38th week of pregnancy: The 38th week of pregnancy at a glance
In the 38th week of pregnancy, your baby is ready for birth. Should it be born now, its organs can take over all functions. But the remaining time in the belly is still good for your child.
If complications occur now, in the 38th week of pregnancy and at the end of your pregnancy, your gynecologist can also order theinduction of the birth. But normally you can enjoy the last weeks until the birth relaxed and prepare for the big day withhay flower steam baths, for example.
Index
ToggleThe development of your baby in the 38th week of pregnancy
In the 38th week of pregnancy, your baby is about 48 centimeters tall and weighs 3,100 grams. It is nowready to give birth. Should he be born now, all his organs will function. Since your child now produces the hormone cortisone, it is prepared for its own breathing after birth. If it remains in your stomach for another two weeks, it can certainly benefit from the further maturation of its body. The more mature the little person is born, the more stable he experiences the first days outside your protective belly – which still mean a big change for him. The baby’s child movements can decrease in the 38th week of pregnancy, there is simply no room for exercises such as kicking. Your child is still gaining weight and height.
Your body in the 38th week of pregnancy
If you are pregnant for the first time, your baby will probably already be firmly in the pelvis. For women who have already given birth, this can take until shortly before birth. Whether the head is already set or not, is therefore not necessarily an indication of an earlier or later birth.
Not only the big belly makes the nights in the 38th week restless, because nightmares increasingly cause insomnia and discomfort. Talk to your partner ormidwifeabout it and listen deeply to find out what is particularly bothering you. If you are worried about going to bed in the evening because another bad dream is waiting for you, passion flower tea from the pharmacy brings relief. Let your midwife, your doctor or the pharmacist recommend a suitable preparation that you can take without worries in the 38th week of pregnancy.
Questions about the 38th week of pregnancy
When is the birth initiated?
In rare cases, it turns out in the last weeks of pregnancy duringthe preventive examinationsthat the child is no longer optimally cared for. Your doctor must then decide whether the pregnancy can be continued until the onset of spontaneous labor or whether it is safer for mother and child to induce the birth prematurely with the help of medication. If a caesarean section is necessary for medical reasons, don’t worry. Acaesarean sectiontoday is usually no riskier than a spontaneous birth. In any case, if you are unsure, talk to your doctor.
Tips and hints for the 38th week of pregnancy
Hay flower sitting steam baths
Once a week you can steam the perineal area with a hay flower infusion until birth. Applied before perineal massage, the vapors support the preparation of theperineumfor childbirth. The tissue is well supplied with blood and smoother. You can get the hay flowers in every pharmacy.
Driving a car pregnant
If you are a passenger in the car, you should sit in the back or push the passenger seat back as far as possible or switch off the airbag. If you drive yourself, you should have at least 25 centimeters distance to the steering wheel. If you can adjust the height of the steering wheel, you should put it all the way up.