37-Week pregnant: Development and diet

WEEK 37 DEVELOPMENT

With a couple more weeks to go, you’re feeling both excited and apprehensive. Who wouldn’t be?! Still, try to stay as relaxed as you can so you can give birth in optimal conditions. Keep doing your regular relaxation and breathing exercises. If you feel a wave of contractions, look calmly at your watch, lie down and relax, breathing deeply and regularly. The contractions will subside. When they come back, look at your watch again. If they are spaced more than 20 minutes apart, you’re not going into labour for now (in general, if the contractions are spaced 5 to 10 minutes apart, and if your water breaks, then it's time to go to the hospital). Can you believe how close you are to becoming a mum? Or, if this isn’t your first, to having another little one?! Delicious.

The little one in your belly isn’t quite so little anymore. With the lack of space, you’ll find his movements are not as forceful as before. Still, he continues to kick, elbow or move his head to show he’s still there. The subcutaneous peach fuzz that was covering his skin, the lanugo, has come off while the waxy vernix coating gets a little thicker. Patience, he’s getting ready to meet you soon!

NUTRITION

You may have heard that during pregnancy, women need much more than before they were pregnancy. If you started your pregnancy at a healthy weight, your protein needs to increase from about 50g to about 70g per day. An extra 20g protein is not as much as it sounds. By eating an additional portion of protein rich foods from your regular meals, you are likely on the mark. A 60g extra helping of meat, fish, or poultry provides about 15g of protein. One egg has about 7g of protein, and a 30g portion of cheese or 240ml glass of milk each has 7-8g. All of these sources of protein contain the essential amino acids that you and your growing child need. Just like any nutrient that has calories, if you eat more protein than needed, it can promote weight gain.

TIPS

Have you been feeling a bit ambiguous about having your partner in the room during the child’s birth? If you are unsure, then perhaps you can clear up a few things in your own mind before deciding how you want to play it. Do you feel more secure when your partner is nearby? Or would you have the feeling that you would have to pull yourself together? Perhaps it would be more relaxing to have a good friend at your side, one who is already a mother herself. Don’t forget the “other” perspective though: would your partner be able to endure being only being a spectator? Talk openly to your partner about expectations and fears. Then make a joint decision. Try not to put either yourself or your partner under pressure. This is meant to be joyful.