Photo: UGC When the 38th week of pregnancy arrives, the expectant mother is already in full swing preparing for childbirth. By this time, the baby is already completely ready for life outside the mother’s body, so the birth process can begin any day. In order not to miss the moment when it’s time to get ready for the maternity hospital, it is important to be able to recognize the signs of an approaching birth. The information in this article will help with this. Read and be fully prepared.
Body changes and new sensations for women
At 38 weeks, a woman’s placenta, the organ that carries out communication and metabolism between the mother’s body and the fetus, gradually begins to “age”: the area of the baby’s place decreases, and areas of salt deposits appear.
This is a normal physiological process, there is no need to worry about the child - he has enough nutrients at this stage, although now he is gaining less height and weight. The mother’s body, therefore, is preparing with all its might for the birth of a little man. We already talked about the precursors of labor in “37 weeks of pregnancy,” and the onset of labor is directly indicated by regular contractions—involuntary contractions of the muscles of the uterus that a woman cannot control. When they appear, you need to urgently call your doctor, or better yet go to the maternity hospital immediately (this is especially true for inexperienced mothers who are giving birth for the first time and may simply become confused when new painful sensations appear). The intervals between contractions are usually about half an hour, and over time their frequency, intensity and duration gradually increase. This is how they differ from training contractions, which can also take place at 38 weeks: when, for example, the woman’s body position changes, such contractions stop.
The fact that you urgently need to call an ambulance is also indicated by heavy discharge, which most often indicates rupture of the membranes and in fact turns out to be amniotic fluid.
What's important at 38 weeks
The 38th week of pregnancy has arrived - an alarming waiting period for the expectant mother. At this stage, the pregnant woman should be prepared for the fact that she can be taken to the maternity hospital at any moment. If you have not yet packed your bag for the maternity hospital
, now is the time to take care of it. Also collect all the necessary documents: you need to take your passport, medical insurance, exchange card and birth certificate to the maternity hospital. Place all your documents in one folder or file and carry them with you in your purse, especially when traveling.
Nutrition at 38 weeks of pregnancy
In order to minimize the load on the stomach, you need to give up “heavy” food (especially sausages and liver dishes) or at least try to combine it with “light” food. Diversify your diet with vegetables, fruits, and water-based cereals (the consumption of fermented milk products should now be limited so that the child’s fontanel does not overgrow prematurely). Season all your dishes with sunflower or olive oil (it is healthier) - this will help avoid ruptures during childbirth.
Tests and studies during pregnancy
Visiting a doctor monitoring pregnancy: once a week.
Weighing, measuring blood pressure, measuring the height of the uterine fundus, listening to the fetal heartbeat. General urine test - before each visit to the doctor. Indicates the quality of kidney function.
Dopplerography (a study that allows you to evaluate blood flow in the vessels of the uterus, placenta and main vessels of the child) - 33-34 weeks after the first day of the last menstruation, according to indications . The study allows you to find out whether the child is getting enough oxygen and nutrients.
Cardiotocography (CTG, synchronous recording of fetal heartbeats and uterine contractions) - 33-34 weeks after the first day of the last menstruation, according to indications. The child’s condition is assessed and intrauterine hypoxia is excluded.
Lifestyle
Now you need to collect all the necessary things for the maternity hospital. This:
- documents (passport, health insurance policy, exchange card, birth contract if you are giving birth for a fee, ultrasound results); hygiene products (thick pads, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, toilet paper, wet wipes, face and hand cream, washcloth, towel);
- personal items (socks, robe, slippers, nursing bra, pack of disposable panties for the maternity hospital, comb);
- as well as a cup, plate, fork, spoon and, just in case, paper and pen.
And don't forget your cell phone and charger!
Internal and external changes in the mother’s body
The body of a woman expecting a baby undergoes significant changes (both internal and external). However, they are not always positive. It is not for nothing that people can hear the phrase that the child took away the beauty of the mother.
Quite often, pregnant women become less attractive in appearance, gain excess weight, and their movements become clumsy.
