Highlights this week
Baby development at 38 weeks
- Your baby's grip – which you'll be feeling soon – is strong and firm
- Your baby's brain is still growing and developing
- More fat accumulates, especially around knees, elbows, and shoulders
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Your baby is as long as a leek
length
49.8
cm
head to toe
weight
3
kg
Pregnancy symptoms at 38 weeks
You may be feeling huge and uncomfortable during these final weeks. Try to take it easy. See a film, read a book that has nothing to do with pregnancy or babies, and catch up with friends. These are all things you'll find hard to fit in once your baby arrives.
- Take it easy – you're carrying a lot of baby, fluid, and extra blood
- Your bladder is so compressed that you may feel like peeing constantly
How your life's changing
You will not have much time for cooking in the few weeks after your baby's born, but you could freeze ahead some home-made meals.This week you'll probably have another antenatal appointment, perhaps the last before your baby's born. So make a list of any last-minute questions you may have for your doctor or midwife. You may have questions ranging from how to cope with early labour to what pain relief is available, including tips on natural ways to ease pain.
Your partner should try to relax, too, and enjoy some activities there won't be time for after your baby arrives. Some partners worry about feeling a bit of a spare part while you do all the hard work of giving birth. Reassure them that there's plenty they can do to support you. It may help them to read about what birth partners wish they'd known before the birth.
If your partner is worried about watching you experience pain, remind yourselves that labour pain is different from normal pain. It isn't a sign that something is wrong. Instead, it's a sign that your baby is on their way and that the uterus muscles are working well to help them into the world.
As for last-minute preparations, collect change for vending machines and make sure that your phones are fully charged. If you have other children, double-check your back-up plans for childcare when labour begins.
What you need to know
- Are you ready to feed your baby? Follow our tips on starting breastfeeding and make sure you've got everything you need if you're planning to bottle feed.
- At one minute and five minutes after your baby's birth, they'll be scored according to the Apgar scale. Read more about the other tests and checks your newborn baby will have.
- What does a newborn look like? Pointy heads, vernix or blood, enlarged genitals. Take a look at our gallery of newborn pictures so you know what to expect.
- Tired but you just can't sleep? How to cope with pregnancy insomnia. Or are you having peculiar dreams? Find out why dreams in the last few weeks can be so vivid.
- Take a break and read our fun baby star signs.
- Remember to keep your account updated so you don't miss a single issue of your My Baby This Week newsletters.
Pregnancy tip: hospital survival kit
"Pack a cool bag with your favourite foods and snacks to take to hospital. Your partner could add what they like too. Bring presents for siblings from the baby, massage oil, something to play music with, your address book and something fun to read to pass the time during a long labour." -- JennyDanielle Townsend is a content and communications specialist. She was an editor at BabyCenter for over a decade.
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