You are 40 Weeks Pregnant!
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOU
You’ve made it to your due date. Congratulations!
Oh, no … You’ve passed your due date! In just one week, you’ve probably experienced a host of emotions. It is natural for you to feel let down if your due date goes by with nary a contraction. But stay optimistic. Soon you’ll be holding your new baby in your arms!
Remember that 95 percent of babies are born either in the two week period before or after their due date.
Women frequently ask their care providers to consider induction when “overdue” by several days to a week. Although it is tempting, this is a decision which must be carefully considered and discussed with your partner and your care provider. Induction requires a lengthier time in the hospital and more opportunity for intervention. The use of monitors and most often the use of an IV is required. Freedom of movement is limited in some environments. Research supports the fact that induction can lead to a higher incidence of cesarean section and fetal distress.
Each care provider has specific instructions about when to call and when to come in to the birthing center or hospital, as well as what to eat or drink in early labor. If no instructions have been provided, now is the time to ask for them. Usually care providers want to see you when your contractions are regular and less than four to five minutes apart.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
A full term baby may weigh as little as five pounds or may be as large as ten to eleven pounds! The average size of babies in the U.S. is about six pounds. Nutrition, maternal health and genetics all play an important part in determining your baby’s weight. Most babies are about 20 to 21 inches long.
Your baby is now ready for the world. Imagine your baby’s journey out of the warm watery cozy womb into the cold dry environment of home or hospital. He or she leaves a world where every need is instantly fulfilled. She doesn’t even know she has needs! Now she feels the scratchy blankets, the cold air, the loud noises and probably for the first time, she feels pain and hunger. For your baby, the comforts she seeks are the same as experienced in the uterus — warmth, food and sucking. The best place for that is wrapped snugly against your belly or your partner’s.
EATING FOR TWO
Delicious, warm and healthy, it’s Veggie-Lentil Soup, provided by ParentsPlace.com nutritionist, Sue Gilbert. This recipe makes eight servings.
One pound lentils
One cup of vegetable stock
Three cloves of chopped garlic
One cup each chopped onion, carrot, celery, red pepper, green beans, and spinach
1/3 cup soy sauce
One teaspoon ground oregano
One teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
In your favorite soup pot, cook lentils in just enough water to cover them. When they are soft (usually in about an hour or less), add everything else. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked. If it cooks down too much, you may need to add more stock.
FACT OF THE WEEK
The placenta often takes 20 to 30 minutes to come out after you give birth. This amazing organ must come out completely, or you may be at risk for hemorrhage. Your practitioner will examine your placenta once it has been expelled to be sure no fragments remain.