In this article you will be able to read about everything related to being pregnant in week 41. You'll find information about the baby's development, how the mother's body is changing and tips you might need along the way.

Baby: Any day now!

The baby is now around 51 cm long and weighs about 3.6 kg. Time to come out now 🙏

placenta
The placenta will continue to transport nutrients and oxygen to the fetus until birth. Once the baby is born, the uterus will then contract, allowing the placenta to detach from the uterine wall. The uterus will contract further and after a couple of weeks will be as small as before the pregnancy. Even though the uterus has contracted, it will take longer for the straight abdominal muscles to recover.

If the umbilical cord is around the baby's neck
If it is discovered that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck during the birth, the midwife will monitor this and correct it if necessary. Don't worry if this happens, it is common for the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the body or neck. 

First breath and the umbilical cord
If the birth was normal, the umbilical cord will be cut a few minutes after birth or when the pulsations in the umbilical cord have stopped. The baby has now taken its first breath and will start breathing oxygen on its own. There is a big change in the baby's blood circulation when he takes his first breath (or screams, which means he is breathing!). To get some kind of confirmation that the blood circulation and oxygenation are working, tests are carried out when the baby is about 24 hours old, in conjunction with a pediatric examination when the doctor listens to heart and breathing sounds.

If the baby is limp immediately after birth and is not breathing or crying, the midwife will quickly assess whether the baby needs help breathing or other care. The midwife will then take the baby to a baby table where equipment such as breathing aids and oxygen are available. If necessary, the pediatrician and pediatric nurse will be called. If the baby needs care and is separated from the mother, the partner accompanies the baby and the mother has another midwife and nurse stay with her. 

It is rare for a baby born vaginally to need care immediately after birth. It is said that 1 in 10 need short-term care, which may be a little help to get breathing going in the big transition from amniotic fluid to breathing air

Planned caesarean section
A planned caesarean section may be performed for reasons such as breech presentation, expecting twins or fear of childbirth. It is planned as close to the BF as possible to ensure that the baby or babies are fully ready to be born. During the C-section, the pregnant woman is awake and has a spinal anesthetic. After sensation has been checked, the operation is performed and the baby is removed from the womb.

Babies may not have time to understand that they should be breathing straight away when they are born by caesarean section, which can result in short-term respiratory distress. In this case, the baby may need care in the neonatal unit (NICU). If this happens, the parents stay with their baby on the ward for anything from a few hours to a few days until the baby is fully recovered and ready to go home. However, the vast majority of babies born by planned caesarean section are perfectly fine when they are born and go straight to their mother to lie skin-to-skin.

Mom: Pregnant in week 41

It seems that baby is doing very well in your womb. But be patient, it will start at any moment! 

Home remedies to kick-start childbirth
By now, you are probably feeling ready for pregnancy and many women try various home remedies to induce labor. At present, it is not known what controls the onset of labor, nor has it been proven what can cause it to start.  

What you do know is that labor cannot be forced and the baby will come when it feels ready. If you are impatient, you can focus on doing something other than living in constant waiting. Try to find things that make you feel good and give you energy. And if you're really impatient, it doesn't hurt to try some home remedies for fun...?

There are small studies that have shown that pregnant women who ate 5-7 dates per day from week 37+0 started spontaneous labor to a greater extent than the group that did not eat dates during the same period of pregnancy. In addition, the group that did not eat any dates also needed labor stimulant drops to help labor.

Oxytocin is the hormone that brings on labor and creates calm and relaxation. Without oxytocin, the uterus does not contract and therefore there are no contractions. Without contractions, the baby cannot be born vaginally, so our tip is to try activities that promote oxytocin! Put aside all the tips about cleaning and climbing stairs, and try relaxing instead. What makes your mind feel good is the best thing you can give yourself in the last weeks of pregnancy!

Hinnsweeping
Contraception is a method that can stimulate the maturation of the uterine septum, dilation of the cervix, the onset of labor and then possibly the onset of labor.

In order to get a buccal swab, a pregnant woman needs to meet a couple of criteria. Firstly, the pregnancy should be full term, preferably in week 40+. Then the cervix needs to be open. To find out if it is, the midwife inserts two fingers and feels for the uterine septum. If it has softened, a finger can be inserted and the midwife will feel if the cervix is open. If it is open, the midwife wraps her finger around the edges of the cervix in an attempt to release the amniotic sac from the uterus. This can then lead to the release of hormones, the dilation of the cervix and the start of labor. However, there is no guarantee that this will work.

You can read about week 40 here.

You can read about week 42 here.