39th week of pregnancy: what happens to the baby and the expectant mother, harbingers of childbirth

Photo: UGC If the 39th week of pregnancy has begun, then it’s time for the expectant mother to pack her maternity suitcase. Childbirth can begin any day, and it is necessary to prepare for this event. Familiarize yourself with the changes that occur in the mother's body, the signs that foreshadow delivery, find out what the fetus looks like at 39 weeks.

Interesting Facts

Your baby is the size of

Watermelon

507 mm Size

3230 g Weight

Surely now you are impatient and counting the days, and maybe even thinking about how to give birth faster at 39 weeks of pregnancy. But don’t rush time; the baby normally has at least a couple more weeks to finally prepare for birth. It is too early to talk about additional medical stimulation, only if there are indications for it. Let's find out what happens to the fetus and mother at 39 weeks of gestation.

How to relieve pain

There are many methods of pain relief. First of all, you should consult a doctor, and if he finds that there are no deviations and everything is in order with the health of the mother and baby, you can consult about ways to relieve pain. If you experience pain in the sacral area during pregnancy, do the following:

• choose the most comfortable position for yourself that will allow you to rest and relax - it is individual, so try several options;
• massage of the sacrum - it is better to ask someone at home about this;
• apply heat - a warm dry bag or a non-hot heating pad will help, but you should definitely consult a doctor.

Using such techniques, you can significantly relieve pain in the sacrum and restore your comfort. Also, to relieve pain, a neurologist
may recommend wearing a prenatal bandage.

Feelings of the expectant mother

The size of the uterus is impressive - about 40 cm from the cervix to the bottom, but it is no longer growing. The fetus grows, and the amount of amniotic fluid gradually decreases, so sometimes it may seem to you that the baby is moving very much.

At 39 weeks of pregnancy, false contractions periodically continue to bother the woman. They differ from true ones in less pain, irregularity and in that over time the discomfort does not increase and the pain goes away on its own.

The fetus drops lower, and you may feel pressure in the perineum, even cutting pain. If the discomfort does not subside for a long time, it is likely that the cervix is ​​dilated - you should go to the hospital. If at 39 weeks you find mucus on your underwear, it is possible that the plug that is closing the cervical canal is gradually coming off. The discharge may be thick and streaked with blood.

Training contractions, drooping of the abdomen and the passage of the mucus plug are called harbingers of labor. They are the same for primiparous and multiparous women, but they can occur at different weeks of gestation, and some do not experience these sensations until the very beginning of labor.

Fever during pregnancy: colds sometimes require the use of antipyretics

The temperature reaction during influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections has a certain compensatory significance; it is one of the components of the inflammatory process. An increase in body temperature enhances phagocytosis, increases the synthesis of interferon and stimulates the formation of antibodies. In addition, heat prevents the replication of many microorganisms. Not only the absolute readings on the thermometer, but also the general condition of the patient serve as the basis for prescribing antipyretics. Indications for drug reduction of temperature are values ​​exceeding 38.5 ° C; moreover, it should be reduced gradually. Before taking any medications, you can alleviate the condition by rubbing with warm water, compresses, and removing excess clothing. During pregnancy, the use of acetylsalicylic acid, analgin, indomethacin, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs is contraindicated. An alternative remedy to reduce fever is paracetamol. In some cases, an increase in temperature indicates an additional bacterial infection, so it is possible to use antibacterial agents, strictly as prescribed by the doctor. The use of antibiotics may also be justified in the presence of a chronic focus of infection, prolonged fever for more than 5 days, and immunodeficiency.

Fetal development

At week 39, the child’s weight is 3.2 kg, height is 50.7 cm. The exact figures depend on heredity, the sex of the fetus and the number of pregnancies: the second and subsequent children are much larger than the first, and boys are usually larger than girls.

Despite the fact that the baby receives all the nutrients and oxygen through the placenta, his digestive system is already developed, and the original feces - meconium - has formed in the intestines, which is expelled in the first few days of the baby's life. Don't be intimidated by its appearance; normally it is almost black and oily.

