what happens when a baby is ready to be born?
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Your baby is ready to be born, and you'll be meeting them some time in the next few weeks. Your baby's gut (digestive system) now contains meconium – the sticky green substance that will form your baby's first poo after birth. It may include bits of the lanugo (fine hair) that covered your baby earlier in pregnancy.
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These are also known as Braxton Hicks contractions. They are your body's way of getting ready for the real thing -- the day you give birth -- but they are not a sign that labor has begun or is getting ready to begin.
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Once your baby's head is born, most of the hard work is over. The rest of their body is usually born during the next 1 or 2 contractions. You'll usually be able to hold your baby immediately and enjoy some skin-to-skin time together. You can breastfeed your baby as soon as you like.
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Your body is very clever; in fact you are making breast milk in the form of colostrum before your baby is even born. When your baby arrives they can drink this while waiting for your full breast milk to 'come in', this happens anywhere from three-to-seven days after you've given birth.
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Babies born early (called premature babies) may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born on time. This is why it's important to wait until at least 39 weeks for a scheduled c-section. If your pregnancy is healthy, it's best to let labor begin on its own.
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Eight weeks into your pregnancy, or six weeks after conception, your baby's lower limb buds take on the shape of paddles. Fingers have begun to form. Small swellings outlining the future shell-shaped parts of your baby's ears develop and the eyes become obvious.
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Extreme preemies without complications are typically ready for discharge two to three weeks before their due date. But babies who have endured health complications as a result of their preterm status, such as breathing problems or difficulty gaining weight, may have to stay in the NICU well after their birth date.
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By about 32 weeks, the baby is usually lying with their head pointing downwards, ready for birth. This is known as cephalic presentation. If your baby is not lying head down at this stage, it's not a cause for concern – there's still time for them to turn.
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["check your baby's health, growth and position.", 'advise on or help with hospital bookings and routine tests and checks.', 'give you support and advice.', 'help you prepare for labour and birth.']
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This actually happens during pregnancy, is completely normal, and is usually necessary for your body to make room for a baby. Generally what happens is that after the baby is born, your stomach muscles gradually come back together.
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Babies born before 37 weeks are premature. A premature birth is more likely to happen when a mother has a health problem — like diabetes — or does harmful things during her pregnancy, like smoke or drink. If she lives with a lot of stress, that also can make her baby be born too early.
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By 36 weeks, your baby's lungs are fully formed and ready to take their first breath after the birth. The digestive system is fully developed and your baby will be able to feed if they're born now.
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Your baby at 32 weeks. By about 32 weeks, the baby is usually lying with their head pointing downwards, ready for birth. This is known as cephalic presentation. If your baby is not lying head down at this stage, it's not a cause for concern – there's still time for them to turn.
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When he's curled up inside the womb, your baby doesn't have much exploring to do. But even in this protected world, a fetus is actively developing a sense of touch that will help him explore and learn from the moment he's born. Before your baby can smell, taste, see or hear, he's already developed another sense: touch.
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The baby already has some of its own blood vessels and blood begins to circulate. A string of these blood vessels connects the baby and mother and will become the umbilical cord.
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This means that you avoid the risks of being induced. What are the risks of waiting for labour to start? If your baby is not born within the next 24 hours after your waters breaking, he/ she will need to stay in hospital for 12 hours after birth so they can be closely monitored for any signs of an infection.
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26 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby's Development At 26 weeks, your baby's lungs are hard at work, getting ready to take those first breaths once he's born. The lungs are now starting to produce surfactant, which is a substance that helps the lungs inflate properly with each breath.