Week 38
Third Trimester

What happens to me?

You may begin to feel electrical buzzes down your legs and inside your pelvis. This is normal and is caused from the baby hitting nerves and settling into your pelvis. You could potentially go into labor any day now so you may want to pack a travel bag for essentials and clothes you will need at the hospital.

How much will I be showing?

Your uterus is about 6 ½ to 7 inches from your belly button. Total weight gain is between 25-35 pounds.

What happens to baby?

The baby may be gaining as much as 1 ounce a day, however, your weight gain has probably slowed or stopped.

The baby's head is now cradled in your pelvic cavity, surrounded and protected by your pelvic bone. This position clears some much-needed space for its growing legs and buttocks. Many babies now have a full head of hair.

Speaking of hair, most of the downy coat of Lanugo that covered the baby since week 26 has disappeared. The baby will swallow the Lanugo and exterior coating, along with other secretions, and store them in the bowels. These will become the baby's first bowel movement, a blackish waste called meconium.

How big is the baby?

The baby weighs close to 7 pounds. Crown to rump length is still around 14 inches and head to toe length is about 21 inches.

Tip of the Week

If your doctor thinks the baby is breech they may order a sonogram for confirmation. This will help with the delivery by confirming which way the baby is laying.

For more information about labor, Click Here

For more infomration about delivery, Click Here

Want to figure out your due date? Click Here

Just found out you're pregnant? Don't forget to check out the previous Weeks!

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