What to Expect in the Last Week of Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a very special time for a woman. Despite the happiness, some discomforts may arise, as well as other symptoms beyond those already known. However, the last weeks can be filled with anxiety, pain, and lack of sleep, right? Actually, symptoms can vary greatly at this stage of pregnancy, which may last up to 2 weeks more or less than expected. How can it be 2 weeks more or less? We’ll explain below, but mainly, what to expect in the last week or last weeks of pregnancy?

Length of Pregnancy

Pregnancy lasts an average of 280 days, that is, 40 weeks or even 10 months and not 9 as people say. However, because it is counted from the first day of the menstrual period, there may be a discrepancy in the dates if the woman became pregnant after the predicted fertile period, which can lead to a difference of 1 to 2 weeks from the actual gestational age. Therefore, what should really be taken into account is the first ultrasound exam, with that, the weeks are counted correctly.

Feelings in the Last Week of Pregnancy

The feeling that prevails at this stage is anxiety. As soon as a woman enters the end of her 8th month of pregnancy, things already start to get tense and intense. That’s because, for the most part, the woman already has everything ready to welcome her baby. The feeling becomes more intense each day and the desire to meet her baby grows bigger and bigger as the birth approaches. It’s common to hear a pregnant woman saying: I can’t wait for the baby to be born! The feeling of fear can also overwhelm the mom at this stage. Fear of childbirth, fear of not being a good mother, fear of not being able to take care of the baby, fear of things not turning out well at the hospital, fear, fear and more fear. Everything that is still unknown becomes a source of fear. However, nothing that a good talk with more experienced women or even the obstetrician can’t help with; fear is relative, if you know your baby is well, there is nothing to worry about.

Nesting Syndrome

This is the moment to prepare the nest to welcome the baby, and this is also one of the dominant feelings in the last weeks of pregnancy. Getting the bedroom ready, organizing clothes, packing the maternity bag for both the baby and the mom, and, in many situations, couples make small renovations to make sure the house is in order for the baby’s arrival. A legend that is becoming increasingly true is that the urge to clean up in the last few days of pregnancy means that labor is near! When you get the urge to leave everything sparkling clean, it’s called the nesting preparation syndrome.

Physical Changes in the Last Week of Pregnancy

Throughout pregnancy, the body transforms radically: organs shift position, the uterus grows, and many sensations never felt before emerge. It’s practically 9 months of gradual change and all these changes become more evident and quite uncomfortable in the last weeks of pregnancy — and even more intense in the last week of pregnancy. The main symptoms in the last week of pregnancy may include:

Fatigue and Shortness of Breath:

An immense tiredness from being unable to sleep properly, neither at night nor during the day. The massive abdomen compared to the non-pregnant phase compresses the lungs and can lead to poorer quality of sleep than in earlier stages of pregnancy. In fact, shortness of breath is much greater in the last week of pregnancy¹. The third trimester is the most problematic in terms of sleep and fatigue for the mom. Daytime naps can be great allies, but nothing compares to a restorative night’s sleep, which will soon be a distant memory once the baby is born. By the way, it’s common and always heard from others: Sleep as much as you can now, because it will get harder later. But who said a pregnant woman can ever find a comfortable position to get real rest? No matter how sleepy she is, the baby’s movements wake her every 10 minutes, not to mention frequent calls from nature to go to the bathroom.

Swelling:

Even if blood pressure is fine, swelling will definitely appear in the last week of pregnancy. That’s because fluid retention is very intense at this stage. Swelling can be noticed in various parts of the body — legs and feet, as well as the face. The lips, cheeks, and nose become larger, and usually return to normal size a few days after delivery. A great tip for pregnant women, even in the last week, is lymphatic drainage. However, if you have high blood pressure during pregnancy, it’s better to pay attention to this swelling. Just check your blood pressure to be sure everything is okay — better safe than sorry.

Leg Cramps:

If you haven’t felt cramps so far, consider yourself lucky! The last week of pregnancy is marked by pains, with cramps among them, due to the approach of labor. To prevent this type of issue, it’s recommended to eat bananas — they are a good source of potassium, which helps prevent this very intense pain.

Needing to pee all the time and poop only sometimes:

With the baby’s weight, placenta, and fluids pressing on the bladder, the urge to urinate increases a lot! The feeling will be much more intense if the baby is already engaged, and the worst time is during the night, which is already uncomfortable due to the awkward position of the belly when lying down. Constipation can also be a problem². Some late-stage pregnant women may develop hemorrhoids due to the effort required to empty the colon. For some women, it’s not easy to poop at the end of pregnancy, and what may help is eating fiber and perhaps drinking natural prune juice.

Practice or Real Contractions:

Fake contractions will certainly intensify in the last week of pregnancy. In fact, they might not be false but rather a gentle beginning of labor³. The belly gets harder, and discomfort may appear in the lower part of the abdomen during contractions. It’s as if someone is squeezing your belly with moderate force. As the pain becomes more intense, it’s best to seek your doctor to check whether you are in active labor. Don’t think these contractions are a bad thing — on the contrary, they are preparing your cervix for labor!

Intense Heat:

You may be sweating buckets even in the winter! Increased blood circulation and heart rate are at their peak, and this will definitely cause heat! Just walking a little more than usual will bring on strong sweat and the sensation of being under a thousand suns. Don’t worry, this is normal.

Sharp Pains in the Vagina, Pain Between the Legs, and Back Pain:

These twinges are very common symptoms; actually, the pregnant woman may start feeling them as early as the second trimester, but they greatly intensify in the last week of pregnancy. That’s because the cervix is preparing to dilate. Pain between the legs, especially in the pelvic bone, can also appear abruptly. The opening of the pelvis for delivery makes the bones farther apart, and this will certainly hurt. Back pain is no exception — as labor approaches, the pain will inevitably intensify. Some moms report that, on the eve of the birth or even on the day of labor, the baby’s movements become more intense. This is still a mystery to be clarified, but more and more moms have reported feeling their babies very active just before birth, whether by natural delivery or C-section. See also: Labor – How to Recognize When the Time Has Come Photo: redgular