Pregnancy Calendar at Week 42
What Happens with Your Little One
This week marks the transition into the optimal period for your baby's birth. If your pregnancy continues past 42 weeks, doctors might start discussing options about delivering.
By 42 weeks, your baby is fully developed and ready for birth, already functioning outside the womb. It continues to grow and put on some really good fat layers. Here's what your baby looks like:
- Proportionally shaped body with a resemblance to a tiny adult;
- Pinkish skin with a somewhat greasy coating so you can see some meconium and the skin isn’t slippery;
- On the scalp and shoulders, there might be a small amount of lanugo hair;
- Their nails are outside the fingertips;
- Testicles of boys have descended into the scrotum, and girls have larger labia minora;
- The baby's weight is around 3600-3700 grams, height—about 53-56 cm.
Your baby is capable of independent breathing, sucking, and crying loudly after birth.
In rare cases, if there is a mistake in estimating the due date, signs of fetal transfer may be detected early at 42 weeks during ultrasound scans. These signs include:
- Postmaturity – absence of 'previous' waters;
- Altered quality of amniotic fluid – they may become murky and contain meconium, and lack a slippery coating;
- The bones of the baby’s skull may appear overly dense;
- The skin of the baby looks wrinkled and lacks the greasy coating;
A post-term baby shows signs of aging. If the pregnancy is prolonged, the mother faces increased risks:
- Aging and deterioration of the placenta can trigger chronic low oxygen levels in the baby;
- Insufficient nutrients can lead to a decrease in the baby's weight due to the breakdown of fat and muscle tissue, making it harder for the baby to adapt to external conditions, such as low temperatures around the mother;
Dry skin on the baby, without the protective greasy coating, tends to peel and become more prone to superficial injuries.
The demonstating signs of aging include:
- Lack of a «front» water layer;
- Altered quality of amniotic fluid – they may turn murky and contain meconium, and lack a slippery coating;
If the ultrasound detects at least one of these signs and the placenta appears 'aged,' then medical intervention such as induction of labor is considered.
What happens during labor
Mama has been emotionally prepared for this moment for a while now, and she’s starting to feel a bit tired of waiting. The little one is constantly moving around and making her nervous, especially as they get closer to the due date in her belly. Physical sensations during pregnancy are connected to the uterus relaxing after delivery and the body needing to clear out waste. In the middle of the stretch marks on her hips and waist, her belly is becoming more prominent as her body adjusts to the growing baby. Her blood volume drops slightly as her blood thickens and fluid levels decrease, helping her minimize blood loss during birth. Brexton-Hicks contractions tend to happen more often and more intensely as her due date approaches, preparing her body for labor. It’s important not to miss the early signs of true contractions, which will become regular, painful, and more persistent. When pressure is applied to the cervix, small drops of clear fluid might appear, indicating that her body is ready for labor.
Helpful Tips
Here's some advice I recommend:
- Always carry your ID (passport, poliss, or exchange card) and your mobile phone with you when you go out, even if it's just for a few minutes—for example, if you're running into the store nearby with your house. Prepare three small bags with essentials. The first bag should go with you inside the house, containing documents, your mobile phone with a charged device, a torch, and a bottle of clean, non-carbonated water. The second bag is for your belongings and spare clothes for the baby, which you can bring along after the birth. The third bag will have items for breastfeeding for mom and for the baby.
- You can try to speed up the labor process by taking long walks, engaging in sex, and stimulating the nipples.
It's not recommended to engage in vigorous physical activity, demanding strength and intense movements.
Motherhood
Typically, labor begins with water breaking, followed by contractions and the dilation and effacement of the cervix. Each stage of labor must follow a strict order, and none can be skipped, although the duration of each might vary. For women giving birth for the first time, labor usually lasts between 12 to 16 hours, while for those who have given birth before, it's generally 8 to 10 hours.
In the very early stages of labor, the intervals between contractions tend to become more frequent and lasting longer, with breaks lasting over 20 minutes. During this time, you can take a breath and prepare for the trip to the maternity ward. When the interval between regular contractions shortens to 15-20 minutes, that’s a sign that labor has truly begun. Labor progresses through several stages:
- Dilation. In women giving birth for the first time, the cervix opens in 10-12 hours, while for those who have given birth before, it takes from 20 minutes up to an hour. This is the most painful stage of labor, requiring the woman to strongly bear down. It ends with the separation of the membranes and the amniotic sac.
Within 2-4 hours after labor begins, the woman remains in the delivery room under doctor supervision. During this time, her blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and circulation are monitored. Then, she is transferred onto a delivery bed. As contractions become more intense and persistent, and their intervals diminish, the baby’s head will start to crown soon after birth. The entire process is marked by several phases: