Weekly Development of Pregnancy ( 35 – 40 Weeks )

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You are at the end of your rope!!… It is your most cherished dream to have your baby in your arms right away. You will start seeing your doctor more frequently in these weeks. Your doctor uses the foetal monitor to check your baby’s heart beats, movements and the contractions in the uterus. As such it will be possible to assess the conditions the baby is in. Share your thoughts, especially your concerns, regarding normal birth with your doctor. It is possible to know exactly when the birth of your baby will take place. The Doctor runs a vaginal check on the expectant mother to see the softness of the cervix, and whether it is already dilated, and informs the mother accordingly. Some expectant mothers give birth to their babies in these weeks and others continue to wait. Mothers that do not give birth in these weeks could wait until the 41st or 42nd weeks to do so. The hands and feet could visibly swell and collect oedema. Under such circumstances, a test to check whether there is protein in the urine is performed under doctor’s instructions.

If your baby is completely in the birth canal, your heartburn, breathing and digestive problems will lessen, but frequency of urination will increase due to the pressure on your bladder. It will become very difficult to sleep at night. Try to sleep and rest as much as possible during the day. As your baby’s weight gain accelerates, yours will slow down. Due to the pregnancy hormones produced by the placenta, your breast will become even larger in this/her period. Your vaginal discharge will also continue. If this/her discharge comes with pain and is a light red colour, you should immediately inform your doctor.

Your baby…

Your baby is now ready to be born. Human beings grow the fastest when they are in the womb. Your baby’s transition from a creation that is not visible to the eye, to a baby human being is completed in 40 weeks. The perception of your baby starts developing as of the 20th week. The last 3 months of pregnancy is when his/her perception is the highest and his/her emotional intelligence develops. Although it is not long till the birth, the baby’s development continues. He/she puts on weight and gets taller. After the 36th week your baby will no longer be premature, if born. Her muscle and circulation systems continue their preparations for the final day. As the baby swallows the amniotic fluid, her first stool, meconium, is produced. It is possible to see from the first stool your baby passes after the birth that she has been swallowing this/her fluid. Her first stool will be black and sticky in texture. It will be easy for her head to be expelled from the birth canal as her skull has not yet fully completed its development. This/her is important both for the baby and the mother.

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