By the time you’re 39 weeks pregnant, the fetus is almost the size of a pumpkin or watermelon. The baby weighs about 7.3 pounds and is about 20 inches long! The baby is crowding your interiors more and more each day. However, there’s no need to worry as you’ve got only a few weeks to go!

39 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

Braxton Hicks contractions

At 39 weeks pregnant, you are likely to experience way more contractions than before because your body is getting ready for delivery. You are going through the final stages before officially going into labour.

Pelvic pressure

While the baby is setting itself in the right position for delivery, it is lying so low in the pelvis that your torso might feel heavy and full.

Tingling crotch

The baby is lying very low in the pelvis. Any movement is now likely to hit some sensitive nerves and send shock-like tingling feeling down your crotch and legs.

Mucus plug

At 39 weeks pregnant, you might notice some thick mucus-like discharge coming out of your vagina. Keep tabs on the quantity of mucus being discharged. If it is unnaturally high in quantity and has a tint of blood, it might be a sign of going into labour.

Dry eyes

By the time you are 39 weeks pregnant, the shape of your eyeballs has changed due to the changes in your body’s shape and the pregnancy hormones. The tear ducts are tightened and cannot lubricate your eyes like other times. This leaves your eyes feeling dry and sore.

39 Weeks Pregnant Belly

Although your baby is now growing at the rate of 0.5 ounces each day, there is not much difference in the shape or size of your belly at 39 weeks pregnant. The major period of growing of the belly is over. Now you need to focus more on the signs of labour and keep a tab on your belly regularly. Moving on from the signs of labour till last week, this week you can narrow down on these symptoms:

• Regular and increased contractions
• Breaking of your amniotic sac – the water/fluid flowing out of your vagina
• Mucus plug or bloody show – an increase in the mucus being discharged through your vagina, like dollops of mucus, accompanied with blood
• Severe back ache, also medically called back labour

39 Weeks Pregnancy Ultrasound

A 39 weeks pregnancy ultrasound and non-stress test is done to check your baby’s and your health conditions. Your baby is moving around, in the pelvic region, just waiting to pop out! The baby’s brain is still developing, and the little one is getting smarter with each passing day! After the tests are done, your OB might either say that everything is A-OK or might order an early delivery. During this week, there’s not much to do for the doctor in the ultrasound room, because the vital tests and checks have already been conducted on you. All you need to do now is waiting for the labour to begin.

Dos and Don’ts During Week 39 of Pregnancy

Dos –

Exercise

Although you cannot move about much nowadays, keep practicing mild yoga poses and stretching activities. These help in toning your pelvic muscles and inducing sleep at night.

Rely on liquid foods

At 39 weeks pregnant, it is common to develop aversion towards most foods. To help in better digestion, opt for liquid-based foods. Light vegetable soups, fruit juices, and shakes go down well with your currently fragile digestive system.

Fix your week 40 pre-natal visit

At week 40, most OBs are booked with expecting women coming in for their pre-natal test. Hence, to avoid crowds and delay in your test, book your slot from now. Make sure that you don’t miss out on your 40 weeks pre-natal visit at any cost!

Fit a baby seat in your car

You would definitely want to take your little one out on short trips across the city, wouldn’t you? Sitting with the child on your lap or in your arms the whole time is not feasible. Get a baby chair fitted so that your baby can enjoy comfortable rides.

Don’ts –

Although by now there’s nothing left to warn you about, here are three vital reminders of the essential ‘don’ts’ to keep in mind:

Stay alone

Staying alone at 39 weeks pregnant can be way too risky. You can go into labour anytime from now. A helper is necessary to get in touch with the doctor or other people during emergencies. You also need to have somebody by your side to help you move around the house as you feel heavy and bloated.

Take medicines on your own

Taking medicines on your own after self-diagnosis is absolutely not acceptable, especially at 39 weeks pregnant. You are in the home-stretch of this journey. Any wrong move can prove to be fatal. If you face discomfort, call your doctor and get medicines from them. Wrong drugs can seriously damage the fetus and might even lead to miscarriage.

Eat foods with high sugar content

As discussed during the previous weeks’ recommendations, extra sugar intake is not good for your baby. It might give rise to gestational diabetes. Especially while 39 weeks pregnant, the baby is just about to be born, and you have no time to rectify the damage. Hence, contracting gestational diabetes at this stage will lead to the baby being born with a distorted level of blood sugar.

Congratulations to you for making it through the home-stretch so smoothly! There’s a little more to go. You only have to follow the doctor’s regulations and wait for the baby to come out!