Week 37 – Mero Momma

Week 37

A full term baby!

Overview of that week

At 37 weeks, your pregnancy is considered full term. By this week, you might be tired and exhausted from all the symptoms of pregnancy. You might even wish for your baby to come out already because of all the endless symptoms that you are having.

This might be the week that you get to meet your baby. Make sure that you have everything ready and stocked up for the baby and yourself before that. This will lessen a lot of stress that you will have to manage postpartum.

Baby development

On average a baby at 37 weeks will weigh about 3 kilograms or more. The baby will have fully developed organs including lungs to support it outside the womb. Underneath the skin, the baby will have fat to keep it warm, and above, they will be covered in vernix to protect from infections.

There is about a liter of amniotic fluid in the sac at the moment that your baby is moving around in. The immune system of your baby is developing and preparing for the postpartum. Your baby is busy sucking its thumb, learning this is important for the baby to suck breastmilk after delivery.

Body changes in mother

Insomnia

Is your heart racing fast causing you to stay wide awake during the night instead of resting and getting good night’s sleep? It is okay to feel a bit nervous but don’t let that cause you to lose your sleep. For some women, the frequent visits to the bathroom and body aches could be the reason for the lack of sleep.

Bleeding gums

All the way up to the very end of your pregnancy, you might suffer from dental issues. The changes in your hormones make the gums sensitive and affect your dental health. You also have more blood flow than usual which can cause your gums to bleed more easily. Sometimes the changes in your diet may also cause these issues.

Signs of labor

Watch out for the start of labor and contact your care provider as soon as you feel these signs arise:

Regular contractions.
Your mucus plug comes off.
You have cramps and backaches.
Water breaks.
Your cervix starts to dilate.

Change in movement

Your baby starts to move differently than it did in the previous weeks of pregnancy. This is because your baby has less space to move around by now. There is also a change in the position of your baby which can make the movements feel different. The baby’s activities are also reduced during the later weeks of pregnancy. Chances are your baby is spending a lot of time sleeping.

What should you do and don’t

Create a dark and cool environment in your bedroom to support your sleep.
Use breast pads to keep your milk from leaking.
Try to journal these few moments remaining from your pregnancy.
Engage your partner and inform them whenever you feel any change or notice the signs.
Try to eat healthy food to avoid indigestion and constipation that might cause pain when you are in labor.
Use meditation to reduce feelings of anxiety and nervousness.