How Long is 39 Weeks of Pregnancy? How Many Months is it?

The 39th week of pregnancy is almost the end of the 9th month or the 3rd trimester

What to Expect at 39 Weeks Pregnant?

This is the term of pregnancy when the body of your baby is almost formed. His/her organs function the way they do in the body of every human. He/she is getting ready to be born and turn into a human being. Most often, a baby is lying in a head-down position on this term of pregnancy and his/her knees are pressed to his/her chin. However, sometimes it so happens that a baby takes his/her time to settle in this position. In other words, he/she may still be positioned horizontally inside the mother’s womb.

In comparison with the previous week, there aren’t that many changes in terms of how a pregnant woman feels. Still, there may occur cramps. They’re the contractions of a pregnant woman’s uterus. Besides, a woman starts to feel the need to go to the toilet more often.

Even though the labor may not start on this term of pregnancy (there is nothing wrong with it), a woman may have either reddish or brownish discharge. If you have such a discharge, it may mean that labor will start soon.

On this term of pregnancy, the baby may start to “drop down” thus getting closer to the maternity passages. In some cases, there may occur such symptoms as rapid breathing and sped-up digestion. Some women may have loose stool or even diarrhea. These are the symptoms that warn a woman that she’ll soon go into labor.

Information Which May be Useful at 39 Weeks of Pregnancy:

• Castor Oil to Induce Labor
• Signs and Symptoms that Labour is Near
• Headache During Pregnancy
• Diarrhea and Lots of Gas During Pregnancy

39 Weeks Pregnant, Signs of Labor

At the 39th week labor can start at any time. If you whant to know how to identify the beginning of labor and how to understand that labor starts, we recomend to read the article: SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS THAT LABOR IS NEAR

Your Baby at 39 Weeks

The body of the fetus is completely formed at this term of pregnancy. Your baby is waiting for the moment when he/she will be born. The majority of the babies get into the head-down position on this term of pregnancy.

The lungs of your baby are completely formed and your baby is ready to start breathing himself/herself. His/her pancreas is also ready to start producing ferments that play a very important role in the digestive process.

Baby is not Moving. Is it normal?

This is the term of pregnancy when many pregnant women start to worry in case they don’t feel the baby moving inside the womb. On the one hand, there is nothing to worry about if you notice that your baby isn’t as active as he/she was before. There isn’t much space left for him to move actively. On the other hand, if you see that your baby doesn’t move at all, you’d better consult your doctor in order to be on the safe side.

This is the time when the sucking reflex is being developed. Once your baby is born, the chewing reflex will start to develop.

How Big is a Baby at 39 Weeks?

Many women want to know, how much does a baby weigh on the 39th week of pregnancy? Your baby continues to grow and gain weight. The majority of the babies weigh more than 7 pounds on this term of pregnancy and measure around 19 inches from head to toe.

39 Weeks Ultrasound Pictures

Pain and Other Sensations You May Feel

The 39th week of pregnancy is a rather hard period in the life of a pregnant woman. Some pregnant women get interested in finding out what they can do in order to go into labor as fast as possible. Others just want to stop being pregnant and bring the bay in this world. There start to occur painful sensations in the lower abdomen. Every time the baby moves it causes more pain than it used to. If the baby moves during the nighttime, many women are simple unable to fall asleep due to pain.

The total weight of the baby and delivery waters amounts to more than 20 pounds. Due to this, a woman feels the need to go to the toilet more often. High pressure on the pelvic area may result in painful sensations in the back or the small of the back. Sometimes, the legs of a pregnant woman start to ache and it becomes hard for her to walk.

39 weeks is the term of pregnancy when a pregnant woman may feel nothing except for a strong desire to bring the baby in this world finally. Even though you may have troubles with sleeping and feel pain as well as other disagreeable sensations, it’s very important to walk and breathe in fresh air a lot. The crux of the matter is that your baby needs a lot of oxygen now.

