You’ve made it to full term! This means delivery could happen any day now. If you’ve made it this far, your babies may avoid a NICU stay.
Your thoughts are probably racing with last-minute concerns, so let’s address them quickly and try to set your mind at ease. The big day is just about here!
How are the babies?
It’s essentially just a waiting game at this point — both for you and your babies.
Your little ones are now fully developed. This means they’re spending their days practicing breathing and putting on a bit more weight to make for smooth sailing once they’re out of the womb. They’re also undoubtedly excited about your first snuggle!
Your babies weigh around 6 lbs each now — can you believe how much they’ve grown?
How are you doing?
There’s an old joke that says every month of pregnancy has about 30 days, except the last month, which has 1,000. It’s normal to feel like time passes at a snail’s pace as you get ready to meet your babies.
You already know life is about to get quite busy, so try to enjoy your downtime by starting a new show you’ve wanted to watch or reading a book you’ve stuck up on a shelf. You might also enjoy writing letters to your babies for them to read when they’re older, or even a blog post recapping your pregnancy experience.
Big changes are just around the corner!
What testing will be done this week?
Doctor’s visits become more frequent as you get toward the end of your pregnancy, and your physician will have begun performing non-stress testing (NST) to monitor your little ones’ health before birth. These appointments can be as frequent as every 1 to 2 days if your provider has specific concerns about your pregnancy.
Non-stress tests provide information about your babies’ oxygen levels by checking their heart rates and how they correlate with their movements. The results of these tests will help determine whether any further testing, ultrasound evaluation, or even delivery should be the next step.
You do not have to make special preparations for these tests. They will be done with you relaxing in a reclining chair or exam table and typically take about 20 minutes.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Multifetal gestation: Twin, triplet, and higher order multifetal pregnancies.” National Guideline Clearinghouse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, May 2014. Retrieved May 15 2021.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Twin pregnancy: What multiples mean for mom.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, December 13 2014. Retrieved May 15 2021. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/twin-pregnancy/art-20048161.
- “FAQ: Multiple pregnancy.” American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, July 2015. Retrieved May 15 2021.
