38 weeks of pregnancy: discharge and painful sensations in the abdomen

Your body is preparing for the big day at 38 weeks pregnant. This last stretch may be accompanied by fresh or worsening symptoms, such as altered discharge patterns and pain in the abdomen. While these are normal as your body gets ready for labor, many expectant mothers may find them concerning.

Certain fears can subside if one knows what’s typical and what may require care. While cramps and discharge are indicators that your body is undergoing significant changes, it’s crucial to know when to consult your doctor.

The cues from your body are very important at this point. Let’s examine what to anticipate when your due date draws near in terms of abdominal pain and discharge.

What is this period

Nine and a half obstetric months, lasting four weeks apiece, equal 38 weeks of pregnancy. This is the 36th week of a baby’s development since obstetricians always add two weeks to the real (embryonic) period. According to the conventional calendar, eight months and two weeks have already elapsed.

A little over two weeks remain until the date the doctors recorded as the baby’s expected birth date; however, this does not ensure that the baby will be born on the day the doctor wrote on the expectant mother’s exchange card. A baby can actually be born at any time during the 38th week of pregnancy. The infant is developed and mature enough to survive in this world. Because of this, the majority of women already have their bags packed with items for the maternity hospital and are usually found in the most noticeable location.

Physiological features of the week

By weeks 37 and 38 of pregnancy, the majority of women experience persistent fatigue. Because the baby is inside the uterus, which has already filled the entire abdominal cavity, there is no room left inside the female reproductive organ, making carrying the belly extremely difficult. Because of this shift in center of gravity, the lower back muscles are under more strain. Having a big belly makes it difficult for a woman to walk, stand for extended periods of time, bend over, or change her body position quickly.

This week, the woman may experience intense dyspnea and an overwhelming sensation that she is unable to breathe deeply due to the uterus’s ability to tightly compress the diaphragm with its bottom. Because the baby is in a "pre-launch" position, resting its head against the exit from the small pelvis, the uterus descends and, in most cases, by this week, it is already located lower than before.

Pre-labor hormonal fluctuations render a woman emotionally and sensitive. Again, fear of what lies ahead during the labor process does not bring peace. This week, a small weight loss is thought to be quite normal; if this occurs, labor is almost certainly on the way. Excess fluid that had accumulated while under the influence of progesterone disappears along with weight. Before labor, this hormone is produced less frequently, which causes weight loss to start.

The placenta continues to perform its duties effectively, but it is starting to "age" and thin, which also contributes to the mother’s weight loss by a few kilograms. Additionally, the amniotic fluid’s volume drops.

Training fights are becoming more and more torturous for women. The belly gets hard sometimes, even after it has dropped. The baby can cause varying degrees of tingling in the perineum by squeezing the nerve endings with its head. During this period and the subsequent 38–39 weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother may experience severe abdominal pain.

It’s normal for women to start experiencing more vaginal discharge and sometimes even painful abdominal sensations at 38 weeks of pregnancy. These changes typically indicate that the body is getting ready for labor, but it’s crucial to understand what’s typical and when to see a physician. It can put expectant mothers at ease to know the difference between common symptoms of a late pregnancy and possible concerns as delivery approaches.

Abdominal pain

The range and volume of stomach aches nowadays astounds. Not all of them, though, signal the start of labor and don’t mean it’s time to visit the maternity hospital. Women who have given birth before find it much easier to interpret the "signals" of their bodies; however, for those expecting their first child, it can be difficult, and each tingling and stretching sensation feels like a "long-awaited beginning."

False contractions

First-time mothers may start to feel them before anyone else does. Recurrent mothers typically experience their training contractions a few days or even later before the actual birth. The uterine muscles benefit from such contractions as they help them get ready for the upcoming test. Approximately 95% of pregnant women have experienced practice contractions this week, if this is the first birth.

The main ways that false contractions vary from actual contractions are that they lack a time pattern and are not prolonged in nature. They are perceived as tugging feelings, akin to what a woman may have felt during her previous menstrual cycle. The lower abdomen pulls, and the lower back aches a little. When the uterus stops pulling, it "hardens" and then returns to its soft state.

False contractions will disappear if a woman lies down and naps or simply rests in a horizontal position. True contractions, which are thought to be a reliable indicator of the start of labor, are not subject to this rule.

Not every pregnant woman feels uncomfortable during practice contractions. Some expectant mothers report experiencing pulling only in the ovaries and lumbar region.

True contractions

Real contractions are a part of the labor process and start right before the labor starts. The cervix opens, and contractions follow suit. They start off like training contractions, but lying down will not make "everything go away" in this situation. The contractions will become more intense, occur more frequently, and come on faster even when you’re at rest. Additionally, painful sensations will intensify over time.

A woman may initially experience lower abdominal pain that is localized and feels like her stomach is aching and hardening. Subsequently, the uterus becomes harder and harder, and the lower back and back, in addition to the lower abdomen, start to hurt and ache. The pain in my lower back is getting worse. A "stone" belly indicates that the uterus is tightening and toning up. This occurs at the height of the contraction, at which point the woman experiences relief as her muscles relax.

Contractions typically start out lasting no longer than 30 seconds and repeat every 10 to 15 minutes. A first-time laboring woman can remain for up to eight hours or longer at this point. There will only be a 3 centimeter dilation of the cervix.

In the second stage, contractions last for at least a minute and occur at least every four to five minutes. Since this phase is shorter than the first, it is best for the woman to be under medical supervision at the maternity hospital already.

