What to expect before giving birth and what to do
You have been pregnant for some months, and you are almost at the end of your pregnancy journey. These are the last days of your pregnancy. It is obvious you are eager to know what will happen during this period and what you need to do to stay safe. Here is what will happen and what to do.
Your baby is big
At this time expect your baby to be the size of a pumpkin. He weighs around six and eight pounds, and he is now fully grown. Her brain is developing but don't expect her to grow more than this. However, brain growth will continue up to three years after the baby’s birth.
What will happen?
During this time, expect your body to undergo different changes in preparation for labor. But here are some of the things you should expect to experience as you get ready to receive your baby:
- Regular and intense contractions: Expect to have contractions that may over 30 seconds and rise in frequency
- Diarrhea: You might have diarrhea that accompanied by contractions this is because the body muscles are relaxing including the rectum muscles. This may result in free bowel movements.
- Baby drops: Your baby is preparing to join you in your world. Your baby will descend to your pelvis ahead of the start of labor. Your child is positioning himself to get out. This will cause you to have more breathing space, but your trips to the toilet will not reduce.
- Water may break: This is one sign that you should expect during your last week of your pregnancy. The water is likely to have some blood.
- A backache: You will have a strong backache as well as regular contractions. Most of the time, back pains disappear soon after birth. However, if you have been having back pains before, you are likely to continue experiencing them, and it is crucial to see a doctor.
- A bloody show 39 weeks: Expect this in your 39th or last week of pregnancy. This happens when a pink-like mucus plug comes away either wholly or gradually. This is because your cervix’s blood vessels rupture. It is also an indication that your cervix is opening up. However, it does not happen to any women.
- Delayed cord clamping: This can mean waiting until the umbilical cord ends the natural third stage.
- You stop gaining weight: These are the last days of your pregnancy, and the worst thing that can happen is to continue adding weight. You will not put on weight at this stage.
What should you do?
Call a doctor, your hospital or a midwife if you see the above happen or you notice the following:
- The contractions come back every five minutes
- You have colored, smelly blood or losing much blood
- The water breaks before you have contractions
Conclusion
If you are in your last days of pregnancy, it is necessary to know and watch out for the labor signs and symptoms. Each birth is different and the time you stay in the hospital after delivery may vary based on how complicated or easy your delivery was.
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