What To Expect At Week 39

By Priyadarshika Ingle - Updated: August 6, 2020

Your baby’s waiting to greet the world! Your little one continues to build a layer of fat to help control their body temperature after birth, but it is likely that the baby already measures about 20 cm and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, about the size of a mini watermelon. The outer layers of skin are sloughing off as new skin forms. Your health care provider will do an abdominal exam to check your baby’s growth and position. She may also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning) and dilating (opening). However, even armed with this information, there is no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is on the way. If you go past your due date, your health care provider will schedule an ultrasound in order to make sure that it is safe to continue the pregnancy. Most doctors will induce labor when you’re between one and two weeks overdue or earlier, if there is an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risk of delivering your baby without further delay. While you are expecting, it is essential to continue to be aware of your baby’s movements and let your caregiver know right away.

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Priyadarshika Ingle

Priyadarshika is a passionate writer, who doesn’t hesitate from treading uncharted territories. She thoroughly enjoys the process of transforming thoughts into words and creating interesting reads. She likes sharing ideas and perspectives, and always ensures she is patient and persistent. She puts efforts to excel every day, whether it is at work or in her personal life. She is a blogger and a poet, and always demonstrates her skills creatively to add value to our content.