You Baby's Development
After many weeks of anticipation and preparation, your baby is
here! Or maybe not - only 5% of women deliver on their estimated
due dates, and many
first-time mothers
find themselves waiting up to 2 weeks after their due date for
their baby to arrive.
A baby born at 40 weeks weighs, on average, about 7 pounds, 4
ounces (3,300 grams) and measures about 20 inches (51 cm).
Don't expect your baby to look like the Gerber baby right off
the bat - newborns often have heads temporarily misshapen from the
birth canal and may be covered with vernix and blood. Your
baby's skin may have skin discolorations, dry patches, and
rashes - these many
variations
are completely normal.
Because of the presence of your hormones in your baby's
system, your baby's genitals (scrotum in boys and labia in
girls) may appear enlarged. Your baby, whether a boy or a girl, may
even secrete milk from the tiny nipples. This should disappear in a
few days and is completely normal.
Right after birth, your health care provider will suction mucus
out of your baby's mouth and nose, and you'll hear that
long-awaited
first cry
. Your baby may then be placed on your stomach, and the umbilical
cord will be cut - often by the baby's dad, if he chooses to do
the honors! A series of quick
screening tests
, such as the
Apgar score
, will be performed to assess your baby's responsiveness and
vital signs, and he or she will be weighed and measured. If your
pregnancy was high risk, or if a cesarean section was necessary, a
neonatologist (a doctor who specializes in
newborn intensive care
) will be present at your delivery to take care of your baby right
away. If your baby needs any special care to adjust to life outside
the womb, it will be given - and then your newborn will be placed
in your waiting arms.
Your Body
This week you'll experience the moment you've been
anticipating - your introduction to your baby! Before you can meet
your baby, though, you have to go through labor and delivery. You
may have learned about the three stages of birth in your prenatal
classes. The first stage of
labor
works to thin and stretch your cervix by contracting your uterus at
regular intervals. The second stage of labor is when you push your
baby into the vaginal canal and out of your body. The third and
final stage of labor is when you deliver the placenta.
If you don't go into labor within a week of your due date,
your health care provider may recommend you receive a
nonstress test
, which monitors fetal heart rate and movement to be sure that the
baby is receiving adequate oxygen and that the nervous system is
responding. Talk to your health care provider to find out more
about this test.
Sometimes mother nature may need a little coaxing. If your labor
isn't progressing, or if your health or your baby's health
requires it, your health care provider may induce labor by
artificially rupturing the membranes or by administering the
hormone oxytocin or other medications. If your pregnancy is high
risk, or if there are any other potential complications, you may
require a cesarean section delivery.
Some women know ahead of time that they will be delivering via
cesarean section and are able to schedule their baby's
"birth day" well in advance. If you're one of them,
you've probably been able to prepare yourself emotionally and
mentally for the birth - which can help to lessen the feelings of
disappointment that many mothers who are unable to deliver
vaginally experience. But even if you have to undergo a cesarean
section that wasn't planned, rest assured that you'll still
be able to
bond
with your baby. It might not be the birth experience you imagined,
but your beautiful newborn has arrived nonetheless. The months of
waiting are over!
Good luck with your baby!
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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