Pregnancy week 38

The nesting instinct will be in full swing as you get close to the end of your pregnancy. Week 38 is one on which women start cleaning with a frenzy, doing laundry and making sure that everything is in readiness for the baby. You may wonder why you don feel like this during the rest of the year when you just hate to tackle all the housework. This is a natural part of nearing the end of your pregnancy and you are likely to go into labour at any time. Pregnancies usually last for 40 weeks, but births after 37 weeks are considered to be full-term. It is quite possible that your doctor has informed you that the baby is in the proper position and that you are ready to give birth.

You may start to experience swelling of your feet. This is quite normal, but if the swelling is excessive or spreads to your hands and face, you should contact your doctor. It could mean that you are retaining fluid or that you have toxaemia or hypertension. Doctors like to really check on an expectant mother blood pressure levels during the latter stages of pregnancy. When your blood pressure increases, you do retain water and there is protein in your urine. If the doctor thinks the baby is developed enough, which it is at 38 weeks, he/she may induce labour to deliver the baby as soon as possible.

During the last few weeks of pregnancy there is no one weight or size for a baby in the uterus. Some may still be quite small and others may be 10 pounds or more. The average size of baby at 38 weeks is about 6 to 7 pounds and between 17 to 20 inches in length. Even though the baby is positioned head down in the birth canal, it is still continuing to grow. You may not feel as much movement as you did in the earlier weeks because there is not as much room for the baby to move around. However, you will still feel movement and kicks.

The baby has moved down lower, or dropped, and this means that you are a bit more comfortable when taking a deep breath. You no longer feel as if you have a huge basketball under your ribs. At the same time, your belly has really expanded and you may find it hard to get up once you sit in a soft chair, such as a sofa chair. When you stand, you won be able to see your feet and unless you wear slip on footwear, you will need someone to tie your laces or buckle your shoes for you. At night you will likely have difficulty getting rest because you feel uncomfortable when you lie down and you find it hard to turn over in bed. One solution many women say helped them with this is wearing silk or satin pyjamas that slides easily over the bed linens when you want to turn in the bed.

By:Ling Tong
Source;Home & Family-ArticlesBase