Pregnancy Week 38

You might be thinking all your heartburn and indigestion the last several months is contagious the way your baby may be hiccuping now. It's from all that practice breathing of amniotic fluid. But don't worry, it's far more annoying to you than to baby. At the other end of things, the baby's first bowel movement is in the making. Meconium, the sticky greenish or dark first b.m. baby has, is mostly made up of things collected in his/her digestive tract during gestation. Your baby's organs are are developed and fully functional. However, the lungs and brain will continue to develop and grow after the child is born. You're probably curious what baby will look like, or who baby will take after. Baby might have a full head of long hair, or be a little fuzz ball when born. Those eyes however will most likely remain a mystery for awhile. Unless born with brown eyes, which will most likely remain brown, babies eye color can change up until nine months of age or so.

Pregnancy Symptoms You May Feel During Week 38

One of the final stages of getting ready for baby is probably occurring now. Leaky breasts are a sign your body is preparing to nurse your little one. That's not real or mature milk you're leaking however, but rather colostrum. Colostrum is thin and yellow and a pre-milk, rich in antibodies baby needs at birth. It will be a few days after the baby is born before your real milk comes in. For now, if the leaking is bothering you, go ahead and break out those nursing pads to protect your clothes from getting soggy. And get used to it. Breastfeeding means leaking breasts. Consider this great practice.

Visit With the Obstetrician

This week at your doctor's visit, take a notepad and ask the truly important questions.

• When do I go to the hospital?
• How long should a let contractions go on, how far apart?
• What is a think my water broke?
• Do I call or just come into get checked?
• What kind of pain is more serious and requires immediate attention?
• What circumstance would indicate an emergency and warrant a call to 911?
• Is it bloody show or a placental abruption?

Find out how to handle different situations, where to go or who to call depending on the time of day or day of week, too. It'll put your mind at ease to know the right thing to do, and save time later.

Preparing for Baby

I know you might think, "Are you kidding??" but this is the time to decide on contraception. Ask anyone and they'll rattle off the names of a few mothers with a babies months apart. It happens. If you are breastfeeding you need to talk to your doctor with that in mind, and you will probably not be able to opt for any oral contraceptives in that case. Look at all of your options, along with your partner and the doctor. This is a doctor's visit your partner should be present at, as it will concern him pretty directly. Read up on the options, talk to your friends, and consider what has worked and hasn't worked for you in the past. You need to make the decision ideally before baby comes.

Pregnancy Lifestyle

Ah, it's about that time. Baby shower! Some women decide to wait until the baby is born to have the shower, that way you don't have a gender surprise, or tons of yellow and green outfits. Plus you have the advantage of showing off your little bundle. However, many moms like having the shower beforehand, to get things all set up and ready, washed and packed. Plus, you might not feel up to a shower for weeks after baby's arrival. If you have the party before the birth, take advantage and get to work on those thank you's. You certainly won't enjoy writing those while recovering from childbirth and adjusting to new parenthood. Having a baby registry is one way to cut down on all those returns to the store for the four identical highchairs.

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