✓ Thirty-eighth week of pregnancy

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Thirty-eighth week of pregnancy

We are now at the tragurado since the pregnancy can be considered concluded already from the thirty-eighth week. So here's what happens to your body and your baby during thirty-eighth week of pregnancy. With the scientific advice from gynecologist Elisabetta Canitano, president of the non-profit association Vita di donna.

Read also: Thirty-seventh week of pregnancy

Symptoms in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

At this stage there is now only to wait for the baby to be ready to be born. When the time comes, the body will send obvious signals through the contractions loss of mucus plug at the entrance to the cervix and the so-called "breaking of the waters", an unequivocal sign of the onset of labor.

In fact, by the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, the uterus has now reached its maximum expansion, which could cause some disturbance in digestion. In all probability there will be greater difficulty in rest, but this should not discourage or worry the future mother, who should try to remain as active as possible.

What to do in week XNUMX?

In addition to rest, the priority of these weeks is to be ready for when the fateful moment comes. What to do then?

Have one ready emergency bag for a possible sudden rush to the hospital. This emergency kit may include a few changes of linen and clean clothing, a spare cell phone charger, a beatuy case for personal hygiene.
Prepare a layette for the baby (body, socks, diapers etc ...)
Check that the maternity ward chosen is ready to welcome you and that any practices have been completed.

Read also: 10 useful tips to prepare for the birth of a baby

Health advice in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

Keep moving

Even if the belly is very big now, it is still worthwhile to keep moving every day. The ideal would be to walk at least 30 minutes a day, at a reasonably brisk pace. During the walk you should not get too busy and at the first appearance of breathlessness you have to stop and rest and then leave again at a slower pace.

Episiotomy: do they always do it?

The episiotomy is a small incision that is made at the mouth of the vagina during the expulsive phase to facilitate, at least in theory, the baby's exit. In reality it is a controversial practice because, apart from a few selected cases, there is no scientific proof that it is really useful. It is done out of habit in many birth points, but you are authorized to say in advance that you do not want to do it. For their part, the operators must ask the woman for consent to perform it and the woman can refuse it. Read also: Episiotomy: that's when it's REALLY needed

The fetus in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy

Now the baby is ready to be born, because it is already at the end of the thirty-eighth week that the pregnancy is considered to have come to an end. In fact, since the end of this week all organs and systems have reached a maturation that allows the baby to adapt to life outside the uterus. His little hands have developed the ability of a solid grip and the nervous system is efficient enough to guarantee a regular functioning of vital activities (breathing, circulation, etc.).

The baby weighs about 3 kilos on average and is more or less 50 centimeters long.

Gestational age: nine months (DPP CALCULATION - Expected date of delivery)

FONTI: NHS; BabyCenter

Questions and answers

How much does the fetus weigh in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy?

At the 3th week of pregnancy, the fetus weighs about 50 kilos and is approximately XNUMX centimeters long.

Pregnancy week by week

We follow the growth of the embryo which then becomes the fetus from first week of pregnancy up to the fortieth. We will see the growth of the fetus and how the body of the expectant mother changes, until the due date is expected. All the useful information on the forty weeks of pregnancy, in the articles a lot of information on the development of the baby, on what is happening to the body and useful advice on the tests to be done based on the calculation of the weeks of pregnancy.