The well-being of women in this situation also changes for the worse. As a result of powerful hormonal changes in the body, chronic diseases often worsen, they experience pain in the lower back, tightness in the lower abdomen, they are tormented by swelling of the limbs, attacks of nausea and vomiting, and discharge. Towards the end of pregnancy, they begin to experience painful training contractions. Despite this, subsequently the joy of motherhood overcomes all the unpleasant moments, which are very quickly forgotten.
What happens in a woman's body?
The body of the expectant mother undergoes the most important changes towards the end of the third trimester of pregnancy:
- As a result of hormonal changes, the pelvic bones soften and diverge, as a result of which the woman experiences severe aching pain at the site of the divergence.
- General health deteriorates significantly.
- Training contractions appear.
- Due to fetal pressure on the bladder, the urge to urinate becomes more frequent, especially at night.
- The beginning of the 38-week gestation period is characterized by frequent aching pain in the lower back and stiffness of the abdomen. The expectant mother periodically experiences pain in her lower abdomen. These sensations are similar to those that a woman experiences during her period.
- The sleep and wakefulness patterns are disrupted. Pregnant women, whose bellies are already large, are not able to take a comfortable position, so they often suffer from the fact that they cannot fall asleep for a long time.
- Swelling appears. In this case, not only the legs, but also the arms can swell. Many pregnant women experience swelling in the face. To minimize the manifestations of this problem, it is recommended to lie down as much as possible with your legs raised up. Eliminating salty, spicy, smoked, fatty and sweet foods from the diet will also help reduce swelling. The body will not swell so much if you drink at least one and a half liters of water per day.
- The mammary glands become engorged, causing the breasts to become heavier.
- Due to the pressure of the uterus on the internal organs, the expectant mother experiences digestive problems. She suffers from attacks of heartburn, belching, nausea and even vomiting.
- Discharge appears from the vagina. Normally, they should have a light shade, uniform consistency and a faint sourish odor. In some cases, mucous discharge is pink or brown. Excessive bleeding is a reason to seek immediate medical attention.
What does the tummy look like?
Closer to the time when a woman is about to give birth, the size of her abdomen increases, preventing her from moving. The skin on it is very stretched. Often the skin becomes dry, itchy and itchy, giving the expectant mother a lot of discomfort. The navel takes on a flat or, conversely, convex shape, as if it had been turned outward. A thick brown stripe appears on the stomach (for more details, see the article: reasons for the appearance of a brown stripe on the stomach during pregnancy).
At the beginning of labor, the fetus's head is pressed against the mother's lower abdomen, causing it to descend. This brings great relief to the woman. The internal organs are relieved of pressure, she no longer feels sick, and it becomes easier to breathe. On average, abdominal circumference by the end of gestation varies between 95-100 cm.
What might bother a pregnant woman?
Most expectant mothers experience discomfort before labor begins due to:
- Psychological experiences. The closer the moment of childbirth is, the more worrying a woman is caused by questions about how to understand that labor is about to begin, how to behave and whether it will hurt. Experts recommend that patients try to calm down, because the mother’s excitement is transmitted to the baby. To do this, you can do breathing exercises or listen to relaxing music.
- Discharge of colostrum from the mammary glands.
- Big belly. In addition to the fact that it limits physical activity and creates problems with choosing clothes, the woman experiences significant discomfort due to the tension of the skin on it.
- Training fights. Irregular contractions of the uterus, especially if they are accompanied by pain, cause a lot of suffering to the expectant mother.
- High pressure. Most women develop hypertension during gestation. If this condition is accompanied by tinnitus and headache, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Pregnant woman
In the last weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother strives to prepare her apartment or house as much as possible for the arrival of a new family member. Scientists call this sign of impending birth nesting syndrome. Many women observe signs of the syndrome from the thirtieth week of pregnancy, but at the 39-40th week nesting reaches its maximum point. Pregnant women strive to do general cleaning and repairs, re-stick wallpaper and purchase many new things that, in their opinion, are simply necessary in the house. After giving birth, many purchases cause confusion. The reason for this behavior is an increase in the level of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the body. These hormones are produced by the adrenal glands; they are necessary not only for the woman, but also for the baby to prepare for the upcoming birth.
