YOUR BABY:
The baby's arm and leg muscles are strong. Because the baby has much less room to move around, it curls
up with knees bent, chin resting on chest, and arms and legs crossed. Toenails and fingernails have
grown to the tips of the fingers. Most babies are head down by now, although 4% of all babies will
be breech. At this point, the amniotic fluid is at its highest level in the pregnancy. Rapid brain
growth increases the baby's head size. Fat continues to accumulate, turning the baby's skin color from
red to pink. The baby responds as a newborn, opening its eyes while awake and closing them when
sleeping. By the end of the month, the baby weights around 6 pounds and is close to 21 inches long.
YOUR BODY:
You are getting closer! You will feel less kicking and more of a rolling or squirming feeling because there's not much room for the baby to move around. You will have increased backache, constipation, heartburn and swelling of the ankles and feet. The hands and feet may also swell. Your pelvis has expanded and may ache. You may experience difficulty sleeping at night. As the baby drops, you will find your breathing is easier, but your urination will increase in frequency. You will feel even clumsier. Braxton Hicks contractions will be stronger, as your body gets ready. Your uterus has grown bigger and is probably up under your ribs, and is pushing everything else out of the way - between 6 1/2 to 8 inches above you navel! In preparation for birth, your cervix will dilate (open up) and thin out (efface). By the end of the 9th month, you will probably feel quite large and uncomfortable.
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Backache During Pregnancy
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Backache Tips
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Labor Preparation - What Does My Midwife Mean?
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Avoid Preterm Labor
PRENATAL CARE:
After 36th week, you will be seeing your midwife or health care provider weekly. Your weight and blood pressure will be recorded. Urine testing is also performed to check for the presence of sugar and protein. The height of the uterus and fetal growth will be measured to evaluate the overall growth of the baby. You can discuss any symptoms or discomforts you may be experiencing. Fetal heart monitoring is performed. Late in the pregnancy, your midwife may check to see how far the baby's head has dropped into your pelvis. Close to delivery, you may be checked to see whether your cervix has begun to stretch and open (cervical effacement and dilation). A fetal non-stress test may be performed to ensure the baby is still doing well.
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Birth Method Choices
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Breastfeeding
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Breech Presentation
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Fetal Activity
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Fetal Movement Assessment
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Labor & Delivery
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Non-Stress Test
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Placenta Abruption
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Placenta Previa
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Rh Isoimmunity
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Cesarean
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Episiotomy
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Fetal Monitors
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Forceps
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Kegels
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Rollover Stress Testing
MoonDragon's Procedures Information: Vacuum Delivery
MoonDragon's MDBS Birthing Guidelines: Group B Strep
MoonDragon's MDBS Birthing Guidelines: Group B Strep - Labor & Birth
BIRTH PREPARATION
Stock the freezer with foods that can easily be popped in the oven or microwave after the baby is born. This is helpful no matter where you are planning on having your baby and can be a real time saver the first few weeks after the baby is born. If you are planning a homebirth, plan to have ice cubes/ice chips frozen and prepared for the labor. Soups, juices, herbal tea, and light snacks may be prepared and stored for your labor at home to keep your energy up and provide you with nutrition during labor. Your digestion slows or even stops during late labor so it is important to keep liquids and snacks light and non-acidic in case you have problems with stomach upset during labor. A good juice to have on hand is apple juice since it is easy on the stomach and provides natural sugars for energy.
Pack your labor bag for the hospital. This should be done whether you are planning a homebirth or a hospital/birth center birth. Most homebirths go along smoothly, but occasionally something comes up in during a labor or birth that requires a transport to a medical facility for delivery. If you are planning a hospital or birth center birth, make sure you have completed the pre-admission forms for the facility.
Make sure you have collected all of the necessary baby items - clothes, car seat, furniture and other things you may need. If you are planning a homebirth, make sure you have all the supplies you need for your delivery. Your midwife will have given you a list for needed items. Talk with your midwife about the delivery. You will learn the signs to predict labor and how far apart contractions should be before calling your midwife or heading to the hospital or birth center for your delivery. If you are having a homebirth, you will need to let your midwife know when contractions have started or if your water has broken (with or without contractions) and allow her travel time to get to your home. Your midwife may do a home visit, if she hasn't already, to do a "dry run" and be sure she can find your home without problems and to check on your supplies and become familiar with your home. If you are planning on having children or other family members present at your homebirth, your midwife may want to discuss your plans with your birth guests and let them know what to expect for your labor and birth. They may be assigned tasks during the labor and birth to help out (such as taking pictures, labor support, fetching foods or supplies, childcare).
