Baby development – ​​40 weeks of gestation

In the 40th week of pregnancy, the baby’s development is complete and he is ready to be born. All organs are fully formed, the heart beats approximately 120 to 160 times per minute and labor can begin at any time.

During this week, the woman may continue to experience symptoms of excessive tiredness and swelling in her hands or feet. In addition, the woman must be aware of the signs of labor, such as rupture of the amniotic sac, regular contractions that increase in intensity and do not improve with body movement, and the presence of vaginal discharge, called mucous plug.

Until the 40th week and 6 days, the birth of the baby is considered a full-term birth. However, it is possible for the baby to be born up to 41 weeks and 6 days, which is called late term, or up to 42 weeks or more, which is considered post-term.

Baby development

In the 40th week of pregnancy, the baby’s development is complete, with the main milestones being:

• All organs are fully formed;
• The heart beats approximately 120 to 160 times per minute and it is ready to be born;
• The baby’s skin is smooth, with folds of fat on the legs and arms and there may still be some vernix;
• The baby may have a lot of hair or few strands, but it is likely that some will fall out in the first few months after birth;
• Muscles and joints are strong and the baby reacts to sound and movement, being able to recognize familiar sounds, especially mom and dad’s voices.

Furthermore, the nervous system is completely ready and mature enough for the baby to survive outside the womb, but brain cells will continue to multiply in the first years of the child’s life.

The respiratory system is also mature, and once the umbilical cord is cut, the baby will be able to begin breathing on its own.

Baby size and weight

The size of the baby at 40 weeks of gestation is about 53.3 centimeters measured from head to toe, and about 36.3 centimeters from head to bottom, being equivalent to the size of a jackfruit.

The baby’s weight this week is around 4.1 kg.

Changes in a woman’s body

In the 40th week of pregnancy, a woman may experience symptoms of tiredness and swelling, which despite being more apparent in the legs and feet, can affect the entire body.

The baby is likely to be born, and the woman should be aware of signs of labor such as regular contractions every 5 to 10 minutes, which increase in intensity over time, or vaginal discharge with specks of blood, called a mucous plug. , which has a gelatinous consistency and the color can vary from transparent to reddish brown.

Another sign that women should be aware of is the rupture of the amniotic sac, which can be noticed by the release of a transparent or light yellow, odorless liquid from the vagina, which can come out in small quantities as a drip or come out in large quantities and in constant way. Check out other signs of labor.

Read too: Stages of labor (and what to do in each one)

However, if labor does not begin spontaneously until 41 weeks, the obstetrician may choose to induce labor, which consists of administering oxytocin into the mother’s bloodstream, in the hospital, to stimulate uterine contractions, or perform labor Caesarean. See when a cesarean section is indicated.

In some cases, it is possible for the pregnancy to last up to 42 weeks.

Care during the 40th week

In the 40th week of pregnancy, some precautions are important to help alleviate discomfort that may arise, such as:

• Excessive tiredness: resting during the day, if possible, going to bed a little earlier at night, can help reduce tiredness and increase mood;
• Swelling in the legs or feet: not standing for a long time, and placing your feet higher than your body, supporting your feet when you need to sit, helps improve blood circulation in your legs and helps relieve swelling in your legs or feet. However, if the swelling does not improve, starts suddenly, or has swelling in the hands and face, you should seek medical help immediately, as it could be a sign of pre-eclampsia. Find out more about pre-eclampsia and how it is treated;
• Vaginal discharge (mucus plug): Losing the mucous plug during this week of pregnancy can be a sign that the body is preparing for labor, and this should always be communicated. If the bleeding is intense, the woman has frequent and regular contractions, the amniotic sac breaks, or there is a decrease or absence of fetal movements, she should go immediately to the nearest hospital or maternity ward;
• Contractions: You must inform your obstetrician immediately when contractions begin and go to the maternity ward or hospital. Furthermore, it is important to breathe slowly and deeply, to better oxygenate the body, keep moving, as in addition to stimulating dilation, it also relieves pain, especially in standing positions, as they help the baby to descend through the birth canal. .

Furthermore, in the case of rupture of the amniotic sacyou must inform the obstetrician immediately and go to the hospital or maternity ward.

When the water breaks, it is expected that the uterine contractions that mark the beginning of labor will appear within a short time, generally occurring around 5 hours after the water breaks.

Read too: How to know if your water has broken (and what to do)

However, contractions can take up to 48 hours to appear, however, it is recommended to go to the maternity ward within 6 hours of the water breaking because this break allows microorganisms to enter the uterus, increasing the risk of infections in the woman and the baby.

Main exams

In the 40th week of pregnancy, the woman must have another prenatal consultation so that the obstetrician can assess the woman’s blood pressure, weight, uterus height, baby’s position, heartbeat and fetal movements, for example .

If the woman has gone into labor, the doctor can do a stress test during the contraction, to assess the baby’s heartbeat while a contraction is happening and assess the health of the placenta, as during a contraction the placenta must be capable of maintaining correct blood flow, maintaining the baby’s heart rhythm. Understand better what stress testing is and how it is done.

Confirm which month of pregnancy you are entering your details here: