Your dream child at 36th week
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Your baby begins as a tiny cluster of cells, but during the nine-month process of pregnancy she becomes an amazing baby with facial features, a beating heart and kicking legs. The good news is that by the end of this week, your pregnancy will be full-term and you could give birth any day now. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term a baby born before 37 weeks is premature and after 42 is post-term.) We hope you enjoy these last several weeks of pregnancy.

Development

  • At the thirty-sixth week, your baby has pretty much finished growing, although he will continue to build fat under the skin, causing the arms, legs, knees, cheeks, and face to plump more and more.
  • Your baby's head is specially designed to travel through your narrow cervix. The bones in his skull aren't fused together yet; this loose construction makes his head very shapeable so it can squeeze through the birth canal without harming him or you. These bones will gradually fuse over the first year of life.

Appearance

Your baby is working hard to accumulate all the fat he can at this point, and that layer of fat has now rounded out his face. This build-up of fat about 15 percent of his total weight will help him maintain his body temperature and give him a store of energy. His sucking muscles, which are quite powerful, have also finished developing now, and are ready for their first real feeding your baby's going to be hungry soon after he arrives.

Amazing fact

Your uterus normally weighs about 50g,but by week 36, it weighs more than 1kg – that is more than 20 times heavier than normal!!!!!

Second stage of labor – your dream comes true!!!!
week36

Experiencing the birth of your child is a special and unique experience. No two deliveries are alike and there is no way to predict with total accuracy how your delivery will go. However, we can predict the stages you will go through during labor and childbirth and what you can generally expect.

The second stage of childbirth involves pushing and the delivery of your baby. Until this point your body has been doing all the work for you. Now that your cervix has fully dilated to 10 cm it is your time to help by pushing.

  • The second stage can last from 20 minutes to 2 hours
  • Contractions will last about 45-90 seconds at intervals of 3-5 minutes rest in between
  • You will have a strong natural urge to push
  • You will feel strong pressure at your rectum
  • You are likely to have a minor bowel or urination accident
  • Your baby’s head will eventually crown (become visible)

What can you do during the second stage of labor?

In the second stage of labor, you should push when you have a contraction and relax when you don't. There are number of things you can try:

  • It is more effective to get two or three short pushes in with each contraction rather than one long push.
  • While you push, try holding your breath for short periods, or blowing out steadily. Try both techniques to see which is best for you.
  • Try saying Yes!
  • Being upright allows gravity to help you.
  • Try not to hold your breath for long periods because this decreases the amount of oxygen available for your baby and your uterus.
  • Relax your pelvic floor (the muscles around the vaginal opening).
  • Some mums find it helpful to reach down and feel how near their baby is it gives them encouragement and extra energy.

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