Thirty-ninth week of pregnancy

Welcome to week 39! Your baby has reached full maturity and could be born at any moment!

Weight and length at 39 weeks

 

How many months is 39 weeks pregnant?

At ^week 39 you are in the second half of the ninth month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy you can use our conversion table .

39 ^per week: frequent symptoms

• Stomach ache
• Backache
• Pelvic pain
• Increased urge to urinate
• Hemorrhoids
• Loss of the mucus plug
• Braxton-Hicks contractions (hard belly)
• Insomnia and mood swings

How your body changes

Towards the conclusion

Congratulations! Even if your due date is still a week away, if your baby were born now it would be considered full term . 

You are probably feeling very tired and, despite some fears, you are impatient to finish the labors of this pregnancy .

These days, symptoms like heartburn , back pain , and pelvic pain may be your faithful companions, and finding a comfortable sleeping position may have become quite a challenge. 

If your little one hasn’t yet channeled his head into the pelvis he could do so in the next few days, allowing you to breathe better , but accentuating the urge to urinate . If you’re not in your first pregnancy, however, the commitment may only happen at the time of labor .

The “Breaking of the Waters”

One of the signs that the big moment is near could be the so-called breaking of the water (or rather the ” breaking of the membranes “), which occurs in 15% of expectant mothers before contractions begin . If this is your case, it’s time to go to your birthing center, as labor will most likely begin within the next 24 hours .

Listen to your body!

When your baby is ready to be born, you will begin to feel increasingly intense, long and regular contractions . As labor progresses, you will notice that the pain is reduced by assuming certain positions , moving the pelvis or walking : let yourself be guided by your body and indulge it. You can also take a warm bath or shower , or ask your partner to rub your back between contractions.

If you are worried, remember that the contractions are not continuous, but interspersed with rest breaks : in these moments, your body will be invaded by a rush of endorphins which will reduce the perception of pain!

How the child grows

It is about 50 centimeters long , the size of a pumpkin , and weighs about 3.2 kilograms .

Watch out for the head!

Your baby has reached full term and is fully formed . His weight continues to increase and his skin is increasingly thick and rosy .

Even as the space inside the uterus shrinks, it moves in its usual rhythm of activity and its muscles continue to strengthen. In the first months of life, however, you will have to support his head when you hold him, because his neck will still be too weak to support his weight.

Ready for the first breath

The lungs are ready to function and the vocal cords only need air to produce the first cry. After birth, however, you may have to wait a few seconds for your baby to cry and a few minutes for him to breathe normally . So don’t be alarmed if you hear long pauses (up to 5 seconds!) between one inhalation and another, with fast breaths alternating with slower breaths: your little one just needs to practice a little!

A strange complexion? It’s normal!

Even if your baby is perfectly formed, he may not be as smooth and rosy as you expect. At birth, in fact, the hands and feet may appear  bluish , because the blood circulation is still immature. The rest of the body, however, might be dark red or purplish , then turning a brighter red on the first breath. For this reason, don’t worry if the midwife rubs your little one with a towel—it’s probably just to stimulate blood flow.

About 24 hours after birth, some babies’ skin may begin to take on a yellowish tint . Again, there is nothing to be alarmed about: it is simply the so-called physiological jaundice of the newborn . This condition is caused by an immaturity of the liver and usually resolves on its own within 2 weeks . In some cases, however, it may require treatment with ultraviolet light, which is called phototherapy .

Do you know that…

It may take 6 weeks or more for your postpartum belly to return to the size it was before pregnancy . To regain your ideal weight, try to follow a healthy diet and practice light physical activity. In addition, breastfeeding is a great way to shed extra pounds, as it burns around 300 calories a day!

For the dad

It will probably be up to you to give the first announcement of the birth of your son or daughter. Together with your partner, start thinking about ways to share the news with friends and family. A tip is to create in advance a list of contacts to notify on one of your phones, so you don’t forget anyone!

Checks and exams to do

• Obstetric ultrasound

At this week’s ultrasound, your little one will look what you’ll see at birth . During the exam, the amount of amniotic fluid will be checked and it will be verified that the baby continues to feed and grow properly .

The advice of the 39th ^week of pregnancy

• Prepare a supply of light snacks to consume in the initial phase of labor : dried fruit, cereals or rusks could be useful for regaining energy between contractions. If a cesarean delivery is scheduled , you will probably be advised to fast for at least 6 hours before the procedure .

• If at the time of monitoring the child should be sleeping or not very active, there are several tricks to stimulate his movements . For example, try massaging your baby bump or eating something sweet to “wake it up.”

• In case of small watery losses, wear white panties and place a cotton sheet inside: if the losses continue, they are colorless and odorless, you will have confirmation that it is amniotic fluid and not urine or vaginal discharge. Alternatively, you can buy special sanitary pads that change color when in contact with the amniotic fluid.

• If you think labor has started but aren’t sure , call your midwife or gynecologist or contact the reference number of the facility where you’re planning to deliver.