What To Really Expect In Pregnancy

Week 36

You’re in the last month! Congratulations on making it all through those months of being pregnant and horrible symptoms. You’re on the home stretch. Many mothers can give birth at any point during this week or the 40th week, so don’t expect your baby, now the size of a papaya, to stick to your schedule.

Because the baby is lower in your abdomen, there is some relief to your lungs, so you’ll find it much easier to breathe. However, that comes with the price of more pelvic discomfort as your body comes to terms with this huge baby wanting to get out. The descent of the baby may also trigger some heartburn, and you may start to notice some changes in your vaginal discharge. Keep a careful eye on them; if it starts to look watery, then your water has, and you’re ready to give birth.

Week 37

Now that you’re at this point, it feels like your baby is never going to come. Give them time and exercise patience. They’re about the size of a head of romaine lettuce, so they’re really taking up a lot of space inside you. You may find that you have the urge to clean more often and tidy up the house; this is called “nesting” and is pretty standard in pregnant mothers during this time in their pregnancy.

A lot of your symptoms at this time can be confused with labor. You’ll notice a bit of spotting, but call your doctor if it ends up being more than just a few drops of blood. The abdominal pressure is going to increase even more, and contractions are going to be so strong and so often, that you’ll have trouble falling asleep at night.
What signs of labor should you look for? If you see your mucus plug or start experiencing severe nausea and/or diarrhea, then you may be going into early labor. The typical signs of labor are your water breaking, regular contractions, and some back pain.

Week 38

Just when you thought your baby couldn’t get any bigger, they prove you wrong. They’re the size of winter melon, and they’re probably ready to get out of there. Your baby is going to be sitting very low on your pelvis, which can put pressure on the nerves there. If you feel some jolts of tingling pain in your legs, that’s what’s causing it.

The contractions are going to get more and more intense at this point, and the discomfort is going to get a little worse. It really could happen any day now, so keep a sharp eye on the rest of your symptoms. Your belly’s going to feel a little itchy again as the baby grows those last few inches and moves further down. You may also experience some anxiety since you have no idea when this baby is going to make an appearance, so keep yourself distracted with fun activities.

Week 39

It’s not Halloween, but your baby has taken on the size of a pumpkin within your uterus. You’ve come to full term… yet it can feel agonizing as your baby continues to sit inside… not doing anything. Some babies remain inside even past the due date too, so it’s not something you can rush.

The pressure on your pelvis is going to become intense since this is usually the time a baby turns around with his head pointed towards your birth canal. And because they’re sitting so low, you’re going to feel some lightning-sharp pains in your crotch as well. Your urge to nest may feel strong too, and this is the time when most mothers notice their mucus plug is discharged.

If you want to induce labor at this point, you can engage in lots of walking to give gravity a chance to pull on your baby to force your cervix to dilate. Alternatively, you could also look into acupuncture to stimulate blood flow throughout the body so that your cervix dilates on its own.

Week 40

40 weeks! 40 whole weeks and your baby should be the size of a watermelon. That’s no joke because that “watermelon” is going to be coming out of you any day now. The worst thing you can do is panic, so keep your support system around you to keep you calm at all times. Now would be an excellent time to add that waterproof cover over your mattress, as your water could break at any point in time.

Symptoms are going to include some terrible leg cramps as your uterus goes into overdrive on trying to get this baby out. Don’t let the anxiety get to you either; try some meditation. The contractions you’ve been used to for the past few months are going to start feeling really real, so they’re going to interfere with your sleep schedule. Try to get as many hours as you can, though, because you’re going to need all that energy for the delivery.