Your Baby at Pregnancy Week 42
While your baby is perfectly healthy till end of pregnancy week 42, your doctor will however keep a close eye for signs of stress and check that he still has enough amniotic fluid around him. He now weighs about 3.6 kgs, is alert, and his hair and nails are growing longer.
At birth, he will be ready for his first trim. Do not get frustrated if he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to come. Keep in mind that he may not be ready to take on the world yet.
Related: Pregnancy Week 41: Baby’s Condition, Development, and Your Body
Your Body at 42 Weeks Pregnant
There is a good chance that you will go into natural labour this week. If the baby isn’t born by the end of the 42nd week, waiting risks chances of complications. The quality of the placenta, which nourishes your child with food and nutrients, also starts to deteriorate and the chances of a stillbirth go up.
At this point, your healthcare provider will explore the options of inducing labour with you, explaining the pros, process, and risk factors. The key concern when doing this should be the safety of your unborn baby.
There are things you can try for natural induction to get things moving along fast such as:
- Gently rubbing your nipples to stimulate the hormone oxytocin which might trigger labor.
- Pregnancy exercises such as taking short walks to nudge the baby further down into the birth canal. Take care not to wander too far lest you go into labor unexpectedly.
- Sex is also said to help kick-start the labor process by triggering contractions, while your partner’s semen contains a high concentration of prostaglandins which may help ripen your cervix.
While all these methods have shown to produce results, do not try anything without consulting your doctor so they can give you personal advice based on your individual circumstances.
You are also likely to experience frequent Braxton Hicks contractions also known as warm up contractions and quite similar to your periods’. Pay attention to these practice contractions because if they become frequent, it is real labor. A loose stool and abdominal discomfort may also be signs of labor.
Read More: 10 Signs of Labor You Shouldn’t Ignore: Insights From a Midwife
You will be jittery this week when you think about childbirth. You can pass time by stocking up your refrigerator and kitchen shelves with foods that are healthy and easy to prepare because you won’t have a lot of time to shop or cook when the baby finally comes home. Also, check that you have everything else that you will need when the baby finally comes home.
Nutrition at 42 Weeks Pregnant
Your appetite this week is still high but with the baby squashed up in your tummy, you may find it hard to eat a plateful in one sitting. Adjust your meals such that you consume smaller, more nutritionally dense foods.
You will also feel hungry when you go into labor and while sugary snacks might give you an instant burst of energy, it will be short lived. Eat carbohydrates like bread or plain pasta instead as they break down slower. Avoid fatty food might because they can make you nauseated.
Pregnancy Week 42 Tip
“Deep breathing and meditation greatly eased my childbirth. Childbirth comes with pain and naturally, I was afraid of the experience with my first child. When that time came, I took my mind to my safe place and a time in the past when I was happy. I felt my body relax and give way,” shares Esther Waters, a mother of one, on tips for easing childbirth.
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