At 41 weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother’s thoughts are all about childbirth.
Fatigue has accumulated, discomfort in the lower back is more common, and legs swell. Primigravidas who have a boy in their belly usually “walk” for more than 40 weeks.
Be patient, there's only a short wait left. In the meantime, rest, after giving birth you are unlikely to succeed.
Fetal development
All organs and systems of the baby are developed and fully functioning. The nails and scalp continue to grow, and you may end up with a baby with great hair.
This is what your baby looks like at 41 weeks
Mother's antibodies are actively supplied to the baby through the placenta, which will protect the baby immediately after birth from most infections.
The lungs are ready to start working, their surface is lined with a sufficient amount of surfactant, it will help the lungs expand with the first breath, and will be responsible for the breathing process throughout your life.
The fluff on the body disappears, the cartilage of the ears becomes denser, the vocal cords become stronger, which the baby will tell you about with his first loud cry.
The fetus's lower intestines fill with meconium, which is normally expelled immediately after birth. Meconium staining of amniotic fluid indicates that the baby is experiencing hypoxia.
This Woman Didn't Go to the Hospital Until 41 Weeks Pregnant, Until Something Strange Happened
In March 2020, a 31-year-old woman arrived at a local hospital in Barnaul, Russia. This woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, was already 41 weeks pregnant and just wanted to ask the doctors if her baby was healthy. She is unlikely to ever be able to forget what happened after...
The woman admitted to doctors that she did not undergo a single examination during pregnancy. She also said that she does not trust doctors and is skeptical of traditional medicine. However, when she still had no contractions after 41 weeks, the woman decided to go to the hospital.
The doctors conducted a thorough examination and could hardly believe their eyes. The child grew not in the mother’s womb, but in her abdominal cavity! This rare condition is a form of ectopic pregnancy where an embryo or fetus develops in the abdominal cavity. The survival rate for such a pregnancy is extremely low, but in rare cases the child can be born healthy.
Without wasting a minute, the doctors sent the young woman to prepare for the operation. An ectopic pregnancy is accompanied by the highest risk and danger, primarily for the child. There are only ten known cases throughout the world in which a baby was born healthy. To remove the baby from the abdominal cavity as safely as possible, a caesarean section had to be performed.
With such a complex procedure, both mother and child are exposed to the highest risk. Removing the placenta can lead to uncontrolled bleeding, which can be fatal. In total, the operation lasted almost two hours.
When doctors removed the amniotic sac from the mother's belly, they witnessed a real miracle. The girl was not only breathing, but she was also fully formed, healthy and already weighed about 4 kg. The proud mother decided to give her daughter a special name - Veronica, which means “winner.”
This amazing story quickly spread throughout the country.
While Veronica still cannot realize how lucky she is. According to her mother, her chances of survival were only 1 in 625 million. On the other hand, now the happy mother knows how lucky she is. In the interview, the woman promised that in the event of a new pregnancy, she would definitely go to the doctor immediately. The fact that these qualified people, despite all the difficulties, were able to bring her daughter into this world, completely changed the young mother’s attitude towards medicine.
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Ultrasound at 41 weeks of pregnancy
An ultrasound at 41 weeks may be prescribed to clarify the following questions:
- assessing the baby’s condition, heartbeat, size;
- determining whether the fetal head corresponds to the size of the pelvis;
- determining the amount of amniotic fluid, the condition of the placenta, and blood flow in it;
- also assess the readiness of the cervix for childbirth.
If all indicators are within normal limits, the mother will be allowed to wait another week for the start of labor. Identification of changes that threaten the life of the fetus will certainly entail hospitalization and delivery.
If labor doesn't start
At 41 weeks of pregnancy, labor should begin; if this does not happen, the woman should visit a doctor. He will examine her and prescribe examinations to exclude dangers to the child.
In some cases, artificial stimulation of contractions is prescribed, after which the child is born within 24 hours. Active movement during this period - walking, household chores - can also speed up the onset of labor. Women are prohibited from lifting heavy objects.
What happens in your body at 41 weeks?
The placenta ages and the baby receives less oxygen and nutrients.
The production of amniotic fluid decreases, which is also not very good for the baby. Thus, your body is now working to induce the fetus to be born.
