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PREGNANCY
WEEKLY
Pregnancy weekly will take you through this
journey
of nine months to make you aware of all the
changes taking place in you, your baby and your
life.
It is a journey full of experiences.
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1ST
TRIMESTER
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2ND
TRIMESTER
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3RD
TRIMESTER
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Pregnancy Weekly | Week 38
Fetal development - 38 weeks
pregnant/36 weeks fetus
- How is my baby developing at 38 weeks?
- What will my baby look like?
- Movements
- What will be the changes in me?
- How are labor pains?
- Difference in true and false labor pains
- Tips for you/your partner
What is actually happening to your
baby in these weeks?
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Note: Experts say every baby grows
differently. This information gives you
a general idea about fetus
growth
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Can you tell if you're carrying a boy or a girl?
One hint may come from the size of your baby --
boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls. Babies
at week 39 weigh about 6.8 to 7 pounds / 3 to 3.2
kilograms and continue to build the fat stores that
will help regulate body temperature after birth.
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Your little one's organ systems are fully
developed, but the lungs will be last to reach
maturity. (Even after your baby is born, it may
take a few hours before she establishes a normal
breathing pattern.)
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The color of your baby's eyes in the first minutes
after birth won't last -- exposure to light changes
a baby's initial eye color. Most African and Asian
babies usually have dark grey or brown eyes at
birth -- their dark eyes becoming a true brown or
black after the first six months or year.
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The heart is beating at the rate of 110-160 beats
/minute.
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She has 300 bones at the moment .you as an adult
have only 206. This happens because a few of them
will fuse later on.
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The bones on your baby’s head will remain very soft
now so that they can ride over each other and mould
to the shape of the birth canal. as a result, after
birth, her head may be slightly pointed and she may
have some swelling on both sides of the head.
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There is a soft spot on the top of her head called
fontanelle. It will harden after 9 months of age.
APPEARANCE
Your baby’s appearance will not change drastically now and
he is just a smaller version of what he will look like after
birth. Your baby is now curled up, with her chin ticked onto
her chest and her knees drawn up to her abdomen.
MOVEMENTS
Now your baby’s head will start to drop down into the pelvis
and you will notice that your bump has change shapes. Now your
baby’s movements are even less vigorous though still at a rate
of minimum ten per day. Your baby is sleeping 60 % of the time
and has a lot of time to dream too.
MOTHER
You will not grow much larger in these last
few weeks. But from the belly button to the top
of your uterus is about 6.5 to 7.5 inches.
Every time you visit your doctor, the fetal
heart rate will be monitored.
You are towards the end of your pregnancy
and have now started fearing the labor pains to
come. Some of you have also experienced false
labor pains and to differentiate between the
two, you have to know that -
- False labor contractions are irregular
and can be very painful. These contractions
may be felt in the back, lower abdomen,
pelvis.
- True labor contractions start at the
top of your uterus and then spread over the
entire uterus, through your lower back and
into the pelvis.
- True labor will become stronger and
more painful and won't be alleviated by
changing position. , or activity like
walking or showering.
- During a true contraction, your abdomen
will become as hard as your forehead, and
it lasts for about a minute and comes every
5 minutes.
Now pep up your nutrition and mentally
prepare yourself for the delivery. If it is
malposition, be prepared for a 'C' –
section, which may be needed at any junction of
labor.
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TIP for
DADDY
Start assisting your wife in preparing for
labor and it is time for both of you to learn
everything about labour.
So go with her to the antenatal classes.
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