What risks might there be during this period?
At the last stage of pregnancy, the health of the expectant mother and child may be threatened by:
- Premature placental abruption. It develops instantly, accompanied by bloody discharge and abdominal pain.
- Low water. Physiological oligohydramnios is a normal condition. However, too sharp and significant a decrease in amniotic fluid can be dangerous for the fetus.
- Preeclampsia and subsequent preeclampsia and eclampsia. If a expectant mother feels nauseous, has double vision, is sore and dizzy, or has high blood pressure, this is a reason to immediately consult a doctor.
Features of fetal development
At this time, the child turns out to be completely ready for life outside the mother’s belly. All organ systems function fully. If a woman continues to bear the fetus, then no significant changes in its development will occur. The baby will simply continue to grow in length and gain weight. At this time, the baby weighs 3 kg or more, and his height is on average 50 cm. Every day his body weight increases by another 30 g.
The baby's skin became pink and smooth. Lanugo and vernix have almost completely disappeared.
The baby's first stool (meconium), which is dead skin cells, has formed in the baby's intestines. As a rule, it comes out after the baby is born. However, there are situations when the baby has bowel movements while still in the womb. In this case, the amniotic fluid becomes greenish in color, and the baby itself will be covered in green mucus at birth.
If a woman is carrying a male child, by this time his testicles have already descended into the scrotum. This is a very important point, so after the baby is born, the doctor will definitely check this fact.
Nutrition
Nutrition of a pregnant woman at 38 weeks
At the 38th week of pregnancy, many women note a sharp decrease in appetite and a change in food preferences. This is a normal condition, indicating a change in hormonal levels, preparing the body for childbirth. In order not to overload a woman’s body, to help it prepare well, it is advisable to follow some rules:
- eat easily digestible, simple food;
- reduce the amount of meat consumed to a minimum: 50-100 g per day;
- increase the amount of vegetables and fruits;
- eat more raw vegetables;
- remove exotic fruits from the diet, especially intense orange and red colors;
- follow the principle of fractional nutrition: eat 5-6 times a day in small portions;
- avoid overeating. In some cases, when a woman’s stomach begins to sag, it is difficult to immediately assess how much volume will be sufficient to avoid overeating. To avoid undesirable consequences, you should try to maintain the same amount of food as in previous weeks;
- drink at least 1 liter of fluid per day, unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor;
- follow the rule “the less salt the better”
- Do not drink strong tea, coffee, carbonated drinks.
Vitamins
In most cases, taking multivitamin complexes and dietary supplements at the 38th week has already been canceled. If the gynecologist did not do this during the appointment, you should definitely ask about the need to cancel additional vitamins.
The process of intrauterine development of the fetus is completed, the baby no longer needs a huge amount of nutrients, all unused nutrients are stored in his body in the form of additional mass. To avoid excessive weight gain in your baby, check with your doctor about taking dietary supplements.
What's happening to the stomach?
The size of the abdomen increases greatly at this time, and it can be difficult for a woman to even move with such a load. Problems also arise when choosing the most comfortable body position during a night's rest. The skin on the abdomen is very tight, dry and may itch.
The navel becomes flattened and sometimes even turns outward. There is no need to worry about such an unaesthetic appearance of the navel; after childbirth everything will return to normal.
At 38 weeks, many women notice that their belly has dropped down. This is a variant of the norm. The baby is simply preparing to be born, and his head is pressed closer to the pelvic floor.
Useful tips
At 37-38 weeks of pregnancy, you should especially take care of yourself and your diet.
To avoid excessive weight gain and overeating, experts recommend eating more often, dividing meals into five to six small portions.
Taboos: flour, fatty foods, citrus fruits and sweets. You should also avoid seafood.
As for the evening diet, give preference to apples, kefir and low-fat cottage cheese.
Don't cut down on your walks. Fresh air is now more important than ever. To avoid overloading your body with long hikes, go outside several times. Or walk where there are benches and you can sit down and relax.
Do breathing exercises, these skills will definitely come in handy.
Communication on forums with mothers. This may help you get rid of some fears and feel more confident.
Also watch the video with comments from experts:
