40 week of pregnancy: harbingers of childbirth, recommendations, reviews

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

Many women do not carry their baby to term and safely give birth to a full-fledged baby at 36-39 weeks. But sometimes, even at the 40th week of pregnancy, the time for childbirth does not occur. Each female body is individual. We will deal with the main symptoms of the approaching birth, study the reviews of experienced women in labor and medical specialists to help the expectant mother prepare for this important event.

Reasons for the absence of harbingers of childbirth

Normal time to start labor is 39-40 weeks pregnant. But in nature there is no clear timetable, so there is no need to worry about delaying the start of this process. Even gynecologists with extensive experience cannot give a clear answer about the absence of harbingers of childbirth at this time.

One of the reasons for the delay in the onset of labor may be the unpreparedness of the cervix or the need to "ripen the fetus", which is firmly established in the womb, where it is comfortable and safe. There is little time left to carry the baby, a much longer segment of the difficult path is behind. The baby will be born soon. How to determinethat it is time to give birth, if this is the first time?

Description of the harbingers of labor in women giving birth for the first time

The 40th week of pregnancy for a nulliparous woman is marked by sensations that are symptoms of the imminent start of changes in her life:

• Drawing pains in the lower abdomen.
• Uncharacteristic calmness of the baby after the previous increased activity.
• Amniotic fluid is leaking.
• The intensity of training bouts is increasing.
• Feeling of tingling or hardness in the lower abdomen.

Often at the 40th week of pregnancy, pulls in the lower abdomen because the mucous plug has already come out, preparing the cervix for the upcoming birth. This process sometimes goes unnoticed. Don't panic. It will take a little more patience - and the long-awaited meeting will happen.

Description of the harbingers of labor in women who give birth again

What to do at the 40th week of pregnancy if there are no prerequisites for the onset of labor. If a woman has already had the experience of reproducing, she may soon experience a quick, even rapid, birth. Especially you need to be careful if you experience such sensations:

• Petrified belly.
• The mucus plug came off, after which a lot of mucus was released.
• The intensity of training contractions increased, they were replaced by regular uterine contractions.

Before childbirth, it is important to clean the intestines so that it does not interfere with the process. To do this, a woman can eat dates, drink a serving of castor oil. Such measures will help to avoid the introductionenemas, which is customary to do in the hospital and not too pleasant to feel.

When taking castor oil, it will be possible not only to cause an intestinal reaction, but also to stimulate labor. Therefore, before using such a substance, it is advisable to consult your gynecologist.

Belly at 40 weeks pregnant can hurt regularly due to dilatation of the cervix, when hormones act on it, and pressure is exerted by the baby striving for freedom.

When pushing begins

Gynecologists determine the beginning of the straining period when they diagnose the opening of the cervix by 4 fingers. For women who have already given birth to a child, such a moment can come quickly. A woman in labor sometimes does not have time to get to a medical facility. For this reason, gynecologists advise women to come to the hospital as soon as they are convinced that the nature of the contractions has become regular. It is better to wait under the supervision of specialists than to give birth in an ambulance.

Timing calculations

The 40th week of pregnancy has begun. Obstetric calculations define this period as 10 months. By calendar calculation, the term is 9.5 months. During this time, a number of important changes have taken place:

• The body has prepared for fertilization.
• A fertilized egg has invaded the uterine cavity.
• The embryo developed and became a fetus.

10th calendar month - completion of fetal development. If the 40th week of pregnancy has begun - for the child this is the time when it is time to appear in front of the parentsand please them. Women who have not become mothers before this time are quite rightly concerned about the delay in the process. They are interested in the possibility of deviations from the norm. Sometimes the reason for this delay may be the constitution of the uterus due to its long neck. Then it takes longer for the fetus to advance, which will take several days.

If contractions do not start at 40 weeks of gestation, this is not always considered a pathology. A woman should remember if she took magnesia. This drug is sometimes given to an expectant mother who is less than 36 weeks old to keep the pregnancy going. High uterine tone can be dangerous. With the use of magnesia, smooth muscle relaxation occurs. The drug provides a reduction in edematous syndrome. Such opportunities are important for successful labor activity.

When doctors decide to wait

If you have passed 40 weeks of pregnancy, and labor does not begin, you should consult your gynecologist. Experts will decide on further actions. Often a woman gets the opportunity to wait for contractions in a natural way. This is possible if:

• the nature of the discharge has not changed;
• no pronounced swelling, nausea, vomiting;
• high blood pressure, protein in urine, headaches, other signs of preeclampsia are not diagnosed.

In some cases, the woman will be advised to have sex. This will help release hormones and produce mechanical stimulation so that labor can begin safely. Not worth itignore the recommendations of doctors if they advise to lie down for preservation for medical stimulation of labor. Under the supervision of specialists, there is a better chance of a safe delivery.

Extraction analysis

A pregnant woman should carefully monitor the nature of vaginal discharge. They signal changes in the body:

• When pregnant at 40 weeks, brown discharge can mean a deviation from the norm. They should alert a woman at any time. After all, they can mean that there was a detachment of the placenta. Even in the absence of pain or its weak manifestations, it is important to consult a specialist. Such discharge sometimes appears after a visit to the gynecologist, if there was a medical examination on the armchair.
• Signs of thrush are white discharge, with curdled lumps. The presence of light secretions can also be a harbinger of labor starting in the near future. Such mucus is not considered pathological.

Stone belly feeling

Discharge at 40 weeks of gestation is not the only sign of changes in a pregnant woman's condition. Often, expectant mothers before childbirth feel heaviness in the stomach. Such a phenomenon may be accompanied by:

• pain;
• lumbar aching pain;
• Coarse secretions.

