The weeks went by, and it was like Dante had never been away from them; even Clarice started to warm up to him. Just like Renato had instructed them to do every week, both Jennie and Devon would do their reinforcing training.

Finally, Jennie reached term, which was between 39 and 40 weeks. For those readers who have never been blessed with children, I will briefly go over what reaching full term was like for the expectant mother.

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Staying active

Gentle exercise is okay now, as long as you don’t have certain complications. Shoot for 20 minutes a day of walking, swimming, or stretching if you can.

Time to induce?

If you’re having a healthy pregnancy, your provider may suggest inducing labor at 39 weeks. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you’re interested – but avoid so-called natural ways to induce labor. These haven’t been proven to work, and can cause unpleasant side effects.

Baby development at 39 weeks

Still plumping up

Your little one continues to build a layer of fat to help control their body temperature after birth. It’s likely that your baby already measures about 20 inches and weighs just over 7 pounds. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.)

Ready to interact with you

Your baby has a firm grasp, which you’ll soon be able to test when you hold their hand for the first time! Your baby also has coordinated reflexes, can turn their head, and will be able to see your face once they’re born. Newborns can see about 6 to 10 inches away.

Pregnancy symptoms during week 39

Baby kicks

Keep paying attention to your baby’s movements, and let your doctor or midwife know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could signal a problem.

Changes to your cervix

At a prenatal checkup, your provider might do a cervical check to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even with this knowledge, there’s still no way to predict exactly when your baby is coming. For some women, labor progresses quickly even if they haven’t started dilating in advance. Others wait for days or weeks (after their cervix has started to open) for labor to start.

Leaking fluid

Call your provider if you think your water may have broken. When the amniotic sac that surrounds your baby ruptures, sometimes there’s a big gush of fluid, but oftentimes there’s only a small burst or a slow leak. Call even if you’re not sure or only suspect you have a leak. If your water breaks but contractions don’t start soon, you may be induced. That’s because once your amniotic sac has ruptured, you and your baby are at increased risk of infection.

At 39 weeks, you may also notice that your breasts are leaking small drops of yellow fluid. Your body is producing colostrum, the highly nutritious “liquid gold” that will be your baby’s first meal.

Diarrhea

A less-than-pleasant symptom you might experience at 39 weeks: diarrhea. Some people think that having diarrhea can be a sign of early labor, and that it means labor will start in 24 to 48 hours.

The theory goes: As your body prepares for labor it releases hormones called prostaglandins. These chemical messengers tell your uterus to contract, but they can have the same effect on your digestive tract. Contractions cause stool to move through more quickly, leading to diarrhea. (This is the same reason some women experience diarrhea during their periods).

There’s no proof that diarrhea means labor’s approaching, though. If you have it, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and talk with your provider before taking any antidiarrheal medications. Call your doctor or midwife if you have accompanying symptoms, if your diarrhea lasts longer than a couple of days, or if you think you might have food poisoning.

Pelvic pain

At this point, you may be very familiar with pelvic pain, which one in four women experiences during pregnancy. Carrying around a baby who’s now the size of a watermelon can make your symptoms much worse. Some women can even have trouble walking by 39 weeks.

Resting and avoiding painful activities can help. That’s tough when you have a baby to prepare for, and possibly other children to look after, but it’s important. Limit activities that cause discomfort, such as heavy lifting and carrying, standing or walking for too long, and strenuous exercise. Find new ways to do things that cause you pain (some women find it easier to get out of bed by slowly rolling to one side and pushing up). Take help when it’s offered, and don’t be afraid to ask for support.

Anytime you have pain during pregnancy, talk to your doctor or midwife. They’ll want to make sure it isn’t due to any other health problems, and they’ll offer options for relief. Starting physical therapy, wearing a pregnancy girdle, taking acetaminophen, and doing some gentle exercise can help your body feel better.

Mood swings

The end of pregnancy can try the patience of even the most mellow mom-to-be. It’s no surprise that mood swings might intensify by week 39. You’re riding waves of hormones, which can wreak havoc on your emotions; you’re likely uncomfortable; and you may be both excited and terrified for labor and motherhood.

Cut yourself some slack, and indulge in all the self-care you won’t have time for after your baby arrives. Whether it’s a slow walk, a date with your partner, a morning in bed, or a prenatal massage, do whatever feels right to you.

You might want to focus on mentally preparing for parenthood without outside distractions. It’s alright to step back from social media or ignore those calls and texts asking if you’ve had your baby yet.