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Birthing Within
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Birth Instinct
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Birth Kits
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Birth Plan
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Childbirth
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Doula Care
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Easy Natural Birth
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Effleurage & Massage
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Guided Imagery
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Cordblood
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Labor Bag Prep
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Labor Laughter
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Labor Pain Truth
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Pain Relief During Labor
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: A Positive Birth Environment
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Preparation For Easy Birth
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Relaxation Practice
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: True & False Labor
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Unexpected Cesarean
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: When Breech Happens
Continue taking your prenatal supplements as recommended by your midwife or health care provider. Often a prenatal vitamin supplement may be recommended in addition to a good prenatal nutritional program with adequate protein, vitamins, minerals (including sodium) and calories.
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Prenatal Vitamins
A diet with adequate protein is important to help prevent toxemia of pregnancy, called preeclampsia/eclampsia. Although researchers and practitioners do not know exactly why toxemia occurs, it has been show that a good nutritional program with sufficient protein and salt has helped to prevent or reduce symptoms associated with the disorder. Salt your food to taste. Your expanded blood volume requires a certain amount of salt to maintain your bodily fluid. Nutrition is important to help your baby put on the weight it needs for survival outside the uterus. As the uterus grows, it may be more difficult to eat a full meal because of the upward pressure of the uterus against the stomach and intestines. Break your meals up into 6 to 8 smaller meals throughout the day instead of 3 larger ones. Not only will this help with your digestion issues, but it will help keep your blood sugar on a more even level to help fatigue. Be sure to include dark green leafy vegetables and other iron-rich foods in your diet if you have problems with anemia. It is important that your blood has sufficient iron and other necessary components for clotting to prevent problems with hemorrhaging after your baby is born.
PREGNANCY TEA
Some midwives (including MoonDragon) will recommend an herbal Pregnancy Tea to be taken during pregnancy. This may be especially important in late pregnancy for women having problems with anemia or need a little dietary boost in their nutrition. The pregnancy tea helps to provide not only fluids, but also important iron, calcium and other necessary dietary components that a mother will need to prepare for labor and delivery.
MOONDRAGON PREGNANCY TEA
2 parts Red Raspberry Leaf
1 part Nettle Leaf
1 part Alfalfa Leaf
1 part Peppermint Leaf
Mix dried herbs well and make into a tea that can be consumed hot or cold. It makes a great sun tea that can be refrigerated and used throughout the day. I usually recommend at least a quart of this tea daily. The red raspberry leaf is a good all around female herb and uterine toner. The nettle and alfalfa are high in iron and calcium. The peppermint leaf is good to soothe digestive problems and provides a nice minty flavor to an otherwise "green" tea flavor. During labor, having this tea available to drink keeps the mom's fluids up and her body hydrated, easing labor pain. It also provides a good tea base for adding any herbal tinctures that may need to be given during labor or after the birth. The tea can be frozen into ice cubes or ice chips to be used during labor. If you need a little sweetener or an extra boost of fast energy during labor, a bit of honey may be added to the tea, but I find it tastes fine unsweetened. If your midwife is adding tinctures to the tea during your labor and birth, many tinctures do not have a great flavor, so a little honey may be necessary to be able to drink the tea. Mountainrose Herbs (see link near bottom of this page) has an excellent organic herb selection that can be purchased in bulk at very reasonable prices.
Some midwives may recommend an herbal "6 week formula" that should only be taken the last 4 to 6 weeks of your pregnancy. This formula contains herbs that should not be taken at any other time during the pregnancy. They prepare you and your body for delivery. Consult with your midwife about whether or not she will want you to take this formulation.
EXERCISE & RELAXATION
Continue to get daily moderate exercise, such as walking, which is good for the muscles you will be using during labor, and swimming. As your uterus grows, your center of balance shifts, You may want to avoid high heeled shoes and instead wear shoes with small wider heels to help with balance and to prevent falls. Be careful how you move since your ligaments are being stretched in your abdomen. A wrong move can prove to be very painful if you pull your ligaments while trying to move or stretch. If you must bend or lift something, do it with your legs and not your back. Consider learning prenatal yoga to help you with stretching and moving your body and breathing control as well as meditation and relaxation.
Ask your midwife or health care provider before taking any prescription drugs or over-the-counter products. You should not be smoking and drinking alcohol or using street drugs.
Maintain and positive lifestyle and outlook. Keep stress down since it has a negative effect on your baby. Practice your relaxation and breathing techniques that you are learning or have learned in a childbirth class.
MoonDragon's Nutrition Guidelines & Dietary Recommendations
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Backache During Pregnancy
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Weight Gain
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Prenatal Exercise
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Mood Tips
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Concerns
MoonDragon's Pregnancy & Alcohol Consumption
MoonDragon's Pregnancy & Smoking
MoonDragon's Pregnancy & Drug Use
MoonDragon's Pregnancy & Medications
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Skin Tips
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Gestational Diabetes Index
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Heartburn
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Heartburn Tips
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Bowel Tips
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information: Pregnancy Calendar Index
A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson and Pregnancy - in anatomical illustrations by the Carnation Company
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