signs of labor | Parenting In the Loop

Pregnancy at 37 weeks

Your baby at 37 Weeks

We are all counting the days now waiting for our new grandson. I heard his heartbeat yesterday and felt him hiccoughing as I gently touched my daughter’s tummy.

He is in his final growth spurt although he is not quite full term until 39 weeks of pregnancy. He weighs about 6 1/3 pounds and is now measuring 19 inches or longer head to heel. He may or may not have a full head of hair and it may be dark or light or peach fuzz at birth. He is the size of a swiss chard.

Your life:

Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and longer in length. They can be quite uncomfortable.

You might have a vaginal discharge with blood tinged mucus indicating that labor is not far off.

Any heavy vaginal bleeding needs to be reported to your caregiver immediately.

Ask about your Group B strep culture results so that you can tell the staff where you deliver. If it is positive you will need antibiotics.

Getting comfortable to sleep may be more difficult so take it easy during the day.

Continue to monitor your baby’s movements and let your practitioner know immediately if they decrease.

He should be as active as before.

Anxiety about labor and becoming a parent is common at this time in pregnancy.

“I know some people are thrilled to show off their new baby. But all I wanted to do was curl up with her in my arms when I got home from the hospital. Next time I’ll tell people ahead of time that we aren’t seeing visitors for the first week.”
– Janet

Surprising facts: Signs of labor

There’s no way to predict when labor is going to start. Your body actually starts “preparing” for labor up to a month before you give birth. You may be blissfully unaware of what’s going on or you may begin to notice new symptoms as your due date draws near.

Here are some things that may happen in the weeks or days before labor starts:

Your baby drops. If this is your first pregnancy, you may feel what’s known as “lightening” a few weeks before labor starts as your baby descends lower into your pelvis. You might detect a heaviness in your pelvis as this happens and notice less pressure just below your ribcage, making it easier to catch your breath.

You note an uptick in Braxton Hicks contractions. More frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions can signal pre-labor, during which your cervix ripens and the stage is set for true labor. Some women experience a crampy, menstrual-like feeling during this time.

You pass your mucus plug. The mucus plug is the small amount of thickened mucus that blocks the cervical canal leading to your uterus. The plug may come out all at once in a lump, or as increased vaginal discharge over the course of several days. The mucus may be tinged with blood (which may be brown, pink, or red), in which case it may be referred to as “bloody show.”

Your water breaks. Most women start having regular contractions sometime before their water breaks, but in some cases, the water breaks first. When this happens, labor usually follows soon. (If contractions don’t start promptly on their own, you’ll be induced.) Whether the amniotic fluid comes out in a large gush or a small trickle, call your doctor or midwife.

How can I tell if I’m in false labor or true labor?

Sometimes it’s very hard to tell false labor from the early stages of true labor. Here are some things that might help you sort it out:

False labor contractions are unpredictable. They come at irregular intervals and vary in length and intensity. Although true labor contractions may be irregular at first, over time they start coming at regular and shorter intervals, become increasingly more intense, and last longer.

With false labor, the pain from the contractions is more likely to be centered in your lower abdomen. With true labor, you may feel the pain start in your lower back and wrap around to your abdomen.

False labor contractions may subside on their own, or when you start or stop an activity or change position. True labor contractions will persist and progress regardless of what you do.

Source: Your pregnancy: 37 weeks | BabyCenter

This week:

Figure out your car seat installation…Don’t wait until the last minute!
Many police departments have an officer who is certified in car seat installation who will install the car seat for you and make sure it is correct. You probably need an appointment so call ahead of going to your police station.
Check out the Car Seat Lady website for complete information about car seats.

Pregnancy at 36 Weeks

Baby at 36 weeks of pregnancy

Your growing baby…

Your baby is gaining weight at about an ounce a day and weighs about 6 pounds.
He is probably more than 18 1/2 inches long.
Lanugo, the downy hair that covered his body is shedding along with the vernix caseosa (the waxy protective substance that covered his skin in utero).
Believe it or not your baby swallows most of these substances which will pass out in his first stool (meconium).

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered “early term.” (Full-term is 39 to 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term, 41 weeks is late term, and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely your baby is already head-down. But if not, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version (ECV). That’s a fancy way of saying that your practitioner will apply pressure to your abdomen to try to manipulate your baby into a head-down position.

Your life at this final stage of pregnancy.

Your baby is taking up a lot of room. Eating a regular size meal may in fact be very uncomfortable. Smaller meals more frequently are better at this stage.

When you baby drops into your pelvis (lightening) you may have increased pressure in your lower abdomen. Walking may be more uncomfortable and you may again have to pee more often.

Braxton Hicks contractions may be more frequent.

Traveling too far from home and your practitioner is probably not a good idea at this point since labor could begin at any time.

Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you’re full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn’t broken, she’ll probably have you wait to come in until you’ve been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you’ll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby’s activity or think you’re leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.

“Start collecting take-out and delivery menus from local restaurants. You won’t have time to cook in the early weeks after giving birth. Even restaurants without a visible take-out business will usually accommodate a to-go order (especially if it’s for a new mom!).”

The stages of labor

Fifteen hour labors are not uncommon for 1st time moms.
Eights hours is not uncommon for moms with previous vaginal deliveries

3 Stages of Labor:

First Stage:

Starts when you start having regular contractions that dilate and efface your cervix.
There are 2 phases of the 1st stage of labor, early and active labor.

Early labor ends when you are dilated about 4 centimeters. Active labor is when your contractions are more frequent, longer and stronger.

The last part of the active phase is when you cervix dilates from 8 to 10 centimeters. It is called “transition phase” because you are transitioning into the second stage of labor.

Transition is often the most difficult period of the first stage.

Second stage:

Starts when your cervix is fully dilated.
This is the “pushing” stage of labor.
This stage will last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
It is usually quicker if you have had previous vaginal deliveries.

Your baby’s head will continue to advance with each push until it “crowns” — the term used to describe the time when the widest part of your baby’s head is finally visible. After your baby’s head comes out, your midwife or doctor will suction his mouth and nose, and feel around his neck for the umbilical cord. His head then turns to the side as his shoulders rotate inside the pelvis to get into position for their exit. With the next contraction, you’ll be coached to push as his shoulders deliver, one at a time, followed by the rest of his body.

After your baby is delivered you may feel many emotions including feeling exhausted followed by a burst of energy.

Stage three:

This stage begins immediately after the deliver of your baby.
It ends with the delivery of your placenta.

This week :

Create a grapevine. Make a list of all the people you want to hear about your baby’s birth — with their phone numbers or e-mail addresses — and pass this along to a friend who can spread the news. That way, when you’re ready for others to know, all you have to do is make one call. Include at least one person from work on the list, so they can spread the word there.

Source: Your pregnancy: 36 weeks | BabyCenter

Parenting in the Loop

Tag Archives: signs of labor

Pregnancy at 37 weeks

Pregnancy at 37 weeks

Pregnancy at 36 weeks

Pregnancy at 36 Weeks