Category Archives: pregnancy

40 Weeks of Pregnancy – Week 40

It is Monday! Time for the last installment of my week by week pregnancy guide. If you want to catch up with previous weeks, scroll to the bottom.

Week 40

Congratulations! 40 weeks! If you haven’t given birth yet, talk to your doctor, as you may at this point need to induce. But not necessarily. Just because the baby is late doesn’t mean he needs to be forced out.

For the most part the majority of you have in fact given birth already, and are currently at home with your new bundles of joy. You are probably exhausted. I remember Ducky was such a handful I had to “sleep” on the couch with him as he would not stop screaming if I put him down. I was functioning on two hours of sleep a night.

So, I know you have all heard this before. But I am going to say it again. Sleep when the baby sleeps. It may just be the only sleep you get.

If you decided to breastfeed your baby, you have also probably figured out that it is not as simple as you may have thought. It takes practice, and you have to get used to your baby just like he needs to get used to you. But keep at it, read the articles about different positions, and best of luck to you!

In parting, enjoy these next few weeks. It is a wonderful period that you will not get again (unless you have more kids).

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40 Weeks of Pregnancy – Week 39

Merry Christmas! It’s Monday, so welcome back to my pregnancy week by week guide. Today we are looking at Week 39. If you want to catch up with previous weeks, scroll to the bottom.

Week 39

Even though your pregnancy is over, your baby may not have yet arrived. Ducky was born this week. If you don’t happen to give birth this week, don’t worry, your baby is coming soon!

To you, your baby will seem like the most beautiful thing in the world. But you may be surprised to find he doesn’t look like the little cherub you were expecting. Newborn babies are usually tinier than you would expect. Their heads aren’t always round. Honestly, unless it is your baby, they are not that adorable. They also have a little bit of a yellow tint to them. None of this is anything to worry about. These things will correct themselves. Except for the yellow tint. While some yellow is normal, too much might indicate jaundice. If this is the case, your pediatrician will tell you what you need to do. This may be as simple as adding a few drops of Vitamin D to their diet. In extreme cases you may have to take them in for UV treatment, but this is very rare. Even if you haven’t chosen a pediatrician yet, your baby will be examined by the in-house pediatricians at least twice before you can take him home, and once or twice more his first week of life at home.

If you decided on a home birth or something similar, talk to your doctor since it is very important for your baby to have proper medical care (even it if it just to make sure everything is alright). It might make things easier to know that a hospital is ready for you should an alternative birthing method not go as planned.

Again, if you haven’t given birth yet, one more week!

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40 Weeks of Pregnancy – Week 38

Welcome back to this week’s installment of my week by week pregnancy guide. If you want to catch up with previous weeks, scroll to the bottom.

Week 38

At this point, should you give birth, your baby is not considered early, reducing most of the risks associated with premature birth. Right around now you will be seeing your doctor every week. The running joke with my doctor was “I hope I miss my next appointment.” Sure enough, this week I gave birth to Munchie.

Are you in labor? If you want to know what that feels like, look at Week 36 for my best definition.

Once you are in labor, there are several stages. The first is uncomfortable at worst, consisting of mild contractions, sporadically timed, and pretty brief. This can last for days. The second phase is where your contractions become more regular, meaning their intervals will be more regular and predictable, and their lengths as well. Once your contractions are about ten to fifteen minutes apart on a regular basis, go to the hospital (or wherever it is you decided to give birth). This phase lasts several hours. It is also during this phase that your water will most likely break. Your doctor may break it for you to speed up the process. Either way is fine. The last phase is the bridge between the second phase and delivery. Your contractions are going to get longer and stronger. And you will have this unbelievable urge to push. If your doctor tells you to hold off (for whatever reason) but you can’t, and you do start the pushing process, there is no going back. Once the baby is descended, do NOT close your legs, you will crush the tiny little baby skull. Usually I am not this adamant with my advice. But this time, I am very much so. In fact, I would be yelling for emphasis right now if I could. I have read entirely too many stories where women were instructed for one reason or another to close their legs to slow down labor, only to result in sever damage and even death to their babies.

For those of you not giving birth just yet, hang in there, just a few more weeks at most! If you do not give birth within the next two to three weeks, your doctor will more than likely induce. At this point it is completely safe.

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