Week 39 of pregnancy has started - when is the delivery? How do you know when you need to go to the hospital immediately? Are a hard stomach and vaginal stinging at 39 weeks of pregnancy a symptom of labor commencing? What if diarrhea starts bothering a pregnant woman at 39 weeks of pregnancy? In this post, we discuss the doubts about this stage of pregnancy.
The most pressing question of the 39th week of pregnancy: when will the delivery be?
This is the last straight, on the way to the meeting of a pregnant woman with her child, who developed in her belly for almost 9 months. The thirty-ninth week of pregnancy (38.1-39 tc) is the period when pregnancy is considered full term and the baby can be born at any moment.
The hospital bag, with the things necessary for both the mother and the newborn baby, should already be packed together with the most important medical documentation and identity card of the pregnant woman. A complete list of the necessary accessories and tests needed for admission to the labor ward can be found on the website of the hospital selected for delivery. Most women at this time ask themselves: "It is 39 weeks pregnant - when will I give birth?"
It is worth knowing that only 5% of babies are born on the date set on the basis of the last menstruation. The vast majority of babies are born a few days earlier or later, so be prepared for this eventuality.
Is vaginal stinging a symptom of childbirth in the 39th week of pregnancy?
Pregnant women, at the end of the 9th month of pregnancy, double their vigilance and closely observe all signals coming from their body. All this so as not to miss any signal that could indicate that labor has started at 39 weeks of pregnancy. Many common pregnancy ailments such as:
- swelling of the legs;
- back pain;
- pressure on the bladder and difficulty moving;
definitely intensifies at the end of the third trimester.
This is why it is sometimes difficult for an aching woman to observe the signals of Phase I labor, which can be quite subtle at the very beginning. Stinging in the vagina, at 39 weeks of pregnancy, is related to the pressure of the baby's head on the birth canal and the pubic symphysis, and does not indicate the commencement of labor. The cervix is shortened and stretched, which is why it may be accompanied by such symptoms.
Abdominal pain for your 39 week pregnancy: should you worry?
In a pregnant woman in the 39th week of pregnancy, they usually appear more frequent predictive contractions (Braxton-Hicks) irregularities disappear with and during rest. The uterus exercises before delivery, periodically stretching (especially when changing body position or with increased physical exertion of the pregnant woman).
If not accompanied by other disturbing symptoms, then at 39 weeks gestation, a hard belly is completely normal, as is abdominal pain similar to that experienced during menstruation.
During this time, women usually see their breasts swell and fill with food. If the first milk begins to flow out of them, the so-called colostrum put the nursing pads in the bra wellthat will protect the clothes from getting dirty. Heartburn, in 39 weeks of pregnancy, it often subsides slightly, which is related to the lowering of the uterus, which ceases to press heavily on the stomach. However, if the burning sensation in your esophagus still bothers you towards the end of your pregnancy:
- eat smaller, light meals;
- drink a lot of water;
- rest lying on your left side (this prevents the reflux of food);
- you can also ask your doctor for mild heartburn remedies.
At 39 weeks of pregnancy, white mucus from the vagina, it can be with classic vaginal discharge (whose secretion increases significantly in pregnancy). If they are bothersome, it is worth using panty liners and airy cotton underwear. At 39 weeks of gestation, white mucus may also be a torn mucus plug (usually white, clear, and sometimes slightly bloody).
The detachment of the mucus plug is one of the symptoms of the commencing labor. However, if it is not accompanied by the loss of amniotic fluid, regular contractions of the uterus, and the result of GBS culture is negative, there is no need to go to the hospital immediately. In some cases, the mucus plug breaks off even a few days before delivery.
High blood pressure at 39 weeks of pregnancy and other disturbing symptoms
Many ailments in the third trimester can be very troublesome for a woman. However, among them there are also those that require immediate medical consultation. They include, among others high pressure at 39 weeks of pregnancywhich may impair placental flow and lead to fetal hypoxia. High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg and more), which appears suddenly at 39 tc, should be urgently consulted with a doctor.
We go to the hospital immediately, also when we notice irregularities in the movements of the child: Within an hour, the pregnant woman should be able to register a minimum of 10 fetal movements (observation is best carried out while lying on her left side, after main meals, 3 times a day). If, in the 39th week of pregnancy, the baby's movements are completely undetectable or his activity suddenly becomes very violent and unnaturally excessive, it may indicate his discomfort, e.g. hypoxia. We immediately go to the hospital, where the doctor, after performing CTG, will be able to determine further medical treatment.
Symptoms such as profuse bleeding from the genital tract or the emergence of greenish amniotic fluid should also cause anxiety in the pregnant woman. You should go to the hospital immediately.
Childbirth at 39 weeks of pregnancy: how do you know that it's already?
The fact that the first stage of labor has just begun is evidenced by the characteristic symptoms, which, however, may be slightly more or less severe in each of the pregnant women (and some may not occur at all).
Regular contractions of the uterus
Childbirth, first of all, heralds regular contractions of the uterus in the 39th week of pregnancy. The contractions are very pronounced and painful, and their duration and frequency increase over time, even when the woman is resting or taking a warm shower. At the beginning, the contractions of the first stage of labor are less frequent and shorter. They often radiate painfully to the groin and loins. Over time, each contraction takes longer and the gaps between them become smaller. We go to the hospital when regular contractions occur every min. 10 minutes.
Departure of amniotic fluid
It is also a sign that labor has started. If the vaginal and rectal GBS culture was positive, we go to the hospital even when uterine contractions are not yet present.
Diarrhea and nausea
At 39 weeks of pregnancy, it can also be one of the signals of the onset of labor. The intestines of the pregnant woman are cleansed so as not to be an obstacle for the baby's head, which will squeeze through the birth canal. Sometimes diarrhea may also be accompanied by nausea.
The weight of the child at 39 weeks of pregnancy
This issue is of great interest to every future mother, also due to the birth and its course (although both large and slightly smaller children can be born very smoothly. It is an individual matter for each pregnant woman).
The child's weight at 39 weeks of pregnancy fluctuates around 3,5-4 kg, although smaller women can also expect babies with a lower body weight (but this is not a rule). The fetus at this time usually measures over 50 cm and is a fully formed newborn, which, although fully dependent on adult care, is already able to breathe, excrete or suck on a breast / bottle on its own.
At 39 weeks of pregnancy, the baby's well-being and uterine contractions are monitored with KTG. During the follow-up visit, the doctor:
- evaluates the freshest blood count and general urine test;
- will measure blood pressure;
- will carry out with the patient general interviewabout her well-being.
If the baby is in a position other than the longitudinal head, it can be expected that the doctor in the 39th week of pregnancy will refer the pregnant woman to the hospital, where the cesarean section will be performed (especially if the woman is an infant, i.e. for the first time).
Konsultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