Mood swings can sometimes signal pregnancy depression – especially if you’re feeling blue, sad, or empty every day. If you think you may be depressed, you’re unable to handle your daily responsibilities, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, call your provider immediately. They can refer you to a mental health specialist.

Different discharge

As you get closer to your baby’s birthday, you might notice changes to your vaginal discharge – more discharge, mucus-like discharge, and brown discharge, for example.

If you see brown discharge, the brown color comes from dried blood, and it’s likely nothing to worry about. Same goes for bright-red or pink discharge called “bloody show,” which means labor is coming soon. Mucousy discharge is a sign that your mucus plug is coming loose – and it’s another normal sign that labor’s approaching.

Sounds just awful, doesn’t it? I know one thing it is a darn good thing that the female of the species was tasked with giving birth, otherwise Homo Sapiens would have gone extinct a long time ago. All kidding asisde I have just a little more information for you below.

Pregnancy checklist at 39 weeks

Learn about your body after birth

It’s normal to still look pregnant after you deliver. (It took nine months to get here, after all!) Learn what to expect from your body during the postpartum recovery period.

Stock up on light entertainment

Make a list of shows to stream, buy or borrow magazines and books, or subscribe to some new podcasts. You may need distraction during the long hours of early labor.

Shop for after-birth necessities

From peri bottles to donut-shaped cushions and hemorrhoid pads, there’s a whole host of things you may use after birth that you’ve never encountered before. If you haven’t already, stock up on postpartum must-haves. Note: If you give birth at a hospital, the nurses will send you home with many helpful postpartum care items, like squirt bottles and disposable underwear. But you’ll need your own:

• Maxi pads. You’ll have postpartum bleeding (lochia) for several weeks after delivery. The hospital will give you extra-large pads to use in the first few days and some to take with you, but you’ll want a stock of pads at home with varying levels of absorbency. (The flow tapers off over time.)
• Postpartum underwear. When you’re no longer bleeding enough to need large maxi pads and disposable underwear from the hospital, you’ll need something more like your regular underwear. But you’ll want it to be big and comfy (think “granny panties”).
• Nursing bras. Bring them to the hospital – you’ll want them for comfort and support.

Write down your pregnancy memories

The end of pregnancy is an emotional time for many expecting parents. If you’re dealing with big feelings, or just want to capture this unique moment, journaling is a great way to do it. Whether you write to your baby or just for yourself, you’ll enjoy looking back on these memories later.

39 weeks pregnant bellies

With each passing day, you’re probably more eager to hold your baby in your arms. That’s entirely understandable. Yet it’s important to remember that many moms, especially first-time moms, go past their due date.

That can seem unfair, since so much of pregnancy is a countdown to 40 weeks. But your baby didn’t get the memo. Pregnancy can last until 42 weeks, although most babies are born before then.

Your doctor may recommend inducing your labor soon. If so, don’t panic – inductions are routinely done safely and comfortably. Some providers recommend inducing at 39 weeks to avoid certain complications, while others wait longer.

After 40 weeks, your doctor or midwife will keep an even closer eye on your pregnancy. You may have twice-weekly visits and testing (such as a non-stress test) to check on your baby.

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Something told Devon that he should call out sick today, but Jennie said that she was OK, and after all, she had another week, right? Well, nah! No sooner had Devon parked his Alpha Romeo Giula Sprint in the employee parking lot at the Vatican than he received a frantic call from Clarice, saying that Jennie’s water had broke.

Lucky for him, one of the first things that Clarice did was to get herself a driver’s license. She knew there was a good chance Jennie would go into labor when Devon was at work. It was simply the way that Murphy’s law worked. As time drew closer and closer to the delivery date, Jennie prepared a bag with all of her personal items, including a bathrobe, slippers, and so on, in a to-go bag. The bag was even loaded in the Bronco, all ready for a quick trip to the hospital.

Thanks to the crazy traffic in Rome, Devon simply did not have enough time to drive home to get Jennie. As had already been rehearsed, Clarice helped Jennie into the Bronco and made a beeline to the closest hospital emergency room, which also had an OBGYN unit. Since Jennie’s and Devon’s house was about equidistant to the hospital and the Vatican, they arrived within moments of each other. As a matter of fact, Devon just pulled up when Clarice was helping Jennie out of the Bronco. He, of course, beat feet to them so that he could help them into the emergency room. By the time they arrived, her contractions were a mere 5 minutes apart, and she was nearly fully dilated at 8cm.