The third stage is the shortest and comes before pushing. Contractions can last up to 90 seconds each and are repeated roughly every 30 seconds.

Determining the appropriate time to visit a maternity hospital is a challenging question. Because her first stage of true contractions lasts longer than that of expectant mothers who have already given birth, a woman giving birth for the first time might not be in a rush.

In the event that the birth is repeated, you must visit the maternity hospital right away when regular contractions—as opposed to those that are training—occur. It’s commonly accepted that, regardless of how many pregnancies you’ve had, you should arrive at the maternity hospital experiencing contractions every seven to ten minutes.

Digestion

Due to the physiological characteristic of this week, which involves a large, heavy uterus pressing on the internal organs, abdominal pain in its later stages may not be related to childbirth but rather only to intestinal, peristalsis, or impaired bile outflow disorders. The lower abdomen may tingle or experience colic as a result of these pains; the stomach may also feel hard. Positional changes can exacerbate the pain, and stomach rumblings are common. Constipation, nausea, and vomiting are not excluded, nor are loose stools.

Due to disruption of the digestive organs, abdominal pains start to appear at 38 weeks along with feelings of severe intestinal distension and bloating. The iliac region is where pain is most frequently felt, and it may get worse after bowel movements. This is what impressionable and wary expectant mothers frequently interpret as the start of labor.

A tiny proportion of women have no pain at all at 38 weeks. They typically possess strong compensatory capacities, which enable the body to function normally even in the most trying circumstances.

Discharge

Discharge always varies as the pregnancy draws to a close. "Pads—daily pads" are intended to assist a woman in quickly navigating the circumstance. When it’s time to visit a maternity hospital or need an urgent medical consultation, they won’t let you miss it. What discharge at this moment may suggest:

• Norm. The fact that everything is normal with a woman is indicated by light, white or yellowish discharge that has a weak sour smell or is odorless at all. The amount of discharge depends on the hormonal background, but in general it is assessed as moderate.
• Mucous discharge. If a woman noticed that the discharge became mucous, this may indicate the discharge of the plug, which throughout the pregnancy tightly closed the cervical canal from the penetration of foreign bodies, bacteria, viruses into the uterus. The plug can come off entirely as a clot of mucus, transparent with streaks of blood. Sometimes the plug comes off gradually. In this case, the mucous discharge continues for several days, brownish or pink streaks of blood may be visible in them.

The plug being released indicates that labor will soon begin. A woman should calmly pack her belongings and head to the maternity hospital without needless panic. You should avoid taking a hot bath, having sex, and douching once the plug starts to come out.

• Watery discharge. Such discharge may indicate the discharge of amniotic fluid. As in the case of the plug, the amniotic fluid can come off entirely or leak in parts. A complete outpouring usually does not raise any questions. If the water has broken, it"s time to go to the maternity hospital. If a woman notices that the discharge has become more intense, and it is watery, then we may be talking about leakage. The woman"s actions in this case should also be aimed at prompt hospitalization. Leakage is dangerous for the baby. Sometimes such watery discharge has a greenish tint. If such discharge is noticed, you need to urgently go to the maternity hospital, because it is possible that meconium is present in the leaking waters – the original feces from the intestines of the fetus.

It usually surfaced following the baby’s birth. However, when there is a Rh conflict, the fetus experiences hypoxia, entanglement, and placental insufficiency, which can result in early defecation while still in the womb. An instance like this is what motivates urgent delivery.

• Brown and pink discharge. Discharge of a brown color, as well as pink, if they are not associated with mucous discharge and are not a sign of the plug coming off, can indicate blood impurities. There can be quite a few reasons: from problems with the placenta to pathological changes in the cervix. It is imperative to inform the doctor about bloody discharge. Although the birth is very close, there should be no blood in them.
• Saturated yellow or greenish discharge. Such discharge may indicate that the woman has a genital tract infection. Inflammatory and purulent inflammatory process can be caused by bacteria and fungi.

Itching and burning are common unpleasant sensations that appear around the external genitalia and usually coincide with a change in the discharge’s nature. The discharge smells bad and frequently foams. A physician’s consultation is required because the genital tract must be cleaned thoroughly before giving birth in order to prevent infection in the unborn child.

Discharge after a doctor"s examination

It is considered normal if, upon a doctor’s examination at 38 weeks of pregnancy, a woman exhibits brown discharge. You don’t need to worry or panic. Examining the cervix may well cause the appearance of bloody discharge because hormones cause the mucous membranes of the genital tract to become looser and more vulnerable. They typically go by a few hours after you get back from the consultation.

Labor will start soon if the doctor forced the remaining mucous plug to pass through the cervix during the examination.This will show up as discharge after the examination. Once more, you just need to be well-prepared; there’s no need to freak out.

Abdominal pain, changes in discharge, and discomfort are common as 38 weeks of pregnancy draw near. These feelings frequently indicate that your body is getting ready to go into labor. But it’s crucial to be mindful of any strange symptoms and to contact your doctor if you’re worried.

It’s crucial to pay attention to your body at this point. Take naps when necessary, and don’t be afraid to seek assistance if you’re feeling overburdened. Although the last few weeks of pregnancy can be difficult, you’re almost there and will soon get to meet your child.

Recall that each pregnancy is distinct, so it’s critical to believe in your gut. Maintain regular contact with your healthcare provider and make sure you’re ready for this momentous occasion.

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