42 Weeks Pregnancy Week-by-Week Guide
42 weeks pregnant
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOU
It is normal to be concerned about how your little one is doing. It is important for you to know that even though you are past your due date, most likely all is just fine with your baby.
At the end of your 42nd week, your pregnancy can truly be called “postterm.” Your care provider will probably order testing, just to be certain that there is still good utero-placental circulation. This testing can involve a non-stress test and/or a contraction stress test or a biophysical profile.
Learn Even More About the “Fourth Trimester”: The Postpartum Period
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
If you have had a healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy, an extra week or two added on to the estimated due date usually doesn’t make much of a difference. In fact, ten percent of first-time pregnancies continue on until two weeks past the due date. Keep in mind that it won’t be much longer now until you greet your new little one.
Rarely is a pregnancy allowed to go beyond the end of the 42nd week. If you haven’t given birth, prostaglandin gels and cervical ripening agents are often used in an attempt to ripen your cervix so an induction can be performed.
Can You Help Labor Along “Naturally”?
EATING FOR TWO
Since cooking is probably the last thing on your mind at the moment, try “Easy (and I mean easy) pork chops,” submitted by Paula, a ParentsPlace.com member.
Ingredients:
Enough pork chops to feed your family
9″ x 13″ baking dish
Enough potatoes to feed your family
Cream of mushroom soup
Milk
Butter
Salt and pepper
Spray pan with Pam. Add just enough milk to cover bottom of pan. Peel and slice potatoes (like chips, but thicker). Place potatoes in pan and season with salt and pepper. Place pork chops over potatoes. Add cream of mushroom soup, covering pork chops. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook 15 more minutes. Serve with a vegetable.
FACT OF THE WEEK
Yes, you can still make love — as long as your membranes are intact and you have not experienced third trimester bleeding or placental problems! The hormone oxytocin is released with orgasm, producing a blissful sensation. And if that’s not enough, oxytocin release can also help to bring on labor if your baby and your body are ready.
TOPICS OF INTEREST THIS WEEK
October 6th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Mandy, just wondering how things are going with you. Still waiting for the u/s on the 29th? Any other signs of what’s going on, or a new doctor that is more helpful? I hope you’re doing well. I miscarried last week at 6wks. Ugh. Again. I’ll be doing the progesterone supplements next time around. Life sure can be a rollercoaster.
October 6th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Well I went to the Emergency Room the other night because I was having some cramping. I thought that maybe they would an ultrasound, but they didn’t. They did a urinalysis and made me drink a lot of water because I told them that I didn’t have to go to the bathroom. The did a urine pregnancy test and it came back negative. The only useful information that they gave me was that I didn’t have a bladder infection, yeast infection, or a UTI. They did a pelvic exam and said that my uterus was enlarged. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. I still have symptoms, but according to everyone one else I’m not pregnant. So I am just really confused. I haven’t seen another doctor, I am just waiting until I have the trans-vaginal ultrasound done. I’m pretty sure that will give me more answers. I mean, I know I’m not crazy. Something is definitely going on. For the past three days when went to the bathroom my urine was a light pink color, and there was some spotting on the toilet paper, but when I went to the bathroom later on, my urine was yellow again, and there was no more spotting. It’s been doing that on and off. I don’t know what that was all about. Today it hasn’t happened at all. I don’t know what’s going on or what to think about that, but it’s weird. The only thing that I know for sure is that I am definitely getting bigger and I am definitely have pregnancy symptoms. The vomiting has gotten wore in the past few weeks, but according to my doctor and the pregnancy tests that I’ve taken, I’m not pregnant. Today I am now 11 weeks and 2 days late.