When the Triage nurse heard that she was almost fully dilated, they placed her in a wheelchair and rolled her into one of the ER rooms. Within moments, a female ER MD came in, followed by an RN to do a quick assessment to see where she was exactly in her delivery. After asking Jennie a few moments, Jennie was placed on an examination table in the lithotomy position. The doctor was all gowned up and was wearing a headlamp to facilitate the examination of her cervix. She had just put on a pair of sterile gloves provided to her by the RN. The doctor inserted two fingers into the vaginal canal feeling for effacement(thinning or stretching of the cervix) and dilation(the actual measurement of the opening). She confirmed that Jennie’s cervix was dilated at 8cm. Taking into consideration that this was her first pregnancy and that her contractions were still 5 minutes apart, she was placed in one of the rooms near the delivery rooms. Once she was fully dilated at 10 cm, her contractions were more frequent from 2 to 3 minutes.

As soon as Jennie was in her hospital room, Dr. Marcello was notified that her patient, Jennie Howard was in active labor. All the appropriate information was given to her so that she could arrive at the appropriate time to deliver Jennie’s baby.

When I write my books, I take nothing for granted, especially when it comes to the reader’s knowledge base about various subjects. I figure if I have to look up something, the reader may or may not be in the same boat as I am. While my characters have had babies, I have not covered the birth process in any real detail, since this is going to be my last volume of the Anderson Saga, and there is no time like the present, let’s do it. Since Jennie is very shy, I will use a generic delivery. After I informed Jennie of my plan on how i was going to discuss her pregnancy, she seemed to relax a little.

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What are stages of labor?

Labor (also called childbirth) is the process of your baby leaving the uterus (womb). Labor is divided into three stages:

1. Labor
2. Pushing and birth
3. Delivery of the placenta

Every woman’s labor is different. And your labor may be different each time you have a baby. But there are patterns to labor that are true for most women. Learning about the stages of labor and what happens during each one can help you know what to expect once labor begins.

What is a birth plan?

A birth plan is a set of instructions you make about your baby’s birth. It includes things like:

• Where you want to have your baby
• Who you want to be with you during labor and birth
• If you want medicine to help with labor pain
• If there are cultural traditions you’d like to follow during labor and birth
• If you plan to breastfeed

Before your due date, use the March of Dimes birth plan to help you think about how you want your labor to be. Share the completed plan with your partner, your health care provider and the staff at the hospital where you plan to give birth.

What is a doula?

You may want to have a professional support person help you through labor and childbirth. A doula is a professional labor assistant. This is someone who is trained to give physical and emotional care and support to women and their families before, during and after childbirth. For example, a doula can:

• Help you stay comfortable
• Explain what’s happening during labor and birth and any procedures you may have
• Encourage you and give you confidence
• Support your family and friends who are with you during labor
• Let hospital staff know what you need
• Help you get started breastfeeding

Having a support person like a doula can be good for you, your baby and your family. It can help you feel good about your birth experience. Having a doula can help:

• Shorten your labor
• Reduce your need for pain medicine during labor
• Reduce your risk of needing a cesarean birth or the need for your provider to use forceps or suction with a vaginal birth
• Your baby get a good Apgar score at birth. Your baby gets an Apgar test right after birth to check his overall health. The test checks his heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color.

To find a certified doula, ask your provider or go to DONA International.

You also may want to have your partner, a friend or a family member be a support person to help you through labor. They can go to childbirth education classes with you to learn ways to help, like timing your contractions, helping you relax and helping you move around to find a comfortable position. Ask your provider about childbirth education classes in your area.

If you decide to have a doula or another support person help you with labor and birth, put their names and contact information in your birth plan. Share your plan with your provider and with hospital staff.

What happens in the first stage of labor?

The first stage of labor is the longest stage. For first-time moms, it can last from 12 to 19 hours. It may be shorter (about 14 hours) for moms who’ve already had children. It’s when contractions become strong and regular enough to cause your cervix to dilate (open) and thin out (efface). This lets your baby move lower into your pelvis and into your birth canal (vagina). This stage of labor ends when you are 10 centimeters dilated. The first stage is divided into three parts: early labor, active labor and transition to stage 2 of labor.

Early labor

For most first-time moms, early labor lasts about 6 to 12 hours. You can spend this time at home or wherever you’re most comfortable. During early labor:

• You may feel mild contractions that come every 5 to 15 minutes and last 60 to 90 seconds. 
• You may have a bloody show. This is a pink, red or bloody vaginal discharge. If you have heavy bleeding or bleeding like your period, call your provider right away.

