In the video for the 38th week of pregnancy on meinhaushalt.at, important information and tips for pregnancy in week 38 are presented.
In the 38th week of your Pregnancy, the fetus is 35 weeks old, has a total length of approx. 46cm and weighs around 3000g. The child is now theoretically prepared for birth; mainly, it is now just busy gaining weight. All bodily functions are in place, the baby's lungs are functional, and the organs are also in their proper positions. The placenta now weighs approx. 500g, has a diameter of 20-25 cm, and is about 3cm thick.
Questions about birth
Many pregnant women often ask themselves, "How do I know that labor is starting?". Most pregnant women have this question when the Pregnancy is coming to an end. Since you have already been able to experience some lightening contractions or pre-labor contractions, it may seem difficult for you to distinguish them from the opening phase. With lightening contractions, which usually start two to four weeks before birth, you have certainly noticed how the child slipped noticeably lower. However, lightening contractions are painless and consist only of short-term hardening of the uterus. It is different with pre-labor contractions: here you will feel slight pains that subside again. They often occur at increasingly shorter intervals, and changing positions cannot alleviate this feeling. For some women, the amniotic fluid suddenly breaks before the actual contractions; you can also recognize from this that the birth has begun.
Other signs of an impending birth can include
- Sudden restlessness, impatience, or difficulty concentrating
- Mild diarrhea
- Loss of the mucus plug, which until then had firmly sealed the cervix
- Mild to moderate back pain
- Discomfort
Breastfeeding or bottle?
Have you already thought about how you would like to feed your child? With breast milk, your child gets the best nutrition there is. It is always available, at the right temperature, and provides the infant with all necessary nutrients. Especially important are the antibodies that the mother passes on to her child through breast milk. This protects your child from infections and prevents allergies.
But besides the nutritional factor, breastfeeding itself is a beautiful experience for mother and child. You both experience plenty of warmth, attention, love, and tenderness. If breastfeeding does not work right away, do not be discouraged. Your midwife, who will also be by your side with help and advice after the birth, will be happy to help you with any problems.
Nevertheless, it can happen that the cooperation between child and mother does not always run smoothly. Perhaps you have too little milk, which does not fully satisfy your child, or other issues that make breastfeeding impossible. Do not worry too much about it, because industrial milk is now very close to breast milk. Discuss this point with your midwife as well and take your time when choosing a product. Special milk for allergy-prone infants is marked with the "HA symbol" – hypoallergenic milk – and also protects against allergies.
Regardless of whether you decide to breastfeed or use artificial milk from a bottle – enjoy the time with the infant and get to know each other well.
Read also:Â Video for pregnancy week 38, 38th week of pregnancy
