Pregnancy, 38th week: harbingers of labor in primiparous and multiparous

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

When the 38th week of pregnancy begins, the expectant mother begins to worry even more, because there are only a few weeks, and maybe even days, before meeting the baby. In most cases, childbirth occurs from the 38th to the 42nd week. Which, of course, can increase a woman's anxiety. But the period of precursors is considered to be from the 38th week of pregnancy. Before the birth of a baby, there are tremendous changes in the body of a pregnant woman. The state of muscles and ligaments is changing, as well as the hormonal and psychological background. By paying attention to such internal changes, you can recognize the symptoms of childbirth and mentally prepare for them. In this article, we will identify the harbingers of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparous and multiparous.

Features

Note that signs of imminent labor in primiparous women from multiparous women can significantlydiffer. As a rule, a woman who knows firsthand what childbirth is, feels more calm during a second pregnancy. An approximate algorithm of actions is already familiar to her, so she is much less focused on her body, unlike a woman who is expecting her first child. Especially during the second pregnancy, it is easier for a lady to distinguish real contractions from false ones.

In addition to psychological features, there are also physiological ones. As a rule, in multiparous women, labor activity may occur a little earlier than during the first pregnancy. In addition, a girl in anticipation of her first child may find harbingers long before the actual birth, while a mother with experience may have similar symptoms just a couple of days before the baby is born.

It cannot be ruled out that the harbingers of labor in multiparous women at the 38th week may be smoother and not as obvious as, for example, during the first pregnancy.

When to expect?

Experienced mothers should already know that each pregnancy is individual and sometimes it is simply impossible to predict the date of birth. It is believed that there are harbingers of childbirth in multiparous at the 38th week. But it also happens when the first signs in women during a second pregnancy appear in the period from the 36th to the 37th week.

In nulliparous, this process may begin a little later than in multiparous, around the 38-39th week of pregnancy. Harbingers of childbirth with a fourth or third child, as a rule, are similar to the secondpregnancy and may occur between weeks 36 and 38.

What happens in the body?

Shortly before childbirth, a woman's body undergoes significant changes. In the blood of the expectant mother, the level of hormones that stimulate labor activity gradually increases. Relaxin is a hormone that helps soften the ligaments and joints. With its significant increase, the pelvic bones become the most pliable. Because of this, a woman may experience mild and nagging pain in the sacrum and lower back. Under the influence of estrogens and oxytocin, the cervix changes shape, which indicates preparation for childbirth. At this time, the sensations and frequency of false contractions can increase significantly. As a rule, such harbingers of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparas can begin much earlier than in multiparous ones. Usually, in women who are expecting their first child, labor activity begins with weak contractions, the strength and frequency of which can increase during the day and even more. In this case, you need to be patient and wait for constant contractions.

The harbingers of childbirth at the 37-38th week of pregnancy include prolapse of the abdomen. This is due to the fact that some time before the birth of a child, his head fits more tightly against the pelvic floor. Omission for each mother occurs at different times. So, one can pass a week before giving birth, and the other - a couple of days. Many women note that after lowering the abdomen, breathing becomes easier and less worried about heartburn. It often happens that the harbingers of childbirth at the 38th week of pregnancy innulliparous and multiparous may become nausea, vomiting as well as diarrhea.

Changes in hormonal levels affect not only the physical condition of a woman, but also psychological. For example, mommy may notice emotional instability and mood swings. It is worth noting that there are quite a lot of harbingers of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparous and multiparous, but it is not necessary for a woman to expect them in full. Sometimes the presence of one or more signs can alert you to an imminent birth.

Signs of approach

Symptoms of approaching labor are divided into two groups: subjective and objective. The first option has an emotional color: insomnia, anxiety, mood changes, as well as pain of a different nature. From a medical point of view, the above cannot be a reason to believe that the birth will take place soon.

The second group includes the physiological changes of a pregnant woman, which have a more reasonable medical origin, which is why they are taken into account by doctors. Let us consider in more detail the harbingers of childbirth at the 38th week in primiparous and multiparous women.

Reduced fetal activity

A sharp decrease in the activity of the baby may indicate that there are only a few days left before meeting with him, or maybe even hours. The fact is that for the fetus, the exit from the womb is considered a serious test for which it is necessary to prepare. That is why the babystarts to conserve power. But this fact is associated not only with the approach of childbirth, but also with the lack of sufficient space in the uterus, since in the womb the child is in very cramped conditions. Therefore, the vigilance of the expectant mother is important in this matter.

According to experienced mothers, it follows that the baby becomes less active about three to four days before labor. However, a woman needs to continue to count the movements of the baby, despite his physical “calm”. If within half a day the mother does not feel tremors and movements inside the abdomen, or if there are less than ten of them during this period, it is necessary to contact a gynecologist. This step is very important. Since silence in the abdomen may be due to oxygen starvation of the fetus.

The appearance of colostrum

Isolation of colostrum is a relatively rare and not very informative harbinger. But, nevertheless, it does not hurt for every mother to observe this indicator. As a rule, in primiparas, colostrum appears on the second or third day after childbirth. As for multiparous women, they can begin to produce it at any stage of pregnancy. Only if colostrum was absent throughout the entire period of bearing a child, and appeared late in a few days, can this sign be considered an indirect harbinger of an early birth.