What you can do in early labor:

This is a great time for you to rely on your doula or labor support person. Try the methods you learned about in childbirth education classes about how to relax and cope with pain. During early labor:

• Rest and relax as much as you can.
• Take a shower or bath.
• Go for a walk.
• Change positions often.
• Make sure you’re ready to go to the hospital.
• Take slow, relaxing breaths during contractions.

Active labor

This is when you head to the hospital! Active labor usually lasts about 4 to 8 hours. It starts when your contractions are regular and your cervix has dilated to 6 centimeters. In active labor:

• Your contractions get stronger, longer and more painful. Each lasts about 45 seconds and they can be as close as 3 minutes apart.
• You may feel pressure in your lower back, and your legs may cramp.
• You may feel the urge to push.
• Your cervix will dilate up to 10 centimeters.
• If your water hasn’t broken, it may break now.
• You may feel sick to your stomach.

What you can do in active labor:

• Make sure the hospital staff has a copy of your birth plan. 
• Try to stay relaxed and not think too hard about the next contraction.
• Move around or change positions. Walk the hallways in the hospital.
• Drink water or other liquids. But don’t eat solid foods.
• If you’re going to take medicine to help relieve labor pain, you can start taking it now. Your choice about pain relief is part of your birth plan.
• Go to the bathroom often to empty your bladder. An empty bladder gives more room for your baby’s head to move down.
• If you feel like you want to push, tell your provider. You don’t want to start pushing until your provider checks your cervix to see how dilated it is.

Transition to the second stage of labor

This can be the toughest and most painful part of labor. It can last 15 minutes to an hour. During the transition:

• Contractions come closer together and can last 60 to 90 seconds. You may feel like you want to bear down.
• You may feel a lot of pressure in your lower back and rectum. If you feel like you want to push, tell your provider. 

What happens in the second stage of labor?

In the second stage of labor, your cervix is fully dilated and ready for childbirth. This stage is the most work for you because your provider wants you to start pushing your baby out. This stage can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as a few hours. It may be longer for first-time moms or if you’ve had an epidural. An epidural is pain medicine you get through a tube in your lower back that helps numb your lower body during labor. It’s the most common kind of pain relief used during labor. The second stage ends when your baby is born.

During the second stage of labor:

• Your contractions may slow down to come every 2 to 5 minutes apart. They last about 60 to 90 seconds.
• You may get an episiotomy. This is a small cut made at the opening of the vagina to help let the baby out. Most women don’t need an episiotomy.
• Your baby’s head begins to show. This is called crowning.
• Your provider guides your baby out of the birth canal. She may use special tools, like forceps or suction, to help your baby out.
• Your baby is born, and the umbilical cord is cut. Instructions about who’s cutting the umbilical cord are in your birth plan.

What you can do:

• Find a position that is comfortable for you. You can squat, sit, kneel or lie back.
• Push during contractions and rest between them. Push when you feel the urge or when your provider tells you.
• If you’re uncomfortable or pushing has stopped, try a new position.

What happens in the third stage of labor?

In the third stage of labor, the placenta is delivered. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies your baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. This stage is the shortest and usually doesn’t take more than 20 minutes.

During the third stage of labor:

• You have contractions that are closer together and not as painful as earlier. These contractions help the placenta separate from the uterus and move into the birth canal. They begin 5 to 30 minutes after birth.
• You continue to have contractions even after the placenta is delivered. You may get medicine to help with contractions and to prevent heavy bleeding.
• Your provider squeezes and presses on your belly to make sure the uterus feels right.
• If you had an episiotomy, your provider repairs it now.
• If you’re storing your umbilical cord blood, your provider collects it now. Umbilical cord blood is blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta after your baby is born and the cord is cut. Some moms and families want to store or donate umbilical cord blood so it can be used later to treat certain diseases, like cancer. Your instructions about umbilical cord blood can be part of your birth plan.
• You may have chills or feel shaky. Tell your provider if these are making you uncomfortable.

What happens after your baby is born?

Congratulations! It’s time to hold your baby! Right after birth your provider places your baby skin-to-skin on your chest and covers him with a blanket. Holding your baby skin-to-skin helps your baby stay warm as he gets used to being outside the womb. It’s also a great way to get started breastfeeding. You can start breastfeeding even within an hour of your baby’s birth. Even if you don’t plan to breastfeed, hold your baby skin-to-skin so you get to know each other right away. Your baby will welcome your gentle touch, and this closeness can help you and your baby bond.

After birth, your body starts to change to help you heal. Your provider takes your temperature and checks your heart and blood pressure to make sure you’re doing well. If you had anesthesia during labor, your provider makes sure you’re recovering without any complications.