39 Weeks Pregnant

39 Weeks Pregnant

Revathi V Gopal
By Revathi V Gopal
You have now stepped into the last few of pregnancy, and it's time for you to prepare yourself for your delivery. Within a couple of weeks, you can be united with your bundle of joy and leave behind the discomforts you have faced. Besides, if you give birth to your little one during the 39th week of pregnancy, you don't have to be worried. It is because your baby has developed and may not face complications if you had your delivery. Even though it won't be a concern, several changes continue to happen to your baby this week as well. Hence, you have to continue to be careful and take good care of yourself to enhance safety. In this article, we will look into the changes happening during the 39th week of pregnancy. We will also walk you through the things you have to take care of this week.

What Happens During the 39th Week of Pregnancy?

Similar to the previous week, numerous bodily changes continue due to pregnancy and hormones. They also include the fetal developments happening to your little one. Here, we will delve into the details associated with these changes in you and your little one.

Hormonal Changes and Pregnancy Symptoms

While you are 39 weeks pregnant, you will continue to notice that you feel tired most of the time. It is because of the increase in your body weight and due to the other changes happening in you. Here, the uterus will be pushing against your stomach, which can impact your well-being. Besides, there can be a decrease in your blood sugar level. It is yet another concern that you have to look into during your pregnancy.

Similar to the previous weeks, you will notice light contractions known as Braxton Hicks Contractions. They can last for a minimum of half a minute to two minutes, and they don't indicate that you are in labor. However, you have to keep track of these contractions to ensure that they are fake contractions.

Another concern that you will notice is an increase in pelvic area pressure. It is a way through which your body prepares itself for your little one to step into the world. The pressure that you face is due to the uterus pushing its way down towards the cervix. Because of this pushing of the uterus, you might notice that you have constipation as a concern. You can reduce its impact to some extent by having fiber content in your food. Besides, you would see a clumsiness in your body due to the gravitational shift. Since your breast size is increasing as a way to prepare itself for the delivery, you will notice an increase in clumsiness. Besides, you might have difficulties sleeping, and there is a chance of slipping into insomnia. These are the main pregnancy changes happening to you while you are in the 39th week of pregnancy. Since it is a crucial phase of pregnancy, you have to be careful with yourself.

Bodily Changes

When you are in the 39th week of pregnancy, your body is preparing for the delivery. Due to this, you might notice tremendous changes happening in you and your little one. You will feel that your belly is much more full during this time.

Since your baby is taking up most of the place inside your belly, your discomfort level might increase. It might be affecting the internal organs present close to your uterus. However, you don't have to worry as everything will be fine in a couple of weeks.

Another significant bodily change that you can notice will be an increase in the visibility of stretch marks on your body. It is because of the expansion of your skin that there will be an increase in stretch marks. Another factor that causes stretch marks is when your mother had them while she was pregnant. During this time, you will also notice an increase in itchiness on the rashes. It is known as Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. It is a concern that affects many women during pregnancy. Apart from this, you will realize that you will be losing your mucus plug while pregnant. Other than that, your cervix will start to show signs of dilation as well. These are the main changes happening to you while you are 39 weeks pregnant.

Fetal Development

Even though your baby has undergone all the required changes during this time, some transformations continue to happen. Here, your little one would weigh between 3.2 kg and 3.6 kg and would be 48 to 52 cm long. One of the main developments that happen during this time is your little one's brain. It will continue to change until your little one is three years old. Other developments happening in your little one include the tear ducts. Even though it won't produce any tears till your little one is born, this is yet another significant change to consider while pregnant. Other than that, your baby's skin also undergoes some form of transformation. One of them is the presence of a layer that contains blood vessels. It will be present across all parts of your little one's body, and your baby will have a translucent pink complexion. However, with time and due to skin pigmentation, you can notice that your baby's skin color would get a bit darker than usual. These are the main changes happening in your little one while you are 39 weeks pregnant. Here, you may not be required to perform an ultrasound scan. However, if your doctor recommends it, then you will have to consider it. It is to ensure that your little one is in no trouble or there are no complications involved.

Things to Consider When You are 39 Weeks Pregnant

When you have stepped into the 39th week of pregnancy, you have to be considerate of your physical, mental, and emotional health. From maintaining a healthy diet to speaking with your doctor, you have to take each step with much care and attention. Here are some things to consider while you are 39 weeks pregnant.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

When you are 39 weeks pregnant, you have to ensure that you maintain a healthy diet and have plenty of fluids. Here, it will be beneficial to have healthy snacks and avoid processed food. You can have them at regular intervals of the day to keep yourself healthy and gain the required nutrients. Here, you need to include fruits, vegetables, salads, and other healthy dishes in your diet as well. Besides, your focus has to be on those food items that your doctor or dietician has recommended. When it comes to water, try to drink eight to ten-ounce glasses of water per day. Through this, you can reduce the chances of dehydration as well.

Take Care of Your Physical and Mental Health

During this time, try to take part in light exercises that won't have an impact on you. Some of the exercises that you can try include walking, yoga, lunges, squats, etc. When you include them into your routine, it can be helpful for you, especially when you are preparing for your childbirth.

Other than this, you have to take good care of your mental health. Here, you might face anxiousness as you anticipate your labor. Apart from this, stress is also a concern that can affect you during pregnancy. As part of taking care of this issue, try out meditation, yoga, journaling, therapy, etc.,

Speaking with Your Doctor

Since your due date is approaching, you have to speak with your doctor to gain clarity on anything required. As you might be anxious and confused, you have to take the necessary steps to overcome them. Your doctor can guide you through them and ensure that you attain safety. Here, we will look into the different things you need to ask your doctor while you are 39 weeks pregnant.

  • You have to bring your doctor's attention to any form of pain, discharge, or bleeding that you may have.
  • You have to speak with your doctor and acquire more details on your birth plan. Here, learning about them in detail can be helpful for you.

Other Tips

Here are a few other tips that can come in handy while you are 39 weeks pregnant. They include:

  • You have to ensure that you have prepared the bag that you will require. You can seek assistance to do so, and you have to make sure that you have taken everything you need.
  • You have to schedule a prenatal visit while you are 39 weeks pregnant.
  • Try to learn more about water breaking and how it will happen so that you won't remain confused when it happens to you.
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