Pregnant: What happens at 37 weeks

Your baby's development in the 37th week of pregnancy

Fully developed: Your baby is now optimally prepared for the time after birth. The organs are fully developed and matured and your little one can independently regulate its body temperature. The bones, muscles, hair and skin are also now in their final stage of development. A birth from the 37th week of pregnancy is therefore already considered full-term.

Head hair is growing: On the ultrasound, your baby's tuft could already be seen in recent weeks. In the 37th week of pregnancy, the head hair grows another considerable amount: up to 2.5 cm long are the hair on the head now. The hair color is not yet determined.Only some time after birth will it become apparent which hair color and texture your baby has inherited.

Lanugo hair and vernix caseosa disappear: In week 37, the soft down that protected your baby in recent months gradually falls out. Also, the vernix caseosa is no longer produced as much and slowly detaches off. Both settle in the amniotic fluid and are swallowed by your baby. Shortly after birth, it will be excreted by your baby as so-called meconium.

Lots of sleep: Your baby is likely already settled in the pelvis. There it no longer has much room for wide-ranging acrobatics. Most of the day it simply sleeps anyway, to gather strength for the exhausting birth and the time afterwards. Sometimes it even dreams and sucks its thumb.

What can be seen on the ultrasound image?

Your baby is currently gaining between 20 and 50 grams per day and has thus the 3-kilogram mark broken through. In brown fat your little one now stores more energy. The cute baby fat forms small skin folds at the tiny knees and elbows, which you will later love to pinch. In the 37th week of pregnancy your baby is about as big as a Swiss chard – measuring about 48 cm now.

Physical changes – what happens to the mother in week 37 of pregnancy?

There are only about 3 to 4 weeks until birth – now it's time to hang on! As in the 36th week of pregnancy your baby and the uterus press on your organs. Therefore you are probably accompanied by typical pregnancy complaints, such as nausea, diarrhea and lower abdominal pain. Also, your baby bump can become hard during this phase due to lightening contractions and your round ligaments stretch, which you perceive as pulling in the lower abdomen. What else happens to your body and how to correctly interpret signs of labor, find out now:

Dropping of the belly: As your baby settles into the birth position, your belly also noticeably drops. Our tip: If your belly itches uncomfortably due to the tension, regular moisturizing or rubbing with apple cider vinegar soothes your skin.

Nesting instinct: A strong burst of energy shortly before birth leads some women to once again prepare everything for their baby: Cleaning the nursery, washing baby clothes and baby-proofing the home then top the to-do list. But despite the extra energy, treat yourselves to enough breaks or even a nap.

Listening for signs: In the 37th week of pregnancy, the longing for the baby becomes more pronounced in most women. You often turn inward and wait for the first signs of labor. If you're worried that you'll miss the signs, then trust your body. Since labor usually doesn't start suddenly, but rather as a process, it is not a problem if you don't correctly interpret the first opening contractions yet.

How to correctly interpret the signs of labor

You are now in the 37th week of pregnancy. That means that labor can start at any time. But it can also take a few more weeks before you hold your baby in your arms. Therefore it is important to pay attention to the signs your body gives that indicate the approaching birth.

If the mucus plug from the uterus from the 33rd week of pregnancy not yet detached, it may come away this week and you'll "show". You can tell by the fact that you have bloody and mucous discharge in your underwear. If in that context your prodromal contractions become stronger and more regular, this can be an indication of labor and the opening contractions.

Through the opening contractions, usually the water breaking – probably the clearest sign that labor has begun. Your amniotic sac ruptures and the amniotic fluid flows out of the vagina. This can either leak in drops or gush out in a stream. Now is the right time to slowly make your trip to the hospital to go. Don't stress, because it will probably be a few more hours before the first contractions start. Our tip: Have your hospital bag ready and ideally placed in the hallway, because from week 37 of pregnancy the birth can start at any moment.

Important tasks in the 37th week of pregnancy

Birth-preparatory acupuncture: In recent weeks many women have used traditional Chinese medicine to prepare their bodies for the strains of labor. More and more midwives offer an acupuncture treatment to make the cervix and the uterine muscle more elastic for the baby's head.For this, needles are inserted once a week into your legs and from the third session also into the little toe. So that the treatment can unfold its full effect by the time of birth, midwives advise to start no later than week 37 of pregnancy.
Keep important documents ready: Sometimes things need to happen quickly when your amniotic sac has burst. But even if you still have some time to drive to the birthing center or clinic after labor starts, the necessary papers are probably the last thing you want to think about. They should definitely be included in a complete hospital bag: ID card, maternity record, birth certificate, insurance card, marriage certificate and family register or a paternity acknowledgment, if you and your partner are not married.
Organize childcare: Already a few weeks ago you decided who should accompany you during the birth. Many parents who are not having their first child decide that siblings should meet only after the birth. If your partner supports you during the birth, you will need someone who is ready day and night to look after the children during the birth. You should already ask around whether the grandparents or friends can support you. Otherwise it's time to arrange a trustworthy babysitter to take care of, who can step in when you make your way to the hospital or birthing clinic. If the person is still unknown to your children, it is advisable to arrange meetings with him or her before the birth so that your child is not suddenly surprised by a stranger.

For the 38th week of pregnancy