It’s week 37 of your pregnancy and you only have 4 weeks until you can finally meet your sweet little baby! It’s an exciting and busy time. Your baby is ready now. In fact, she may decide to drop down into the birth canal this week.
Your Baby this Week
Holy cow! Your baby is now around the size of a watermelon.
In the 37th week of your pregnancy, your baby is now considered mature. She weights close to 3kg (6½ pounds) and is gaining fat quite rapidly. In the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, babies gain an average of ½ ounce of fat per day. Crown to rump measurements this week are about 35cm (14 inches).
As for foetal development in week 37, your baby remains in the fat developing stage and is gaining about ½ ounce per day, she is much pinker now and her skin has lost its translucency. The wrinkles in her skin are now mostly filled in with fat. By the time she is born, the only wrinkles she will have will be ones that are caused from fat!
Your baby is also continuing to practice breathing movements and the digestion process. She inhales and exhales amniotic fluid, as well as swallows and digests amniotic fluid. The lanugo (the fine hair covering the body) continues to fall off and should be completely gone by birth.
Your baby’s lungs are very mature at this point. In fact if your baby were born now, she would more than likely breathe on her own with not medical assistance. Additionally, your baby has now turned to position herself for birth. Her head is facing down and she is pressing against the pubic bone.
Your Body this Week
In the 37th week of your pregnancy, your feelings of anxiousness are probably peaking. It’s so close that you just can’t wait! And for some mums, that is exactly the case. Labour can start this early. The cervix usually starts to soften around this time as it prepares for labour. So, if you notice a slight discharge that is thick, yellowish, and possible tinged with blood, it is more than likely your mucus plug. The mucus plug serves to protect the uterus from infection during your pregnancy. As your cervix begins to soften, the plug is discharged. This can happen several weeks before delivery, or just hours before you go into labour. If you do notice a discharge of any kind, make sure to mention it to your doctor.
This week, you could also be noticing that your breasts feel fuller and heavier than ever. Over the last several weeks, the hormones in your body have caused your breasts to start preparing to breast feed. They could also be tender now, so make sure to wear a supportive bra.
If you notice a leakage from your breasts at this time, don’t panic. This is the colostrum which is the first milk for your baby. It is yellowy thick milk that contains antibodies that will protect your baby from becoming sick. If leakage is bad, you can purchase nursing pads that you place inside of your bra.
If you plan on breastfeeding, it is recommended that you only wash your nipples with water. You should start this practice now. Do not sue soap as it is too drying on the skin. There are some heavy creams on the market that are meant for use on the nipple and are safe for breastfeeding mums. In anticipation of the dry, cracked skin that can come from breastfeeding, you may want to start using a cream now to moisturize the skin.
