Week 37 Of Your Baby’s Development!
Your baby is the length of a Swiss chard
By week 37 of pregnancy, the lungs of the baby have possibly matured. However, this does not imply that he has finished growing just yet. The next two weeks inside the womb will give the baby a chance to fully develop his lungs, brain and other organs.
Doctors suggest that until the end of the 38th week, the baby is labeled as “early term”. The weight of the average fetus in week 37 is approximately six and a half pounds. In comparison to girls, boys might be heavier. Many babies are born with a head full of hair (the length of locks ranging from ½ to 1 ½ inches), while others can look quite bald.
Week 37 Of Your Health, Mind & Body Changes
During week 37 of your pregnancy, you might not feel very comfortable. Many pregnant women complain of swelling, aches and pains. But here is the good news: you are almost there. Yes, you will soon be able to meet and hold your baby and have your cumbersome baby bump shrink over the weeks post birth.
Majority of women tend to experience contractions between week 38 and week 40 of the pregnancy. At this time, you might be feeling very anxious since the baby is about to arrive, and worry wether every pain or niggle is ‘go time’. It’s common to feel Braxton Hicks contractions on a more frequent basis now. The length of these contractions is likely to be longer and may make you feel quite uncomfortable. You will feel tired and fatigued since you’re carrying around quite a big bump now. You might feel a constant urge to urinate or may experience lower backache at this stage.
Early labor sign- ‘the show’
An early sign of labour is the loss of the ‘mucous plug’ you may notice in your vaginal discharge. Often referred to as ‘the show’ or ‘the bloody show’, this is the thick mucous lining that was covering the opening of your cervix to help protect baby inside. It may be clear or slightly brown with a tinge of blood and is like a thick blob of mucous. When this is excreted, it is a sign that labour may only be days away, sometimes even less! It’s a good idea to call your caregiver to give them the heads up this has occurred. Keep in mind, some women don’t even notice they’ve had a ‘show’.
” I had my show in the afternoon and then a couple hours later my waters broke. But not like in the movies where there is a big giant gush that lands all over the floor. It just kept happening in small stages, almost like I had peed my pants. “ Jessie
Week 37 Of Being Prepared!
By now you should have all your major baby gear sorted and your baby car seat/capsule fitted into your car (or at least purchased). Something you might like to think about keeping with your baby capsule/car seat that will make life easier are Lula Magnetic Car Seat Clips. Trust us when we say, it gets very fiddly trying to hold the straps open while you simultaneously try to put baby into the car seat, especially when baby is asleep and you’re running on about 3 hours sleep – even the smallest things can test your patience!
Week 37 Of Your Next Steps!
- As you’re waiting for labor to kick in, try and get prepared for the arrival of your baby. Set aside a couple of minutes each day and count the number of baby kicks. Make a note of any other movements as well.
- Write down any questions which you might have related to labor so that you can discuss them at your weekly antenatal appointment.
- Start practicing the breathing exercises suggested by your doctor and those you learned in the birth class. In case you notice a fall in the baby’s movements, it’s best to call the doctor immediately to check if all is okay.
- Do a final ‘nesting’ clean in case baby comes ‘early’ from 38 weeks onwards.
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