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Pregnancy Week 37

Pregnancy Week 37
It’s natural that expecting mothers want to know everything about their baby at every stage of the pregnancy. When you understand what’s happening at each week, you will be better prepared to deal with the discomforts and uncertainties of pregnancy. Also, it’s helps you to form a special bond with the child because you know, more or less, how your child is developing. What can you expect and what do you need to know in week 37 of your pregnancy? Let’s take a look.

The Baby
Though it’s still about 3 weeks before you are officially known as a mother, finally, your baby has reached “full term”. Certainly, this is an exciting period because so much can happen in as little as a few days or as much as a few weeks! The good news is that your baby’s will be strong enough to function outside of womb if you are to go into labor at this time. It must be noted that every baby develop differently so there’s a chance that your baby will require more time. For this reason, your practitioner may schedule for your repeat c-section after week 39 if you go for this option. Of course, the c-section will be scheduled earlier if there’s a medical reason.

From head to heel, your baby measure a little more than 19 inches and weighs a little more than 6 pounds. Your baby is fine-tuning her breathing skills by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. Right now, your baby can grasp, blink, swallow, turn her head or suck her thumb. Just like many other babies, your baby may have a full crown of lovely baby hair which is most likely the first thing the doctor or midwife will see in a natural birth. The length of the locks vary from ½ to 1 ½ inches. What’s the color of your baby’s hair? It’s anybody’s guess because some fair-haired couples have babies with dark hair and some dark-haired couples have babies with red of blonde hair.

The Body
At week 37, your Braxton Hicks contractions may become more uncomfortable, longer lasting, and more frequent. Also, there may be more vaginal discharge. Labor may just be a few days away if you notice some “bloody show” in your panties or in the toilet. You should contact your caretaker at once if you see heavier bleeding or spotting. At this time, you may not be sleeping quite so well at night because of the discomfort. Try your best to relax through the day because your life is going to change quite drastically once you start on the journey of motherhood. Take note of your baby’s movement, and if you feel less movement, you should contact your caretaker at once. When you walk, you may have the feeling that your baby is going to drop out but you shouldn’t be worried because there’s no likelihood that it will happen. Don’t be surprised if you are having intense dreams because naturally, you are anxious about labor and parenthood. If you find yourself to be unusually forgetful, you shouldn’t suspect that there’s something wrong with you because research has shown that the brain of pregnant women actually reduces in size during the third trimester. A few months after birth, the brain size will revert to its original size.

Some Things to Consider
Since you may enter into labor any time now, you should know all about the signs of labor. Get hold of your healthcare provider and find out how you may know for certain that labor has begun. This is important because there can be false alarms. Then, find out when you should call the healthcare provider. Now is the time to thrash out any uncertainties because you will not have time to ask questions once labor begins. Find out how fast your healthcare provider can get to your place and the contingency plan in the event that he or she is not on call.

                                                                                     Image source: Wikimedia

Relationships
Waiting for labor to begin can be quite unbearable. Why not take your mind off it a little by spending some quality time with your friends? It may not be such a bad idea to pamper yourself a little because you definitely deserve it. Go to the day spa with your best friend or if you prefer a pedicure, feel free to enjoy yourself. If you are not in the mood to go out, you may also invite your friends over to your house to watch some movies or chat until the cow comes home. Some people lose their friends after they become parents but it doesn’t have to be that way. Try to draw up plans to hang out after the birth of your baby.

Exercise
Many women wonder how some women can still maintain their figure after they give birth. Well, it takes some hard work, and it’s always a great thing to keep your body in the best possible shape during your pregnancy. If you are still following your exercise routine in week 37 of your pregnancy, hats off to you. At this stage of your pregnancy, you may want to keep it lighter or even abstain from exercise altogether because the baby may be coming at any moment now. As a substitute, you may read a book or meditate.

Shopping
What else do you need for yourself and your baby? Make a list so that you don’t miss anything. One thing that some parents overlook is a car seat. When you are bringing your baby home, you need to put him or her in a car seat. It’s quite common for expecting parents to receive a car seat as a gift from well-wishing family and friends. If not, it’s quite easy to buy one, and you should do it as soon as possible. If you have not handled a car seat previously, you will need some time to figure out how to set it up in the backseat and how it works with the baby.

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