Welcome to the 39th week of your pregnancy! Are you feeling anxious? Is it going to happen today? Is it going to happen tomorrow? Normally, pregnancies last about 40 weeks, however, most women go into labor a week before or a week after their 40th week. This means that it might happen any day now. Be ready!
Even though your baby’s body is not growing as much as he has been for the past few weeks, his brain is still growing, it has already reached around 30 percent bigger than the size it was a few weeks ago.
Until this week, your baby had pinkish skin, this week his skin turned whitish or a bit whitish-grayish, but it will not have any pigment yet regardless of the final skin color your baby will be, until a little after his birth.
Your baby has finally reached his birth weight, he now weighs somewhere between 2.7kg and 4kg, even though about a third of that weight is only accounted for his head.
Changes Happening in Your Body by Your 39th Week
At this stage of your pregnancy, you might find some random amounts of discharge in your underwear, it could even be more than the usual. The discharge should not be too smelly or too thick.
However, if you spot any bloody or yellowish blobs of mucus which feels sticky, this could mean that your baby is on the way as this slimy stuff is used to plug up your cervix, so when it comes out, it is a sign that you are getting closer, but do not rush to the hospital just yet, as you could still be a few days away.
You might as well start feeling some unusual pain in your back as your baby changes position and moves down your pelvis, he starts pressuring against your spin, you might also feel some increased pressure in the bottom part of your bump.
Are you feeling some sudden bursts of energy these days? Do you feel like tidying up your baby’s nursing room and folding his clothes? Maybe even folding your own clothes or doing a few chores that you were not thinking of doing at all? This is your nesting instinct kicking in!
What to Keep an Eye on?
A few signs could mean that your pregnancy is not stable and you might need some immediate medical help, if you felt any of the following symptoms, make sure to contact your midwife or doctor right away to get a quick check-up and make sure everything is on the right track:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Extreme itching
- Any vision problem such as blurring or seeing spots
- Severe feet, hands, ankles, or face swelling
- Body temperature higher than 37.5 degrees C
- Unusual discharge color, brownish or pink
- Persistent headache
- Pain below the ribs
- Persistent stomach aches
Symptoms of the 39th Week of Pregnancy
At this stage, you will mostly feel the practice contractions known as Braxton hicks. However, if they got painful, then it could mean that this is the real thing and your baby could be on his way, here are the signs that the contractions are real:
- Water breaking
- Back pain
- An unusual urge to go to the toilet
- Sticky blobs of mucus
- Contractions and tightening around your bump
If you spot any of those symptoms, you could be going into labor, this would be the time to call the hospital and let them know how you feel and what symptoms you’ve had so far, they will guide you through what you need to do afterward.
Your 39th week of pregnancy symptoms might include:
- Sleeping problems
- Baxton Hicks
- Bleeding gums
- Snoring
- Backache
- Headaches
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Random pain around muscles
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Sore breasts
- Leg cramps
- Stretch marks
- Thicker hair
- Swollen gums
- Urine infection
- Bloating or constipation
- Spotty skin
- Feeling too warm
- Greasier skin
- Piles
- Vaginal infection
- Thicker hair
Your Baby’s 39th Week Development
Your baby is growing graciously day by day, making it tighter and tighter in there, but you can still feel all of his kicks and movements. By your 39th week, your baby is now around 3.3kg in weight and is about 50.7cm in length from head to toe.
Your baby’s skin is no longer transparent, it is now gaining a whitish or whitish-grayish color, it now looks like a solid skin layer to help protect your baby’s organs and keep him at the right temperature.
Your baby might still be coated in vernix, which is a creamy layer that helps protect your baby’s skin and keep him at the right temperature as well. This coating could be completely gone by now, however, some babies still have it on till a little bit after birth as it disappears gradually.
This Week’s Tips
Take a Few Naps
Your body is working more than usual to support two people now, take a break and get some rest whenever you get a chance to rest your body, you’ve earned it!
Consider Eating During Labor
Ask your doctor or midwife if you are allowed to eat during your labor, labor takes a lot of hard work and it is too hard to get it done while on an empty stomach! Research shows that women who have the eating privileges have shorter labor, some of them even up to 16 minutes shorter than others who don’t.