38th week of pregnancy for mom and baby - 9th month of pregnancy
Mother's health
The big day is getting closer and closer. In this period you may suffer from some symptoms such as fever or burning in urinating ... or maybe you may have genital herpes ... immediately contact the doctor (or the midwife) who follows you. The birth should not be late, so it is good to report any kind of anomaly to the obstetric team as soon as possible, to ensure that your birth takes place in the best possible way.
The development of the child
Your future baby weighs about 3 kg and measures about 50 cm: at this moment he is completely folded in on himself, because he has less and less space available! Typically, his head is pointing downwards, which is why we speak of a cephalic presentation. At other times, the child positions himself with his buttocks down, then we speak of breech presentation.
See also
His skull, 9.5 cm in diameter, is still quite soft, because his bones have not yet fully ossified: this will allow him to descend into your pelvis. This malleability will also allow the baby to progress and escape during delivery.
In fact, the fontanelles and the sutures allow the head to be modeled according to the shape of the pelvis. As you descend, your future baby will cross the threshold of the pelvis (the upper and lower areas) turning, slipping, tilting his head ... with the help of the obstetrician or gynecologist.
Our advice
Fear of childbirth
Many women are afraid of “not being up to par.” Often, this fear is caused by the clichés that women must always be at their best. Let it be clear: a woman also has the right to fail.
Some women are afraid of the idea that their partner - and the child's future father - may have them. The presence of the father during childbirth should be a support and not a source of additional stress for the expectant mother!
Childbirth is a very intense and exciting moment for the woman, who finds herself coming to terms with her personal history. Often there are fears that come back to the surface: the fear of being a mother, of repeating the mistakes made by one's parents ...
Some women, therefore, do not feel up to par, they would like to go back and may even have a very childish attitude. The midwife is at your disposal to help you, convincing you that you are absolutely up to being a mother and that, however, your fears are entirely legitimate.
It often happens that we see mothers who are a little disappointed after the birth of their baby ... who doesn't really look like the babies he had seen on the covers of the newspapers ... But don't worry: it takes some time for a mother to really enter confidence with your child!
Not to be forgotten
Begin to prepare the room and the necessary for the baby
Seventh and last obligatory prenatal gynecological examination, blood analysis, complete urine examination