The cervix becomes saturated with hormones, becomes loose, shortens, and the cervical canal opens.
The following signs indicate that your baby will be born soon:
- loose mucus plug;
- contractions increasing in strength and frequency;
- leaked amniotic fluid.
The last two signs serve as a reason for a trip to the maternity hospital.
Condition of the uterus at 41 obstetric weeks
During this period, the uterus lowers due to the opening of its internal os and the stomach lowers, facilitating breathing and digestion. At the same time, the volume of the abdomen remains maximum, and childbirth can occur at any time. At the same time, you are almost accustomed to periodic contractions of the uterine wall and an increase in its tone (false contractions). Nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back may also occur, this is an increase in the tone of the uterus and the onset of contractions.
The cervix gradually softens, it gradually opens, causing the plug that closed the entrance to the uterus to come off. Childbirth is coming soon. Their beginning will be the occurrence of regular contractions, painful and rhythmic contractions of the uterus, occurring at regular intervals. These contractions lead to a gradual and smooth dilatation of the cervix - this helps in the birth of the child - his head and body pass through the dilated cervix during pushing.
How you feel at 41 weeks
The fear of premature birth has long receded, now the question “when?” is increasingly tormented. The feeling of fatigue increases, the desire to give birth grows in proportion to the term.
Pregnant women still experience discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract caused by compression by the large uterus. Constipation and heartburn may accompany you until childbirth.
Not very frequent, but strong movements of the baby also cause pain. Periodic kicks to the liver and stomach are often accompanied by insomnia.
Discharge from the genital tract
Purulent, foamy or cheesy discharge from the genital tract should not be allowed. Childbirth is very close and the risk of infection of the child during passage through the birth canal, as well as postpartum complications for the mother, increases. Any inflammatory discharge must be promptly eliminated.
In late pregnancy, moderate light discharge mixed with mucus is considered normal. There is a little more discharge, which indicates that labor is approaching - the mucous plug comes out, which throughout pregnancy served as a barrier between the vaginal environment and the uterine cavity.
There should be no bloody discharge even in the later stages - this is a sign of placental abruption. The condition is extremely dangerous for both the baby and the mother.
Amniotic fluid is liquid, yellowish or greenish. Normally, they recede during regular contractions, after the cervix dilates. If you suspect that your water has broken, quickly go to the maternity hospital; a long period without water is dangerous for the baby due to infection.
The plug has come off
If the plug comes off at 41 weeks, then this is already good. However, labor can begin either within a few hours or only 2 weeks after that. However, this means that the ice has broken, and now you most likely won’t have to worry about post-term pregnancy.
The mucus plug most often comes off in parts, releasing small portions of mucus. In this case, the woman notices a thick, viscous discharge of a transparent, white, yellow or cream color on her underwear. They may contain blood, in which case there is a high probability that labor will begin within a few hours. However, do not hesitate if bleeding begins after the mucus plug comes out. This may be a sign of premature placenta rejection, so you should go to the hospital immediately.
Sometimes the mucus plug comes off intact, all at once. It resembles a clot of gelatin or silicone, with a total volume of about 2 tablespoons. After this, you can no longer have sex or take a bath to avoid infection of the fetus, since the cervical canal remains open and microorganisms can easily enter inside.
However, you may not notice that the plug has come off at 41 weeks of pregnancy if it happens during urination or the release of amniotic fluid.
Discharge at 41 weeks of pregnancy
In addition to the mucous discharge, which notifies you of the passage of the plug and the imminent onset of labor, at 41 weeks of pregnancy you may experience watery discharge - this is amniotic fluid leaking. They do not always pour out in a stream, but can often be released in small portions.
Normally, the waters are clear, they may contain flakes of vernix lubrication, which protected the little one’s body, they do not smell of anything or have a faint sweetish odor. However, if the baby is starved of oxygen, meconium may enter the amniotic fluid. Original feces color the waters greenish or brownish. If you notice such discharge, then you need to go to the hospital immediately, without waiting for contractions, since the baby may swallow this liquid, which is not entirely safe.
In addition, go to the maternity hospital if amniotic fluid is gushing out or if you experience spotting at 41 weeks of pregnancy.
