Your Nutrition Tip of This Week

Sit Back, Try to Relax
You have done everything you can to ensure you and your baby has gotten all the best nutrition. The wait is finally over. Just make sure to continue your well-balanced nutritious meals in pregnancy week 40 as well as after the delivery of your baby so she get the best benefits from breastfeeding.

Your Wellness Tips This Week

Enjoy your last moments being pregnant, it is time to meet your baby!

Your Baby's Development at Week 40

Your due date arrives during pregnancy week 40, but it might come and go without fanfare. Changes in your baby’s body prior to birth include:

• A surge of hormones in your baby’s body might play a part in initiating labour.
• Your baby weighs between 3.2 to 3.6 kg and measures between 46 to 52 cm long. More or less is OK.¹

Your Changing Body at Week 40

In pregnancy week 40, your body makes many final preparations for labour and delivery.

• Your bones, muscles, and joints continue to relax.
• The ligaments in your pelvis loosen to enable it to open up during birth.
• You might feel pressure on your pelvis.²
• You might have lower-back aches.²
• You might have trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position.
• Rest as much as you can to prepare for the upcoming labour and delivery.
• Your cervix might open (dilate). Dilation can begin in the weeks, days, or hours prior to labour.
• The mucous plug that once blocked your uterus to stop bacteria from entering your cervix might release. This small brown or blood-tinged discharge from your vagina might go unnoticed. This normal process is commonly called the show. It is a sign that your body is preparing for labour.²
• In 10% of women, the amniotic sac of water breaks prior to labour. It can gush or leak slowly.³

References:

¹ VeryWellFamily. Week 40 of your pregnancy. Available [Online] at: https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/week-by-week/40/ Accessed on 23 Aug 23
² Cleveland Clinic. Labor & Delivery. Available [Online] at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9676-labor-delivery Accessed on 23 Aug 23
³ Cleveland Clinic. Water Breaking. Available [Online] at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24382-water-breaking Accessed on 23 Aug 23
* Comparison among all maternal milk in Singapore as of January 2022, as declared on the label.

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