Week 40
Thursday September 01st 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under: Family

Your body has
been getting ready in many ways over the last few weeks. We have talked
before of the labor and what it entails. We have discussed pain relief
and other aspects as well. As you know many healthy pregnancies will
still be in full gear past 40 weeks gestation. This is very normal,
only about 4% of women will actually give birth on their due date.
While 98% of women, including those who give birth on their due dates,
will give birth 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after.
So, let's talk about inductions of labor for a moment. Inductions are the artificial means used to bring about labor. Thee can be medically managed, like pitocin or amniotomy (breaking your water), or by non-medical means. Either way, you need to really give a great deal of thought to the risks and benefits of inductions.

And remember, no matter how your baby gets here or what you did or said in labor… You did a great job!

Baby:

Your baby
is probably one of the 96% of babies who is head down and deeply
snuggled into your pelvis. The immune system is still immature and the
baby receives antibodies from the placenta and after birth they will
receive antibodies continually from your breast milk. Most of the
lanugo has fallen off the baby's body, although you may still find some
hidden spots, particularly in the creases, and around the shoulders or
ears.
The
average baby will be about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilograms) and 20 inches
long at birth. The placenta will weight about 1/8 th the size of the
baby and the umbilical cord will be about the same length as the baby.
Your baby will be judged, at birth and 5 minutes later, with an apgar score.
After all these many months of waiting, enjoy your new baby! And, if you want to, share your story with us!

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