Development of Baby in 41 Week of Pregnancy

You may have already had your hospital bag packed and waiting to go for weeks now. But in the slim chance that you haven’t done so, now is the time to do it. Don’t over pack but pack enough to keep you comfortable for at least 3 days. You should have a nightgown, bathrobe, slippers, change of clothes, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and a magazine or books.

The only left to do is at this point in the pregnancy is to be patient and wait. Some women may try to induce their own labor by going for rides in cars when they shouldn’t or exercising. It is best to just let nature take its course. You are at week 41; you are not going to be pregnant much longer.

You should have already decided on who was going to be in the delivery room with you and who is going to drive you to the hospital and who is going to make the phone calls after your baby is born. You should by now have a girls name picked out and a boys name chosen at this stage. Some women while in the hospital like to write out birth announcements and then send the pictures out at a later date. At this week in pregnancy, you should be taking the prenatal vitamins as well as continue on your healthy eating style. This may be something you want to continue after the baby is born or you are looking forward to a Big Mac.

You may still be able to exercise a little bit at this week, continue to practice the Kegel Exercises. This will help you strengthen your muscles for delivery. At the same time, don’t over do it. You will need as much rest as you can now because your nights of getting 8 straight hours of sleep are a thing of the past.

Baby’s Development

By 41st week of pregnancy, the baby grows completely. Your baby is trying hard to get comfortable by making continuous movements. Your baby is sitting in a cramped position by 41st week and is ready to come out of the womb. The baby is stuck for a long and is waiting impatiently to come out just like you eagerly waiting. By now the baby weights near about 8 ¼ ibs and almost 20 inches long. The baby sleeps a lot as there is no space for it to move. The baby continues to sleep even during the contractions. As the pushing contraction occurs, the baby’s head is pushed downwards and so soon it is over the baby is pushed back. This continues until the baby moves down through the birth canal and remains visible.

As the baby continues to grow it does not find space to move and makes the mother feel heavier. Although the baby adds some weight it manages to move swiftly. All the organs of the baby are matured and the bones become strong. Only the brain and lungs does not get matured completely until the birth of the baby. There is very little lanugo left on the baby’s skin. Some of the lanugo would remain behind the ears. You can continue counting the kicks of the baby. There should be about 10 kicks in 4 hours of time. If you have any concerns related to your baby then you should rush and visit your doctor. On an average the babies are born four days after the due date.

Changes With Your Body

By now the inner part of the vagina may start to sting and burn, this is due to the position of the baby .You will still feel the kicks and all of the baby’s movements by now. Some women may not feel labor pains at this stage so, the doctor may want to do an ultra sound to determine why and they may induce labor in a week or so, if you still haven’t felt any labor pains. The main thing is to still monitor the movements of the baby.

If the doctor decides to induce labor they will give you a drip of Oxyoctin this will help with placing the hormones right into the bloodstream and start up the labor. The only thing that you should be thinking of is preparing for the baby to come home and let the doctor worry about the baby. Now is the time for excitement and not for worry. You should still be consuming a good amount of water and continue to eat small meals.

It is normal to feel frustrated because the baby should have been born by now (at least that is what you are thinking). Every pregnancy is different and every birth is different. Just think that you have had some time to experience pregnancy than other women.

What To Expect

If you happen to develop a vaginal discharge that smells foul inspite of a normal delivery of the baby, then you must visit your doctor as there might be some serious problem. Only about 5% of the babies are born on their actual due dates. The other pregnancies that go post pregnancy date are so because their dates are not calculated correctly. You do not have to worry about the delivery as it would its way.

You can keep a track of every week of your pregnancy and treasure these days. You need not worry as many women pass their due dates. If the due date passes, then artificial induction methods could be used for labor. You can also go for some non-medical techniques. However consult your doctor before going through any techniques at home for getting labor started. A non-stress test would be helpful as you would be assured of baby’s good health. You might get your labor pains anytime and you would end your waiting. You need not worry and just relax and wait for the baby to arrive.

Keep Taking Good Care of Yourself

It’s often hard to keep a positive attitude when you’re overdue. but don’t give up yet! Maintain good nutrition, and keep up your fluid intake. If you can do so without any problems, get some mild exercise, like walking or swimming. You may feel better if you continue your pregnancy exercises.

The following exercise is easy to do, no matter how big you are. Lie on your left side on the floor or bed. Elevate your head with a pillow. Bend your knees, and pull your arms close to your body. While inhaling, reach your right arm over your head as you fully extend your right leg, leading with your heel. Hold for 3 seconds. Exhale as you return to the starting position. Do four times on each side; it helps stretch back muscles.

Rest and relax now because your baby will be here soon, and you’ll be very busy. Use the time to get things ready for baby so you’ll be all set when you both come home from the hospital.

Tips/Advice

Remember the day is coming when the baby will be born. The baby is just as anxious for it to be born as you are. Nature has a way of taking its time when it is something that you have waited for the past 9 months. But rest assured the baby is coming and soon you will be holding the baby you have felt kicking inside you.