Of course, it’s great if a pregnant woman has someone who can support her and help her get through this hard period of her life. It may be her husband as well as relatives and friends. These are exactly them who are to make her forget about her “suffering” and stay positive instead. However, if you don’t have anyone who can support you, get busy with the things you need to do. For example, you may clean up your home, go to the store where you can buy clothes for your baby or do something else that will cheer you up.

We’ve described a number of symptoms above. However, you should remember that the pain you may feel in the lower abdomen shouldn’t be sharp. You may feel discomfort in this area or tingling sensations that’re not that strong. The thing is that the neck of your womb shortens significantly on this term of pregnancy and starts to open. The head of your baby may drop down a bit. Consequently, it may press on the pelvic bones.

Our tip: Choose the positions in which you feel comfortable when sitting on a chair or sleeping in your bed. Pay attention to what your baby has “to say” about them. When choosing positions, you may feel your baby kicking you from the inside. It means that the position you’re in causes discomfort for your baby.

You may feel sick or suffer from epigastric burning on this term of pregnancy. There is nothing wrong with it since this is the time when big amounts of progesterone are produced. If you want to relieve the symptoms, you need to eat more non-alkaline foods.

Some pregnant women complain that their legs and other extremities start to swell on this term of pregnancy. This is not the symptom to worry about. It is one of the symptoms that means that a woman will go into labor soon.

Back Pain and Lower Back Pain

This is the period when pain becomes something that’s constantly present. Many pregnant women constantly feel pain on this term of pregnancy. Pain in the lower abdomen occurs because there is pressure on the pelvic area. Pain in the small of the back and the edgebone occurs because the pelvic bones get separated slightly. If you feel pain in your breast, it means that the process of the foremilk production has started.

In order to relax you need to do special exercises for pregnant women and relax. Take your time to find the position in which you feel as little pain as possible.

Your Belly

Your baby drops down on the 39th week of pregnancy. Your belly is very big because the head of your baby (under the condition that he/she has settled in the head-down position) is gradually getting into the pelvic area, the muscles of your belly get tighter and the uterine fundus shifts frontwards.

Your womb may start getting ready for labor. Your abdomen may be hard and you may have false labor pains. You need to relax more in order to relieve the pain.

39 Weeks Pregnant Belly Pictures

Images: big bellies at 39 weeks 5 days pregnant.

The Weight of a Woman

Many women lose weight a bit on this term of pregnancy (from 2 to 5 pounds). There is nothing wrong with it. Your baby doesn’t lose weight on this term of pregnancy. If it so happens that you lose weight at the 39th week, it means that your body is getting prepared for labor and gets rid of the excessive amount of fluid.

On average, a woman gains 22-40 pounds by the 39th week of pregnancy. However, some women may gain even more weight.

Sex at 39 Weeks Pregnant

Whether a woman can have sex on this term of pregnancy or not depends on the way a woman feels. If you feel pain, you’re tired, it’s hard for you to walk due to the weight and you have absolutely no desire to have sex, don’t force yourself. However, if you feel the desire to have sex, you may have it. The only thing you need to remember is that you should lie in the position that’s comfortable for you. Having sex is a great way to get ready for the labor that’ll start soon. The hormones that’re produced while you’re having sex may relieve the pain and increase the flexibility of your womb.

Having sex is one of the ways to make the labor start sooner. However, if you feel discomfort or painful sensations while having sex, it’s better to refuse having it.

When having sex, don’t press on your belly, don’t lie on it and don’t move too much.

Safe Sex Positions at 39 Weeks Pregnant

Discharge: Milky White, Brown and other

A pregnant woman may have different types of discharge on this term of pregnancy. Some types of discharge are essential and there is no need to worry if you have them. However, there are some types of discharge that mean you should consult your doctor as soon as possible. Below you’ll find the types of discharge that you may have:

– Discharge from your breasts (your breasts also get swollen). If you notice such a discharge, it means that your body is getting ready for breastfeeding – the production of the foremilk has started.

