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We totally understand where you are right now: exhausted and tired of the seemingly unending pregnancy. Being 37 weeks pregnant with twins or multiple babies can leave most mothers frustrated, while their babies are still hoisting comfy inside their body. Nearly everyone is looking forward to the labour pains, which would signal your baby’s arrival. But it is necessary to know that those could take a few more days to maybe even a week or more. The delivery of babies in the 37th week of your pregnancy would be great for them, but if they stay in the womb for just some more time, it works further to their benefit. Inducing labour or carrying out a caesarean is undertaken only in cases of future complications, and not simply because you are tired of your pregnancy.
Baby Growth at 37 Weeks
It might be surprising to know that your babies are still progressing in their development within your womb, even after 37 weeks have passed already. As a matter of fact, the growth and progress of babies continue moving ahead, whether they are inside the womb or outside.
All the activities keep being rehearsed repetitively inside you, as the body and the brain work in sync to establish a certainty that everything is working just as expected. Your little ones will now begin to blink their eyes as well. Using their thumbs to suck on would be quite an established habit by now, along with the tendency to close their fist around anything they can get their hands on, and gripping it tightly. The amniotic fluid continues to flow through their diaphragm and lungs, as they carry on their breathing practice inside you.
Two essential factors to keep the babies safe in the outside world also begin to achieve a good level of completion around this week and ahead: the immune system and the body’s thermoregulatory system.
In order to keep the body safe from any external infections or factors that could harm the baby, the immune system builds a strong defensive net within, having strengthened it in the previous weeks. Once outside, the nutrients and antibodies present in the breastmilk further work in that regard to keep improving the capability to fight off any invasions.
Similarly, the babies also need to keep their body temperatures to a good degree. The womb and amniotic fluid have been constantly adjusting to make the environment conducive. In the real world, the fat that the babies put on is what keeps them warm and helps them stay alive. It is for this primary reason that most doctors prefer deliveries that take place in the 37th week since babies tend to have a pretty good layer of fat by then.
What is the Baby’s Size
The last stages of pregnancy are pretty intensive in the growth of the children. Knowing that they have very few days at hand before they emerge out into the real world, the gaining of weight and layering of fat surges ahead, reaching a frequency of nearly 30 grams of increase on a daily basis.
This brings your not-so-little ones in the womb to a length of roughly 47-48 centimetres, combined with an individual weight that is as heavy as 2.7 kilograms or so. If you are carrying more than 2 babies, the length and weight per baby may be a little lower.
Common Body Changes
Since your delivery date has inched closer than ever before, most of the changes that occur within your body are mostly in the lower region, affecting the areas surrounding your baby.
- If lightening has not occurred in the previous week, it will definitely take place sometime this week. Not only would you experience it internally in a strong way, any people who have been observing you on a daily basis would notice that your belly seems to be weighing down a lot more in the lower section, than the upper one. This descent of the babies, along with the change in their orientation to be feasible for a delivery, makes it easier on the lungs to breathe, as well as gives your body the very shape that defines your pregnancy in these last stages.
- While the lowering of the babies in the uterus and their approach closer to the birth canal might be a good sign to show your preparation for labour. The side effect as a result of it is not so welcome, however; the sudden shift in weight to a different portion of your body, causes your gait and posture to undergo yet another change. It might not seem to be as substantial as you might think, but that shift in the centre of gravity can push you back to relearn a new method of supporting yourself properly. Therefore, you can very well expect some ache in your lower back after lightening occurs. Similarly, with most of the weight in the lower region of the uterus, your bladder would be bearing most of its pressure, too. This will result in your repeated trips to the loo, causing frequent urination multiple times within the day. For most women, this is what gets them exhausted and irritated, more than anything else.
- In the 37th week of the pregnancy, nearly every woman would be looking for signs that might say that the babies are on their way. At the same time, the last thing such women would want is for the body to cry wolf. However, false alarms are not uncommon. Braxton Hicks contractions get stronger and more frequent, as your body reaches the stage of being prepared no matter what. These can often leave your moods in haywire, causing you to feel like your labour has set in, only to notice the pains to go away once you move around. Similarly, the discharge appearing through the vagina increases and gets thicker. However, if you see any kind of brown or reddish colour in the discharge, it could be a sign of the mucus plug being discharged, which would mean that you can expect a delivery in the coming week.
Symptoms of Twin Pregnancy at 37 Weeks
Some symptoms would be quite natural for you to experience this late in pregnancy. However, a few old ones might make their return one last time to frustrate you before disappearing forever.
- Your belly might seem like it is already at the largest size it can ever be. However, your babies are still growing and that will continue to cause your tummy to expand, and consequently your skin to stretch further. Therefore, it won’t be of any surprise if you spot a new stretch mark on your belly. Do use creams to help reduce their prominence as recommended.
- Sexual activity might be continued at this stage, with your doctor’s approval is fine with it as well. This is usually the reason why many women see light signs of blood in their vaginal discharge. While light spotting is totally fine, if the presence of blood seems to be in the form of pools or a proper liquid leak, you definitely need to get checked by the doctor immediately.
- What seemed to be a thing of the past will come back again, in the form of nausea. Yes, this won’t be similar to the morning sickness sensations, but the uterine pressure on the stomach might make you feel like throwing up, at times. However, many women have usually had labour quite soon after the signs of nausea began to manifest. Therefore, this might, in fact, be a welcome symptom for most at this stage.
Belly at 37 Weeks Pregnant with Twins
The descent of the babies would be the biggest change your belly would undergo this week. Paired with a slight sensation of feeling heavy and a light ache, it would be balanced with the ability to heave in deep breaths of air.
At times, labour may even set in before your belly lowers, which is also quite normal. The baby already has a little place inside you and may begin to push its way outside early on. The only factor is that this could cause the kicks of the babies to be felt by your ribs, which could be painful.
37 Weeks Twin Ultrasound
Rarely would doctors conduct an ultrasound at this stage, unless they are monitoring a complicated pregnancy and ensuring its fitful nature. Most scans simply take a look at how close the babies are to begin the process of emerging outside.
What to Eat
Having light and nutritious food items such as fruit smoothies, baked chips or salads would be great to keep your moods high this time. Eating a little spicy food such as curries or other meat items might even help in inducing labour. Fresh pineapple juice is highly recommended since it helps in softening the cervix.
Twins Delivery at 37 Weeks
Most doctors recommend delivering twins in the 37th week of your pregnancy since it has known to substantially reduce the risks of stillbirth or death of newborn babies.
If the twins stay within the womb for longer than needed, the constricted space can turn out to be fatal for them. But if they emerge out sooner, their survival rate doesn’t seem to be good, too. In that matter, the 37th week tends to be in the sweet spot, satisfying both conditions effectively.
Pregnancy Care Tips
Your babies are nearly here. So all you’d need are quick handy tips to keep things intact.
Dos
- Make a quick check if your house is in the right condition to bring the babies home
- Feel free to ask your partner to massage you or help you out with any activity
Dont’s
- Do not panic at any sign that might seem out of the ordinary
- Avoid being anxious and stressing about when your due date might arrive
What You Need to Shop for
Once you are at the hospital, you can ensure staying connected with others using:
- A power bank to keep your phone charged
- Earphones to listen to music that can calm you down
Doctors agree that in a woman who is 37 weeks pregnant with twins, foetal development has reached a stage for babies to survive in the real world without much trouble. Prepare yourself and look forward to the wonderful experience of a lifetime when giving birth to your little lovelies.
