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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Your babies are nearly here. So all you’d need are quick handy tips to keep things intact.
Once you are at the hospital, you can ensure staying connected with others using:
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.