Week 37: And we're ready for take-off!!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 37:



fetus in ninth month
It’s the calm before the storm. Changes in your baby's weight have
leveled off with only a few ounces of fat added this week. At this
point your baby should weigh in at around 7 lbs and 20 inches (with
boys somewhat heavier and longer than girls). Happily, as far as
internal organs go, they are now developed enough to function in the
outside world although the oh-so-important immune system is still
developing and will continue to do so after birth. With a large boost
of antibodies provided by breast milk when nursing begins. Fighting
infection and staying healthy should be well within their physical
capacity when your little fighter is born.

And how's mom doing?
Your health care provider will assess
the likelihood of where you are relative to your upcoming birthing
process—seeing as you’ve now arrived at that waiting phase that could
turn into labor at any time. Various charming indicators such as loose
stools, expelling your mucus plus a dilated cervix and increased Braxton-Hicks contractions are all signs
that labor is only a few days away. The infamous water breaking may or
may not be your first true indicator that labor has commenced. However,
water breaks for only 15% of mothers and despite what Hollywood would
have us believe, is more frequently just a slow leak rather than a
large gush.Be patient: if labor doesn’t start this week, or even
next, keep in mind that only 4-5% of women actual deliver on their
predicted due date. What’s more if this is your first pregnancy, you
can expect to be anywhere from two days to two weeks late. You can
distract yourself by keeping track of fetal movements, mostly to
reassure yourself that all is well with your little miracle. In the off
chance that movements do start to decrease substantially, try not to
freak out and instead, call your doctor of midwife and discuss it with
them.If you still haven’t decided whether to breastfeed or not,
here’s a good reason: some experts estimate that mothers excrete
between 400-700 calories a day while breastfeeding, and to compensate,
you should be eating roughly 500 extra calories a day (mmm that’s like
one spoonful of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream).