What is going
on with your baby during week 40?
Your baby weighs about 7.5lb
(3.4kg) and its total length is 21.5in (48cm);
from crown to rump baby measures at 37-38cm or
14¾-15¼. Your baby is about as big as its going
to get. It now fills your uterus and has very
little room to move. Before your baby is born,
bilirubin is transferred easily across the placenta
from the uterus to the maternal circulation. Bilirubin
is a breakdown product from red blood cells; through
this process your body is able to get rid of it
from the baby. Once your baby is born and the
umbilical cord is clamped, the baby is on its
own to handle the bilirubin produced in its own
body. Scientists believe once baby is ready to
be born, it sends out a series of biochemical
and hormonal signals that indicate its time. These
cause the mother's body to trigger a series of
biochemical and hormonal changes which will ultimately
culminate in labor. |
