Week 39
Thursday August 25th 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under: Family

Now that you know how to tell if you are really in labor,
let's talk about some of the ways your body prepares for labor. It is
really neat to examine all of the changes that take place in your body
as the pregnancy continues.
Your
baby will descend into your pelvis, sometimes called engagement or
lightening, usually before labor in first time moms and during labor in
subsequent births.
Your cervix, the mouth of your uterus, will begin to soften and possibly dilate. Some practitioners will do routine vaginal exams
towards the end of pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, you can't
predict when labor will start by the details of your cervix. Some
practitioners will also strip the membranes in an attempt to “get things going.” If you feel strongly about this mention it to your practitioner before any physical exams.
In the
days before labor begins you may also experience the following,
although they are not always accurate predictors of when labor will
begin:

  • bloody show
  • loss of mucous plug
  • nesting instinct
  • loose stools
  • loss of weight
  • increase in appetite

    • Hang in there! You are almost done!

    Baby:

    Did you
    know that the amniotic fluid is continually replaced, even in labor, at
    the rate of every three hours? Pretty amazing stuff! We really don't
    know where amniotic fluid comes from, although it is partially
    comprised of urine, sweat and other fluids from the baby. Your baby has
    been practicing breathing the amniotic fluid for many weeks in
    preparation for the big event!
    The
    meconium in the baby's intestines will be shed as the first movement
    that the bowels make after birth. Meconium is a black, thick, tarry
    substance that is hard to get off of their rear ends! About 30% of the
    time, the baby will actually pass this stool before birth. This can
    cause problems if the baby swallows the meconium,
    however, that is not likely if the proper suctioning is done at birth.
    This can be done by a doctor or a midwife, even in a homebirth
    situation.

    .]]>

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