Week 37

Their mother’s emotional state and physical health affect the baby’s movements. If everything is fine during your pregnancy, if you are happy and peaceful, if you pay attention to your diet, if you are having pleasant conversations with her, if you are not doing something that will stress you and make you feel tired, she will most likely be happy and peaceful. If your baby sleeps well, wakes up and continues to move during these weeks, everything is fine.

Your weight gain may stop or slow down too much. Even if you don’t gain weight, your baby will continue to gain weight.

As the moment of birth approaches, you may feel as if the days are passing more slowly and you do not know when the birth will take place. Close your ears to comments such as “I wonder if the baby will come early” from your environment or someone you do not know at all due to the growth and descent of your stomach. You may also have fears about how to cope with the pain when it starts. Seek support from your doctor and/or a pregnant and obstetric psychologist if your fears and worries have started to increase.

In these weeks, the greatest curiosity and focus of expectant mothers is birth. If you are afraid of labor pain, be sure to discuss it with your doctor and midwife. You can question whether the maternity support in the maternity team is using non-drug painkillers. Non-drug pain relief methods both make it easier for you to cope with pain and prevent unnecessary delivery of medication (with epidural anesthesia…) to your baby. We can list these techniques as follows:

-One-to-one midwife support (a midwife that the expectant mother will meet and trust in advance) ensures that mothers have a positive birth experience,

– Relaxation and staying calm prevent the secretion of adrenaline, the stress hormone, and affect the secretion of the endorphin hormone, the body’s natural painkiller. The relaxed expectant mother feels less pain at birth, which helps the baby get more oxygen during contractions. One of the most effective ways to relax is to ensure that the delivery room is not crowded and that there are only the desired and needed people in the room. A dim and warm room is also effective for relaxation. In addition, listening to relaxing and relaxing music helps relaxation. Smells also have a great effect on relaxation. Smells stimulate receptors in the brain, thereby reducing the perception of pain. Chamomile, lavender and rose scents may be preferred at birth,

-Regular and rhythmic breathing is very effective to overcome the lack of oxygen in the working muscles (uterine muscles),

– Taking a warm shower or getting into water (water birth) has a relaxing effect at birth,

– Freedom of movement, walking, changing position and rhythmic swings make it easier for the baby to put pressure on the pelvis with the effect of gravity,

– Massaging the expectant mother (especially the waist area) prevents pain messages from reaching the brain because it activates the sense of touch. It also has a relaxing effect on the abdominal muscles. This allows less pain to be felt during contractions,

– The fact that the expectant mother makes focusing sounds makes it easier to open the cervix,

– The use of hypnosis in childbirth is among the relaxing techniques whose benefit has been proven. However, this requires a trained birth supporter,

– Suggestion sentences that increase focus during childbirth can be repeated. These sentences have a relaxing and thus analgesic effect,

– Spousal support (if the mother and father prefer the candidate) is very important. The release of the hormone oxytocin (which is also the love hormone), which initiates labor, can be maximized with spousal support.

It is useful to start preparing your maternity bag at 37 weeks of pregnancy. Here’s what should be in the maternity bag…

– Nightgown and dressing gown that can be easily opened from the front,

– Slippers,

– Socks (at least 2-3 pieces),

– A few towels,

– Underwear (it is better if there are too many),

– Camera and camera,

– Make-up (natural products),

– Shampoo and similar cleaning materials and toothbrush,

– Organic nipple cream,

– Female pad,

– Breast pad,

– Light and energizing foods for snacking,

– An outfit that you can wear when leaving the hospital, that will make you feel good,

– A small musical instrument and a practical sound system where you can listen to comfortable music that can relax you while waiting for the birth,

– Spare clothes, laundry and slippers for your spouse.

– Newborn hospital exit set (2 pcs),

– Spare bottom and top clothing (body, footed combed pants and combed beanie),

– Blanket,

– Rash cream,

– Diaper,

– Cotton,

– Thin wipes,

– Muslin cloth,

– Car seat.