The child is highly dependent on the psycho-emotional state of the mother: he experiences all the same feelings as you. Hormones of stress or pleasure enter his blood, and his movements will be more active during your experiences. Therefore, we wish you peace of mind and more positive emotions.

Tests and ultrasound

By the 39th week of pregnancy, all necessary studies have already been completed. Your routine visit to the gynecologist includes the usual measurement of blood pressure, abdominal circumference and weight. Don't forget to take a urine test in advance.

Ultrasound is prescribed only for additional diagnostics if the gynecologist suspects or has previously identified:

• breech presentation of the fetus;
• low location or inappropriate degree of aging of the placenta;
• oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios;
• complex entanglement of the umbilical cord.

The results largely influence the choice of delivery method. If necessary, resort to emergency caesarean section.

About the child

At the 39th week of pregnancy, the baby's head drops and presses against the pelvic bones. The child has reached maturity. The placenta ages, its metabolic processes weaken. The child is proportionally developed: chest, shoulder girdle, rounded belly and long limbs. The senses are ready to perceive the world around us. The child hears sounds and can distinguish them, sees bright colors, can focus his vision and distinguish objects at a distance of 30 cm from the eyes, his taste buds are developed. The baby gains 30–35 g of weight every day. On his head, between the bones, fontanelles remain - areas formed from cartilaginous tissue. This allows the bones of the skull to become more pliable during childbirth, changing their configuration and reducing their volume.

What to discuss with your doctor

• If you have entered into a contract for childbirth, undergo a consultation and examination with the selected doctor at the maternity hospital, and provide your exchange card for review.
• If you need the presence of a partner in the maternity hospital, hurry up to write the appropriate application and get tested. Usually the list for the accompanying person is small - fluorography, tests for HIV, AIDS and hepatitis. Sometimes they require a test for antibodies to measles or vaccination data.
• If you are prone to varicose veins or already have problematic veins, consult your gynecologist about the need for compression stockings during childbirth. Special stockings will prevent the development of thrombophlebitis, varicose veins and reduce postpartum swelling. They are especially necessary for women preparing for a caesarean section.

Possible complications

The following conditions are considered dangerous and require emergency delivery.

Uterine tone at 39 weeks of pregnancy

You can feel it by the nagging pain in the lower abdomen. Normally, this condition is associated with training or true contractions. But if the pain is unbearable, has no frequency and is accompanied by bloody discharge, fever or rapid heartbeat, urgent medical intervention will be required. With increased tone, the baby suffers from hypoxia. To save him, doctors induce labor or perform a caesarean section.

Preeclampsia in pregnant women

Its signs are severe swelling, which is especially noticeable at week 39, when normally it should disappear. A woman may feel nauseous, dizzy and weak. A urine test will show a high protein concentration. Another important symptom is high blood pressure.

The insidiousness of gestosis is that it is often asymptomatic, so visit your gynecologist regularly, even in the last weeks of pregnancy, so as not to miss the development of complications and be able to seek medical help in a timely manner.

Eliminate pain in the back, lower back, coccyx, sacrum in pregnant women without drugs

The goal of treatment is to create a more optimal distribution of the load from the uterus to the ligaments, bones and muscles. What can be safely used during pregnancy:

1. Gentle correction of the spine and muscle tone with the help of a doctor’s hands. Usually the effect (a significant reduction or complete cessation of back pain in a pregnant woman) is noticeable already at the first session with an osteopathic neurologist. We perform sessions infrequently, usually once every 2-4 weeks (as the size of the uterus increases), 4-6 sessions per course of treatment are sufficient.
2. Gymnastics. This is a treatment that you can easily perform at home. It is better if the exercises are selected personally by the doctor. We try to build gymnastics so that it is safe, effective and takes as little time as possible. When done correctly, pain between the legs in pregnant women goes away within a week or two.

Osteopathic preparation for childbirth. During childbirth, the birth canal must be elastic enough so that the baby can safely pass through it without injury or rupture. Your osteopath will do everything possible to restore the physiological elasticity of the pelvic tissues.

Treatment of pain after childbirth - more details

Treatment of complications after epidural anesthesia - more details

Lifestyle

We understand how you want something special and tasty, especially since at 39 weeks your digestive problems have most likely disappeared. However, we recommend that you do not indulge in unhealthy junk food: there is no need for additional stress on the liver now.

