Week 40
(counting
from first day of last menstrual period)
Around 38
Weeks After Conception
 Fetal
Development:
The last week (or is it?). The
average size newborn is 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long.
At this point, most of the vernix is gone, 15% of the
body is fat and the chest sticks out.
Maternal Changes:
This may seem like a long
week. Keep in mind that your baby's due date is only an
estimate, and every baby is born in its own time. Be
good to yourself and try to relax. You're not actually
"post-due" until you hit 42 weeks. Just think about the
poor elephant who is pregnant for 23 months!
Your
care provider may suggest induction if s/he feels that
the pregnancy has continued long enough. Some moms
welcome this while others want to avoid it. Be sure to
make your wishes known. Some of our StorkNet viewers
have shared their "Mother Nature" type methods of
starting labor.
Congratulations! We hope you'll
share your birth story with us!
If You're
Planning to Breastfeed:
If you haven't
already, now is a good time to purchase a nursing bra.
These specially designed bras are for the convenience of
nursing and are not recommend for pregnancy because most
cannot give the support needed for enlarging breasts. In
the article, How to Find the Right Fit for Your Bra by
Adrienne Huffman and Leigh Irwin, for nursing bras "it
is suggested that you buy two sizes, the largest size
that you are during pregnancy and one cup size larger.
Since it is impossible to know what size you will be,
you will have the option of the two and can exchange the
one that does not fit. When you are established with
your milk supply, you may find a difference again in
your breast size and you should re-evaluate whether your
current bra still fits properly."
Ideas
for Dad:
This is it Dad! Try to get some
sleep in the last few days because you're going to need
it before you officially join the ranks of the
sleep-deprived. If Mom is overdue, every day can seem
like an eternity. Every twinge is scrutinized in the
hopes of "it" being the real thing. Hang in there Dad!
No pregnancy lasts forever! And congratulations! You've
made it and have been a wonderful support for Mom!
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