Your baby is about the length of a stick of rhubarb measuring 50cm (head to heel) and weighs just over 3kg…
YOUR GROWING BABY
The hands have fully formed nails that reach the end of the fingers and the grasp is strong. You will soon be able to feel this when your baby grabs your finger for the first time. The organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
The intestines are accumulating lots of meconium (baby’s first bowel movement). The circumference of the head and the baby’s abdomen are about the same size.
If the eyes are grey or dark blue at birth, they may stay grey or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown as your baby gets older. This is because a child’s irises (the coloured part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after birth.
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO YOU
The next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Try not to be despondent if you are fed up with being pregnant. The end is almost in sight and your baby will soon be here.
It’s important to keep an eye on any swelling in your feet and ankles and remember to elevate your legs as often as possible.
Braxton Hicks contractions, unlike real contractions, don’t build up and are not painful, just uncomfortable. True contractions, however, start at the top of your uterus and then spread over the entire uterus, through your lower back and into the pelvis. True labour will become stronger and more painful and won’t be alleviated by changing position.
NEED TO KNOW
Things for you to consider during week 38 of your pregnancy:
- Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.
- Use this time to finish preparing your baby’s nursery or to do the tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby’s born.
- Make sure you have the emails and phone numbers of everyone you want to contact once the baby is born.
- It’s a good idea to get measured for a nursing bra now.
- Consider getting your hair cut into an easy-to-manage style. Time for yourself will be limited once the baby arrives.
- Your midwife will check to see how the baby is lying at your antenatal checks