Pregnancy Week 37

We have a secret in our culture, and it's not that birth is painful. It's that women are strong. --Laura Stavoe Harm

What happens to you?

The pregnancy is considered a "term" pregnancy now. If you haven't already done so, you should take a tour of your birth facility or hospital.

If you go into labor, nothing will be done to stop it now, since the baby is mature enough to survive outside the uterus. There are several ways to tell the difference between true labor and false labor. Be sure that you talk to your doctor or midwife about knowing the difference between the two. Here are some indicators of false and true labor.

False Labor

Contractions don't get closer together. Contractions don't get stronger. Contractions tend to be felt only in the front. Contractions don't last longer. Walking has no effect on the contractions. Cervix doesn't change with contractions.

True Labor

Contractions get closer together. Contractions do get stronger. Contractions tend to be felt all over. Contractions do last longer. Walking makes the contractions stronger. Cervix opens and thins with contractions.

What happens to the baby?

The baby continues to practice breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid. Sometimes the baby will get hiccups.

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