40 Weeks Pregnant

Fetus

1. Length: 48 to 52 cm (crown to rump, 35 to 37 cm).
2. Weight: 3,000 g (7 to 7.5 lb).
3. Fetus kicks actively, hard enough to cause the mother considerable discomfort.
4. Fetal hemoglobin begins its conversion to adult hemoglobin. The conversion is so rapid that, at birth, about 20% of hemoglobin will be adult in character.
5. Vernix caseosa is fully formed.
6. Fingernails extend over the fingertips.
7. Creases on the soles of the feet cover at least two thirds of the surface.

Mother:

1. From the pubic symphysis to the top of the uterus, you probably measure 14.4 to 16 inches (36 to 40cm). From your bellybutton to the top of your uterus is 6.4 to 8 inches (16 to 20cm).
2. By this time, you probably don’t care an awful lot about how much you measure. You feel you’re as big as you could ever be, and you’re ready to have your baby.
3. You may continue to grow and even to get a little bit bigger until you have your baby. But don’t be discouraged—you’ll have your baby soon.
4. In primiparas (women having their first baby), the fetus often sinks into the birth canal during the last 2 weeks, giving the mother a feeling that her load is being lightened. This event is termed lightening. It is a fetal announcement that the third trimester of pregnancy has ended and birth is at hand.