– The mucus plug that protects your uterus from bacteria and infections may also come out on this term of pregnancy. It may happen either in one moment or your plug may come out in small pieces, one by one. Once your mucus plug comes out, you need to be very careful because you now have nothing to protect your baby from infections. It’s not recommended to have sex after your mucus plug comes out.

– If you have red, bloody or brown discharge, it means that the process of labor will start soon and you’ll have labor pains.

– If you notice that you have bleeding, you need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. The bleeding may occur because of placental abruption.

Delivery waters may also break on this term of pregnancy. It may happen fast or slowly. It may simply not happen at all. If it happens fast, you need to get to the hospital as soon as possible because you’ll soon go into labor. If you start having labor pains but your delivery waters haven’t yet broken, don’t worry. Once you get to the hospital, the doctors will carry out the AROM (Artificial Rupture Of Membranes) procedure.

Labor at 39 Weeks

Once you go into labor, it’s very important to focus on the way you feel and pay attention to the way you breathe and how your body is positioned. Pay attention to the way your baby moves and do everything that doctors tell you to do.

In order to relieve labor pains, you may do breathing exercises and waggle your body from one side to the other. Don’t lie or sit down. This way the pain will only get worse. Breathe deeply and stay calm.

Once the doctor checks how much the cervix has dilated, he/she will tell you to start pushing your baby out. Try to breathe in as deeply as you can and push the air to the lower abdomen. When the doctor tells you to relax, relax all your muscles and breathe in and out just the way you always do. Get ready for the next time when you’ll have to push your baby out.

Don’t let yourself “relax” emotionally. Stay positive during all the process of bringing a baby into this world.

After your baby is born, the birth membranes, the placenta and the umbilical cord will come out of your body.

When you’ll have your baby lying on your breast, give him/her time to rest. If you manage to do it, let your baby suck in the foremilk. It’s very useful for his/her health.

39 Weeks Pregnant: Get Ready to Celebrate – Watch Here!

No Signs of Labor at 39 Weeks Pregnant. What Should a Woman Do?

Many women start to worry in case they have no signs of labor on the 39th week of pregnancy. There doesn't occur false labor pains, the mucus plug doesn’t come out and the belly doesn’t drop down. There is nothing to worry about if you have no signs of labor. Remember that we all are different and our organisms are different.

First of all, remember that you may not go into labor on this term of pregnancy even if your doctor said that you’re expected to give birth somewhere around this week of pregnancy. The date when labor begins depends on the endocrine profile of a woman, on the condition of the placenta, on whether or not there occurred hypoxia, on the way the adrenal gland of the fetus functions and on the sex of your baby. Remember that we all are unique. Your organism is unique and your baby is also unique. Maybe, it’s not yet the time for him/her to enter this world. It means that you need to wait a little bit more even if you are sick and tired of it. Let nature work miracles. Let your body and your baby take their time.

Besides, there are women that go into labor even if there occurred no false labor pains beforehand. Sometimes, a woman goes into labor even if her delivery waters haven’t yet broken. When the process of labor begins, you’ll know it.

There is one more thing we need to say. If you really worry about your baby and you think that there may be something wrong, consult your doctor in order to stop worrying.

Video Guide: 39 weeks pregnancy

Recommendations for pregnant woman:

• If you’ve made an appointment with your doctor, don’t miss it.
• If you feel worse all of a sudden or you start suffering from severe pain, visit your doctor.
• You may undergo either a standard ultrasound procedure or a 3D ultrasound procedure. This procedure will not only provide information on the state of your baby’s health, but you’ll also find out more about the appearance of your baby.
• Don’t be shy to ask your family and friends to support you.
• Go shopping if you like doing it. Buy something beautiful for yourself and your baby.
• You’re welcome to share your emotions and thoughts with those who visit our website. Please, write us a feedback.