Intimate relationships are possible only if there is no prohibition from the gynecologist, and the pregnancy proceeds calmly. Be careful during sex. You probably feel especially sleepy right now. This is normal, this is how the body prepares for childbirth. Try to put everything aside and get more rest.

We do not advise you to lift heavy things. Bags of groceries, and even more so the rearrangement of furniture for arranging a nursery, should be entrusted to your relatives. Overexertion can lead to uterine bleeding and provoke rapid labor.

General approaches to the treatment of acute respiratory infections in pregnant women

• It is better to observe bed rest, since an infection suffered “on your feet” can cause complications;
• A vitamin complex and nutritious nutrition prescribed by a specialist will help replenish the loss of strength of the expectant mother;
• In the modern world, a strictly individual approach to prescribing medications prevails. Each body is unique, so those medications and dosages that were recommended to participants in forums on the Internet and your friends may be ineffective or dangerous for you;
• An increase in temperature is a natural compensatory reaction of the body. Therefore, you should not take antipyretic drugs unless necessary and prescribed by a doctor.

If there is no allergy to honey, bee products, or intolerance to milk proteins, pregnant women are recommended to have a dairy-vegetable fortified diet and plenty of warm drinks: you can drink tea with raspberries, mint, lemon, fruit drinks, decoctions of rose hips, and hawthorn. Hot drinks with viburnum berries, leaves and fruits of raspberries, strawberries, infusion of linden flowers, elderberry, eucalyptus leaves, chamomile flowers, as well as hot milk with honey are widely used. The plants listed here have a diaphoretic effect. Together with sweat, toxins and viruses are removed from the body; abundant evaporation of fluid from the surface of the skin promotes thermoregulation and prevents overheating of the body. In the absence of contraindications, the amount of liquid taken orally can be up to 2 liters per day. For acute respiratory infections, antitussives, expectorants, decongestants, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and antiviral drugs, and inhalations may be recommended, but many of them are contraindicated for pregnant women, so consultation with a doctor is necessary before purchasing and using them.

Checklist for 39 weeks of pregnancy

• Check all documents and bags for the maternity hospital. Carry your exchange card and passport with you everywhere, and let the signed packages be in a visible place.
• Don't forget about walks in the fresh air. This is both the prevention of hypoxia in the fetus and good preparation of the muscles for childbirth.
• If your stomach becomes hard and pulls your lower back during training contractions, try swinging on a fitball, breathing, lengthening your exhalation, or as if you were blowing out a candle.
• Install the contraction counter app on your phone. It will help you distinguish false from true and go to the maternity hospital on time.
• Try to stay calm and worry less. You can handle everything!

Colds with fever during pregnancy

Regardless of whether there is a fever or not, treatment should begin as early as possible: at the first signs of the disease, or better yet, from the moment of contact with the patient. For sore throat and nasal congestion, experts advise using local forms of medications: ointments, gels and softening lozenges, rinsing the nose and throat with antiseptic solutions, inhalations. Vasoconstrictor nasal drops also have contraindications for pregnant women. Some antiviral drugs that directly affect the cause of the disease - viruses, are acceptable during gestation, starting from the second trimester, for example VIFERON Suppositories. This is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent based on a protein natural to the body - interferon. Treatment, as already mentioned, is advisable to begin as soon as possible, in the first or second day from the onset of symptoms, while the virus is still in the initial stage of reproduction. However, subsequently, throughout the entire period of use, the drug continues to have the necessary effect. The inclusion of the drug VIFERON Rectal Suppositories in the complex therapy of acute respiratory infections of both viral and viral-bacterial etiology contributes to:

• relief of symptoms of ARI and influenza by the end of the third day
• reduction in the development of bacterial complications from the upper respiratory tract by 16.7%
• a milder clinical course of the disease in pregnant women at a gestation period of 14–26 weeks [1].

Interferon, the active ingredient of the drug VIFERON, is included in the Rosminzdrav standard for the provision of medical care in the treatment of ARVI and influenzaiv