What if you are not dilated at 39 weeks?
Usually your cervix will open up naturally on its own once you’re ready to go into labor. However if your cervix shows no signs of dilating and effacing (softening, opening, thinning) to allow your baby to leave the uterus and enter the birth canal, your practitioner will need to get the ripening rolling.
How far should you be dilated at 39 weeks?
When your baby is ready to begin the journey through the birth canal, your cervix dilates from fully closed to 10 centimeters. This process can take hours, days, or even weeks. But once you hit active labor – about 6 cm dilated – it’s usually just a matter of hours before you reach full dilation.
What helps you dilate faster?
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. Walking around the room, doing simple movements in bed or chair, or even changing positions may encourage dilation. This is because the weight of the baby applies pressure to the cervix.
When do you think your due date is 39 weeks?
Even so, the reality is that 80 percent of babies arrive between 38 and 42 weeks of pregnancy, so your due date window is much bigger than you might think. “You might really be 39 weeks when you think you’re at 40,” says Vidaeff, adding that pregnancy length is, in many cases, genetically determined.
What happens to the placenta when the baby is overdue?
The placenta’s ability to provide baby with adequate oxygen and nutrients may be compromised. The volume of essential amniotic fluid may decline as baby grows (this increases the possibility of a pinched umbilical cord). The possibility of fetal distress increases.
Why is it hard to tell when a baby is due?
Due dates are tricky because it’s hard to pinpoint the exact age of a fetus. Reasons for this include irregular periods (since due dates are calculated based on a perfect 28-day cycle), sketchy or inaccurate menstrual history presented to the obstetrician, and mistaking spotting during very early pregnancy for a period.