Specialists can prescribe Ginipral to relax the uterine muscles, provide gentle bowel cleansing in preparation for labor. When willharbingers of childbirth, sometimes prescribed "Mifepristone". This is necessary to block the production of progesterone and cause contractions.

Inducing labor

40 week of pregnancy is the time when you can already prescribe medications. This requires hospital conditions and specialist supervision. At 40 weeks, it is important to continue to take care of physical activity. Then childbirth will come faster and will be easier. Remember to eat right.

Also, to speed up delivery, a combination of long vigorous walks, leading to mild fatigue, with doing homework is great. Doctors recommend:

• do stretching exercises;
• leaning over to mop the floor;
• go up/down stairs.

After all, pregnancy is a natural state for a woman, not a disease. But even at this time it is important not to engage in amateur activities, but to consult a doctor. This is especially true for taking medications, since all of them, in addition to benefits, have side effects.

What does a woman feel in this period

At 40 weeks pregnant, the mucus plug should have come out, exposing the cervix. If a pregnant woman has new sensations, they may signal an approaching meeting between mother and baby. She has been preparing for this important moment throughout the entire term.

The following body reactions are acceptable:

• diarrhea;
• heartburn;
• weakening of movements;
• small swelling;
• insomnia.

With frequent training bouts, you can use the help of a drug such as no-shpa. But if the pills do not help, and even after taking a warm shower, the situation does not improve, the contractions become real. Keep track of their regularity and prepare for a trip to the maternity ward. The time has come!

How is the baby?

Belly at 40 weeks pregnant has already grown so much that a pregnant woman moves with difficulty. After all, the baby takes up all the space. Women who already have the experience of childbirth are worried why labor at 40 weeks of pregnancy still does not begin. It should be borne in mind that each pregnancy differs from the previous one in a number of ways:

• women's he alth;
• the effect of the drugs that the woman took throughout the entire period;
• physical activity intensity;
• fetal developmental features.

You can never predict exactly what week labor will start. It is important to monitor the condition, get expert advice. There are moments that require immediate medical attention:

• Ultrasound performed - diagnostics revealed oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios.
• The uterus has been in good shape for a long time, but there is an unpreparedness of the cervix, which is in no hurry to open.
• KGT shows deviation from existing norms.
• Diagnosis determined that the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's body.
• Baby has gained too much weight.

The listed conditions require observation in a hospital setting. They can jeopardize the birth of the baby.

It is very important to let the gynecologist know if a woman is feeling nauseous. These symptoms may be indicative of problems such as preeclampsia and preeclampsia.

What is preeclampsia? This is a peculiar form of toxicosis, but it manifests itself in the last stages of pregnancy. It is diagnosed by passing a urine test, when an excess amount of protein is detected in it. The second confirmation of the disease will be an increase in blood pressure, which is also measured when visiting a doctor. The disease is dangerous for a pregnant woman, affects the functionality of her excretory and vascular system, and harms the brain.

Pre-eclampsia is dangerous with consequences, even irreparable. It is also a kind of toxicosis. It is diagnosed by determining the level of protein in the urine, measuring blood pressure, if edema is additionally present. Accompanying symptoms are the presence of headache, dizziness, the pregnant woman quickly gains weight.

For whom such complications are dangerous:

• for women in their first pregnancy;
• for early or late pregnancy before the age of 16 and after 40;
• if arterial hypertension bothered the woman before;
• in the presence of a strong stage of obesity, diabetes, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease;
• if multiple pregnancy is diagnosed;
• if you had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy;
• for a reasonheredity.

Preeclampsia and preeclampsia are dangerous for the baby. Doctors should deal with such deviations from the norm, since diseases are dangerous for the child due to a violation of the processes of blood flow to the placenta. Then the child may be born underdeveloped. However, with such diseases, most often labor occurs prematurely, and not delayed.

Normal weight and height of a newborn

When a baby is born, they are immediately measured and weighed. Regardless of the number of pregnancies, the weight of the fetus should be in the range of 3300-3500 grams. But often there are cases of the birth of "heroes", whose weight reaches 4-5 kg. In most cases, the reason for this is the build of the mother. But the mother will not be able to give birth to children with such a mass on her own. Therefore, she is given a caesarean section.

The body length of the baby is normally 47-52 cm. For girls, smaller sizes are acceptable, for boys - large ones. It all depends on the genetic predisposition. In the first months of life, the child will intensively gain weight and grow, delighting parents with their changes.

Summarize

Very soon the baby will see this world. His mother had plenty of time to prepare for a meeting with such a dear, but still unfamiliar little man. Many women do not carry a fetus until 40 weeks. But if the birth has not yet occurred, there are reasons for this. Wise nature itself knows when to release the baby into the environment as prepared as possible. For some children, even 8.5 months in the womb is enough, others are in no hurryto leave the cozy womb.

A woman needs to pay special attention to herself in order to prepare as much as possible for an important event:

• constantly monitor your well-being;
• keep active to the best of your ability;
• eat right, giving preference to fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy products;
• observe the nature of vaginal discharge.

Reviews of the 40th week of pregnancy indicate that women are often worried about delayed childbirth. If there are deviations from the normal state, it is impossible to delay. Seek immediate medical attention, do not make independent decisions so as not to put the baby at risk.

If everything is normal, the expectant mother should tune in to the best. According to psychologists, a person must think positively, then everything will be as he wants. Subject to the recommendations of doctors and the support of the close environment, the outcome will certainly be favorable. A newborn baby will firmly enter the life of the family, and it will no longer be possible to imagine that you once did not have it. All thoughts and plans will be connected with this little one, so defenseless and demanding.

May the great mystery of the birth of a new life bring only happiness to the life of mom and her relatives.