If this is your first pregnancy with the first child, then most likely, you will give birth on time – by the end of the 40th week. If you already have kids or you carry twins, the birth may occur at week 37.
From this moment, a premature baby is not considered premature. From this period, your pregnancy on medical parameters is considered to be full-term.
Your baby is as big – As a Muskmelon
LENGTH – 18.99 in – WEIGHT- 5.84 lb
Feelings
By week 37 the signs of coming birth may appear: mucus plug comes out (yellowish discharge), the belly may drop (the baby starts to move outside), thin stools.
Your uterus has reached its maximum size: it weighs about a kilogram, its volume is 4-5 l. Its top is 37 cm away from the pubic symphysis and 16-17 cm away from the navel. The pressure on the bladder increases, you may feel a shooting pain in the legs and the crotch, the belly hardens several times a day.
The placenta, the role of which is about to come to naught, is aging. The kid will be born soon, and the placenta will be “born” after him. Midwives ascertain the “birth” of the placenta a successful completion of delivery if there is nothing left in the mother’s body.
37 Weeks Pregnancy Ultrasound
At 37 weeks of pregnancy, Ultrasound is rarely assigned and only in case of indications. You should check the schedule of the ultrasounds with your doctor.
Baby’s Weight
At this stage, your baby is ready to be born. Birth at 37 weeks of pregnancy – is a common occurrence in obstetric practice. The baby even seems to aspire to be born – all his body systems are ready to get to work, the hormone cortisone develops, it promotes lung maturation, there is some meconium (the first stool) accumulated in the intestine, the stomach and the head of the baby has about the same circumference.
The body continues to develop, all the nerves are covered by a protective sheath. Ear and nose cartilage harden, there is a definite hairstyle on the head of the baby.
His hair has grown up to 0.5 – 4 cm. Lanugo should disappear, vernix may be distributed around the body, and may remain only in the folds.
Discharge
At this stage, a woman may notice yellowish or even brown discharge, sometimes mixed with streaks of blood. The consistency – is a viscous mixture. Pinkish yellowish discharge and cloudy mucus – all these symptoms are the first signs of losing a mucus plug, blocking the entrance to the cervix.
37 Weeks Pregnant Belly Pictures
Check out what the bellies look like at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy.
Belly Hardens
If being 37 weeks pregnant, you often notice that the belly hardens or you feel pain from time to time, it is better to tell your doctor about it. During this period, there may be uterine hypertonus that often contributes to premature birth. Another harbinger of birth can be belly “dropping”. Listen to yourself – be careful, your feelings may change.
What Do You Think, Doctor?
This week your doctor examines your vagina, to ensure that there is no (or there is) leakage of the amniotic fluid, he determines how soft and thin the cervix is. He assesses the level of its openness. It is possible that it has already started to open.
During birth the cervix is smoothed so that its walls are very thin, allowing the baby to pass through the birth canal. Experienced midwives usually determine the degree of cervical dilatation “in fingers”. 4 fingers open means: 4 centimeters. But before the onset of labor, the cervix is not opened more than one finger.
Another important aspect of a medical examination: your doctor determines the fetal presentation and evaluates the width of your pelvis.
37 Weeks Labor
The inexorable approach of delivery causes excitement and slight concern. “How will everything happen? What will I feel? Is everything going to be okay? I want to make things happen quickly and without pain. I want to feel nothing “- this is a set of natural concerns and thoughts of a future mom, who is going to give birth in a few weeks.
Do not put yourself into a funk and do not distress yourself. Instill in your mind that you just need to do this job right. It is very difficult but very important, and it’s the most honorable job in your life. Focus on the most joyous thought: soon you will see him (her) – and do not be afraid of anything!
Born in Belarus, 1985, a pedagogue and family psychologist, mother. Taking part in procedures of social adaptation of the foster children in new families. Since 2015 is a chief editor of the motherhow.com project, selecting the best and up-to-date material for those, who are planning, expecting, and already having babies.