Your doctor has a lot of options when it comes to inducing labour, but she may use one soon if your baby doesn’t come on her own. You doctor will also monitor your baby for safety to make sure she’s not under stress.
42 weeks pregnant is how many months?
You are nine months and two weeks pregnant. You’re into your tenth month of pregnancy, and it’s not necessarily fun. It possibly feels like quite a while ago that you were feeling nausea during pregnancy or feeling cold in those first few months if you did experience it. It has been quite a while since then!
Your Baby at 42 Weeks
Going past your due date is perfectly normal, given miscalculated periods and irregular ovulation. In any case, your doctor will monitor your baby to make sure everything is okay. When your baby does come, she’ll have dry, wrinkled skin, which is normal for any baby.
She’ll have long nails that need trimming, and she’ll be very alert. Be sure to say hello, because she’ll recognise your voice and your spouse’s voice if he’s been talking to her, too.
Your due date has come and gone, but that may or may not mean your baby is late. She’s happy where she is, which is why she hasn’t come out yet. Many women go past their due date and less than five per cent are born on their actual due date.
How big is a baby at 42 weeks?
Your baby hasn’t grown much since last week. Chances are she won’t be too big to deliver vaginally, even though she’s gone two weeks past her due date. She’s the size of a watermelon, but don’t worry, everything will be fine.
Your Body at 42 Weeks
This pregnancy has been going on forever, or at least that’s how it feels. However, seventy per cent of pregnancies that go past the due date aren’t late at all. They’re simply due to a miscalculated due date.
Your baby is bound to come out on her own after this week, or your provider will induce labour, so it’s happening soon no matter what.
If you’re sick of everyone calling to ask if you’ve had the baby yet, rest assured that this time next week, you’ll be cuddling with a squishy newborn. Don’t be discouraged. You don’t have the longest pregnancy on record.
Hang in there and watch for signs of labour like contractions, your water breaking, or—believe it or not—diarrhea. This is a way that your body empties out to make room for your baby to make an exit. Maybe it’s not the most pleasant thought, but it does prevent you from having a bowel movement during labour.
Once your baby arrives, you’ll be exhausted and overwhelmed. Believe it or not, if he’s engaging as he should, your partner will be exhausted, too. Even if you choose not to have a doula during delivery, a postpartum doula can help.
This is a fantastic option for people who don’t have family in town to help. You’ll have someone to help with breastfeeding questions, cooking, cleaning, and errands. She can teach you and support you in things like swaddling, recovery, soothing, diapering, feeding, and so much more.
Symptoms
Even if your contractions are just Braxton Hicks, they’re probably happening more frequently now. Your body still practising, a lot, which is hopefully a good sign. You may start to notice a pattern.
Your cervix is surely opening to prepare for labour, which may mean you have some bloody show. This is just blood vessels breaking in and around your cervix, which is normal. If your discharge is heavy or bright red, call your doctor.
When your water breaks, you could experience a gush or a trickle, but it’s a sign that labour is near. Normally your water doesn’t break until you’re already at the hospital with contractions, but it could happen at home. If it does, call your doctor.
Your cervix is dilating and effacing to prepare for labour, and your doctor can monitor your progress with a pelvic exam at each visit, but it may be necessary to coax this process along with inducing labour at this point.
Diarrhea is a way to clear the way for an exiting baby, so it’s normal at this stage and may mean labour is near. Keep drinking water to stay hydrated and eat small snacks to maintain your strength for all the hard work ahead of you.
Your body is also eliminating fluids, but if you feel like you are still retaining them, it can be very uncomfortable. Drinking plenty of water will help keep those fluids circulating and it may help you eliminate them more quickly.
Insomnia is common, and it can be about more than just discomfort and pregnancy hormones now. Sure, you have to pee every five seconds, but you’re also anxious, nervous, excited, and scared. Talk to your partner about your feelings. It can help you relax before bed and get more rest.
If you’re producing colostrum, your breasts may be leaking. Stock up on nursing pads now because you’ll continue to need them.
Tips/Things to do
By now, you’re just ready to be done, and you and your doctor may have already discussed inducing labour. Your baby is officially late, so if you don’t go into labour on your own, your practitioner may induce later this week.
Monitor your contractions, because they should last about 45 seconds and be happening every five minutes or so. If that happens, call the doctor! If not, keep counting. Hopefully, it will happen for you soon. Keep in mind that diarrhea may mean it’s happening soon, too.
Talk to your healthcare provider about saving your placenta. Some people do, and some people don’t, but if it’s something you’ve thought about, make sure your doctor knows in advance.
Massage your perineum to keep you busy, prepare your body, and keep your mind off labour. It can help reduce your risk of tearing and get your vagina ready to deliver. It may feel uncomfortable, but it will really help.
You may want to consider a postpartum doula to help with cooking, cleaning, errands, breastfeeding advice, and any other support you may need after you head home with the baby. You’re headed into what some people call the fourth trimester now, which is the hardest one yet. Enjoy your new baby!
About The Author
Kids, chai latte’s, blueberry muffins, and reading way too many books… That pretty much sums up Louise. She’s also passionate about giving back to the community, in this case through this site, finding and answering questions about parenting.