When colostrum arrives, mothers need to wash their breasts daily with warm water without soap, and pay special attention to the nipples. A woman needs to take breast he alth very seriously in order to continue to ensureyour baby with unhindered breastfeeding.

If there is a lot of nutrient fluid and it stains clothes, you should use special breast pads or wear a nursing bra to help absorb excess effectively.

Cervical ripening

Earlier we said that the harbingers of childbirth at the 38th week of pregnancy in primiparous and multiparous women include a modification of the cervix. Let's dwell on this issue in more detail. Such a sign is the most informative, but the obstetrician-gynecologist can directly determine the readiness for labor according to the state of the uterus.

The neck is a round muscle, the maturation of which consists in softening, which allows for the necessary degree of disclosure during contractions. Reducing it to one centimeter indicates the imminent completion of maturation. In the process of labor pains, the cervix will completely smooth out and open the way for the fetus to a huge world, where his mother is looking forward to meeting him.

As the cervix matures, discharge may increase, as well as tingling pain inside. If maturation does not correspond to the gestational age, the expectant mother is hospitalized in the maternity hospital and stimulated with medications. In the absence of the desired effect of drug treatment, the woman is waiting for a caesarean section.

Sagging belly

The prolapse of the abdomen can be attributed to the harbingers of childbirth at the 38-39th week. It is worth noting that in the first pregnancy, the stomach drops long before the onset of childbirth. And with repeated it can become significantly lower in just a couple of days. There are times when the tummy drops already in the process of labor.

Notice the omission is not difficult at all. When the baby takes the “starting” position, the woman becomes freer to breathe, as the uterus goes down and stops squeezing the diaphragm and lungs. But pressure on other internal organs can cause constipation and increased urination.

During pregnancy with twins at 38 weeks, the harbingers of labor may be mild, in contrast to a singleton pregnancy. It is noted that by the 38th-39th week, the abdomen may not descend during multiple pregnancy. Omission may be prevented by polyhydramnios. As well as the situation when the fetus takes a breech presentation at the 38th week of pregnancy. Harbingers of childbirth are individual. They may not be applicable to absolutely all pregnant women.

Plug release

The mucus plug is located inside the cervix. During the entire period of pregnancy, it protects the uterine cavity from the penetration of various fungi, viruses and microbes. With the onset of labor, the cork leaves the cervical canal in whole or in part. With its complete discharge, a large clot of yellowish mucus comes out. Partial discharge is manifested by jelly-like mucous pieces in the discharge. In both cases, small particles of blood may be present.

At the second birth at the 38th week of pregnancy, the precursors can not always be detected on their own, since the cork is discharged in multiparousmay occur unnoticed during urination or bowel movements, or while taking a bath.

If a pregnant woman finds mucus clots in her discharge, then it is likely that she will soon go to the maternity hospital. From now on, intimate relationships and bathing are prohibited to prevent infection in the uterine cavity.

Weight loss

Mommy may notice a clear weight loss as labor approaches. Doctors have a physiological justification for this fact:

• By the end of pregnancy, the level of the hormone progesterone, which was previously responsible for the accumulation of nutrients and fluid in the female body, decreases significantly.
• Due to the growth of the fetus, the amount of amniotic fluid also decreases.
• Nature is arranged in such a way that before childbirth, the body begins to cleanse itself of everything superfluous, due to which internal fluid reserves leave.
• Due to frequent urination, fluid does not stay for long. In addition, diarrhea is also a harbinger of an early birth, which tends to appear about 2-3 days before an unforgettable event.

It is worth noting that with multiple pregnancy, gestosis and kidney pathology, this symptom may not appear. If you experience diarrhea and rapid weight loss without other symptoms of imminent labor, you should consult a doctor.

Fights

Women who are expecting their first child have a harder time distinguishing real contractions from practice ones. False ones can appear for a decent amount of time beforetribal activity. They are characterized by irregularity, which cannot be said about real contractions. Here, just the opposite is true: the attacks increase in intensity, their duration increases each time, and the interval between them begins to shorten. As a rule, contractions in primiparas last from 10 to 12 hours, which is fundamentally different from the second and third pregnancies. At the 38th week of pregnancy, the harbingers of childbirth in mothers with experience take quite less time. Thus, the duration of the birth process in multiparous women is half that of primiparas. However, many experts note that contractions before the second birth become painful and intense almost immediately due to increased tissue sensitivity.

Amniotic fluid

The outpouring of water can be attributed to the main signs of labor activity. It is believed that this process should occur at the time of sufficient opening of the uterus. But, as practice shows, an outpouring can occur before the start of contractions. In addition, amniotic fluid can leave in the form of mild leaks - this is one of the harbingers of labor at the 38th week. This is due to the fact that at a decent gestational age, the fetus can damage the bladder with the corresponding fluid, as a result of which it begins to pour out through the holes formed.

It is worth noting that in multiparous women, even episodic and slight leakage of amniotic fluid that occurred before contractions may indicate a rapidly approaching labor activity.

What to do in the absenceharbingers?

If at the onset of the 38th week there are no harbingers of childbirth, and the expected period has come up, you need to contact a gynecologist for an additional examination. But most importantly, it is important to remember that childbirth is a unique process that can begin at any time.

That is why, starting from the 38th week, every woman should carefully consider all changes in the body so as not to miss the onset of labor.