Pregnancy week 41

What’s happening to your baby?

Shouldn’t your baby be in your arms by now? Of course, she should - according to your expected due date. Are you feeling frustrated about what is still cooking inside? Relax mommy, we hear you!

The due date your OB or a sonogram calculated is only an approximation, based on your last period date. There is no sure-cut method to predict the exact date when you got conceived. Even if there is, your baby has the liberty to write past it and make her own sweet decisions at the last minute.

Do you think there’s hardly anything happening to your baby now that she is past the due date? You could be wrong. Though she has now reached her full weight and length, her metabolism is not going to remain static. For instance, her nails are out-growing her fingers and make sure you have a baby nail clipper to take with you to the hospital.

What’s happening to your body?

You are turning on the calendar sheets or watching your clock go tick-tick! Family and friends might begin to ask if you weren’t already due. And perhaps, you begin to worry if everything is alright with your baby.

The good news is your baby is after all, not too late! Until next week, your baby will not be considered post-term.

You have probably by-hearted labor signs by now. But, we are not going to stop reminding you – until you are actually there!

ü  Mucus plug releases: The mucus plug that has been protecting your cervix may begin to come out all at once or little by little; you’ll see a glob of thick mucus if it’s the first case or tinges of vaginal discharge in your underwear, for latter, over a period of weeks, days or hours. While this is a sure sign of labor, you cannot predict how far you are to labor.

ü  Diarrhea: Diarrhea could be a lesser-known sign of labor. Though it is not one of the sure signs, several pregnant moms-to-be report to have had diarrhea a few hours or days before labor began. Perhaps, it is nature’s way to clean up the bowels before labor.

ü  Frequent, stronger contractions: Intense contractions which occur every thirty minutes call for a close watch for true labor. With stronger contractions, you are getting dilated and when they get apart by only five minutes or closer, you are into active labor. And a sure signal to call your OB immediately!

ü  Water breaks: Water leaking either as a sudden gush or a slow release in trickles, breaking of the amniotic sac needs to be immediately followed by labor. If your water breaks before going into labor, you may have to reach the hospital immediately in order to prevent infection. Your OB will do an examination to check the dilation and effacement of your cervix, depending on which, you may be asked to wait for labor to set, induction or call for an emergency.

Tips and advice for Pregnancy Week 41

Your doctor may do a nonstress test this week for monitoring your baby’s heart rate if it wasn’t done earlier. Unless your baby is found to be in fetal distress or you develop a symptom for new risks, you may be advised to wait until next week for labor to begin.

Labor Induction

Your doctor might also discuss with you about labor induction. Your cervix will be examined for dilation and effacement and depending upon the observation, your doctor might advice whether you will need one or not. Here are some quick facts about how an induction is likely to progress:

·         If your cervix isn’t dilated or ‘ripened’ yet, prostaglandins will be administered through the vagina. This will induce cervical ripening and labor contractions.

·         If your body does not respond to prostaglandins or if your cervix is already dilated and thinned-out, Pitocin (a drug that contains oxytocin) will be administered intra-venously to induce labor.

 

·         If contractions have started but labor doesn’t progress, your doctor may perform Artificial Rupture of Membranes (AROM), a manual breaking of the amniotic sac.