring around 51.2cm and weighs about 3.4kg!
Image courtesy: Pixabay
Your Baby’s Development
In this week by week pregnancy guide, you’ll learn that:
- He/she is yet to make his way through the birth canal
- His/her skull bones are not yet fused. This allows the bones to overlap a bit if the journey through the birth canal proves to be a bit tight. This is called molding and explains why your baby’s head is more oval than round.
Pregnancy Symptoms
- At pregnancy week 40, you will continue to feel uncomfortable as your baby makes his way down your pelvis.
- You will feel sharp pains in the abdomen, your vaginal area, and along your legs.
Pregnancy Care
- Don’t lose sleep over when and where your water will break. Sleep is rare enough as it is.
- Learn to recognise when your amniotic sac has ruptured. Amniotic fluid is usually colourless and odourless. If you notice fluid that looks yellowish and smells of ammonia, you are probably leaking urine.
- Another method to test if your amniotic sac has ruptured is by attempting to stem the fluid’s flow by squeezing your pelvic muscles (Kegel exercises). If the flow stops, it’s urine. And, if it doesn’t, it’s amniotic fluid. If your water breaks and the fluid is green or brown, call your doctor immediately. It could mean that your baby has had a bowel movement (meconium) in your uterus.
Your Checklist
- With your baby due any minute, the best thing to do is to kickback and relax. Catch up on some well-deserved beauty sleep.
Your next week: 41 weeks pregnant
Your previous week: 39 weeks pregnant
Do you have questions on this week by week pregnancy guide? What are your current concerns, mums? Leave us a comment below!
