Your Pregnancy Week 39
Baby
Congratulations! You've reached the final weeks in your pregnancy (if you haven't delivered already!) Your baby has probably reached his birth weight by now. Most babies weigh somewhere between 6-8 pounds when they are born. Boys are usually longer and heavier than girls.
Not much has changed from last week, all his internal organs are ready to support him in the outside world, he's developed healthy amounts of baby fat over the past week, his immune system is developing and will continue to develop after he is born.
Mom
How are you feeling? It's almost time for delivery! You may have been preparing for delivery for months now, but do you know about the changes that will take place in your body after delivery?
The Baby Blues – This is the happiest time of your life, right? This is what you've been waiting for...so why do you feel so sad? You may have heard people mention, "The Baby Blues" which refers to a state of heightened emotion after you give birth in which you may cry more easily than is usual for you or you may have trouble sleeping, you may feel irritable, sad or on edge. More than 80% of women report feeling blue immediately after birth so if you feel this way, you aren't alone and you're not a bad person, a weak person, a bad mother or any other negative thing you could possibly tell yourself.
Sometimes, these feelings last more than a few days. Postpartum depression is a more severe form of depression that can develop within the first six months after giving birth. Feelings such as sadness, anxiety and restlessness can be so strong that they interfere with daily tasks.
Though it isn't known for sure what causes postpartum depression, some medical professionals believe hormones play a big role. During your pregnancy, two hormones, estrogen and progesterone, increase greatly, but in the first 24 hours after delivery they rapidly drop back to their non-pregnant levels. This fast change in hormone levels can lead to depression.
You should contact your healthcare provider if you have mood swings or feel depressed for more than a few days after the birth of your baby; if you feel you are unable to cope with daily activities in your life like caring for your newborn or other children; or if you have strong feelings of depression or anger 1-2 months after childbirth, have trouble sleeping, or have suicidal thoughts.
Please remember that if you experience any of these symptoms, you aren't alone and support is available to you. Counseling, antidepressants and hormone therapy are three examples of effective treatments available to you, should you experience postpartum depression.
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Baby Blues
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