What happens in the 40th week of pregnancy?

In the 40th week of pregnancy, your baby measures nearly 20 1/2 inches in length and weighs close to 7 1/2 pounds. A full term baby’s weight varies greatly, so actually your baby could be 6 pounds or may even weigh as much as 10 pounds!

Your baby is now pretty much ready for life outside your womb and his or her lungs are still producing large quantities of surfactant, in order to keep the air sacs open.

On the whole, your baby continues to grow and his or her hair and nails get longer.

Changes in You:

Your due date falls in this week and if you're like many women, you are probably tired of being pregnant and really anxious to hold your little one in your arms! Your baby has totally filled your uterus and your belly is as large as it can get. You need to know that you’ll not be pregnant forever!

This week you’ll be experiencing the moment you've been waiting for so long — your introduction to your newborn! However, before you can meet your baby, you have to go through labor and delivery.

You may have learned about the 3 stages of birth in your prenatal classes. The first stage of labor works to thin and stretch the cervix by contracting your uterus at regular intervals. The 2nd stage of labor is when you actually push your baby into the vaginal canal and ultimately out of your body. The 3rd stage of labor is when you deliver the placenta.

At 40 weeks pregnant, you are in all probability ready to give birth, if you haven’t already delivered your baby. In reality, 95 % of babies don’t arrive by their estimated due date. 25% come earlier, and 70 % come late.

As your labor and delivery comes closer, your uterus might have slightly reduced in size as your baby’s head may possibly have fallen into your pelvis. This is called “lightning” or “engagement.” If you experience this, you may notice that you have less pressure on your ribs, which may give you a little relief.

You need to rest as you are anxiously waiting for the arrival of your new bundle of joy. Talk to your baby; because at this particular stage in pregnancy, your baby is likely react to familiar sounds. In actual fact, the mother’s voice is one of the first things which a baby recognizes after birth.

You Baby's Development

After several weeks of anticipation and preparation, your baby is finally here! Or maybe not — only 5% of women deliver on the estimated due dates, and many first-time mothers may find themselves waiting up to 2 weeks after their estimated due date for their baby to arrive.

A baby born at 40 weeks weighs, on an average, about 7 pounds, 4 ounces (3,300 grams) and measures about 20 inches (51 cm). Newborns most often have heads temporarily misshapen from the birth canal and may be covered with vernix and blood. Your baby's skin might have skin discolorations, dry patches, plus rashes — these many variations, however, are completely normal.

Due to the presence of your hormones in the baby's system, the baby's genitals (scrotum in boys, labia in girls) may appear enlarged. Your baby, whether it is a boy or a girl, may also secrete milk from the tiny nipples. This ought to disappear in a few days and is completely normal.

Good luck with your little bundle of joy!