Have you ever wondered what happens to you and baby in Week 40 of pregnancy?

Read Week 39 here.

Here is a detailed list of Week 40 pregnancy and childbirth facts:

• Only 5 percent of babies are born on their due date so you may begin to feel impatient.
• You may be offered many forms of pain relief during labour. Gas and air, (Entonox), a mix of oxygen and nitrous oxide which is breathed through a mouthpiece or mask to take the edge off the pain.
• Injections like Pethadine and Meptid can be given during the first stage of labour. They will help you relax but may make you sleepy.
• Epidural, a local anesthetic is injected into the spinal column and spinal cord, numbing the nerves that serve the uterus, this may also be used in the event of a Caesarean delivery being performed because it allows mother to stay awake.
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), this is a technique that involved a weak electric current being used to block the pain sensations in the brain and stimulate release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killing hormone.
• Your baby is curled up head down and ready for birth. The birth of your baby can vary anywhere between 3 to 24 hours on average.
• He or she measures 50 centimeters and weighs roughly 3.4 kilograms.

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