40th week of pregnancy: what happens to the baby and mom - Lifehacker

It's time to give birth.

Text author

Yulia Shevchenko

Obstetrician-gynecologist and journalist.

What does your child look like?

Child may be 51.2 cm long and weigh 3.5 kg. But this is not accurate: even the same woman has different children.

The fetus continues movealthough not as intense as before.

Things to remember at this stage

• At 40 weeks, the pregnancy is considered completed, everyone is expecting childbirth. Most likely, they will start soon.
• 4-14% of women do not have contractions at 41 weeks. Such pregnant women are carefully observed, and after the 42nd week they send to the maternity hospital. After all, if you do not induce childbirth, it will be more difficult for a child to be born, the risk of injury will increase both for him and for his mother.
• In some maternity hospitals, they ask you to remove the varnish in advance. This is necessary in case unforeseen circumstances arise: with a lack of oxygen, the nails are the first to turn blue. Of course, there are pulse oximeters, but sometimes doctors play it safe.
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• It is better to leave jewelry at home: they may also be asked to remove it.