Pregnant: What happens in the 38th week of pregnancy

Your baby's development in the 38th week of pregnancy

The 3-kilogram mark: Your baby weighs around 3 kilograms in week 38. Until birth it is expected to gain about another 30 grams per day gain. Boys are usually somewhat heavier than girls, but in any case your little miracle has now built up sufficient fat stores.

Cortisol production increases: Shortly before birth, in the child's body more cortisol is released. This hormone prepares the lungs for their first breath of fresh oxygen.

A fully developed little head: In recent weeks your baby's brain has grown and refined significantly. The head circumference has grown proportionally with the brain and measures about 10 cm in the 38th week of pregnancy. The cervix also opens about 10 cm during birth so your baby can pass through it without difficulty.

What can be seen on the ultrasound image?

In the 38th week of pregnancy your little miracle already measures an impressive 50 cm – which is roughly the size of a rhubarb. At around 3,100 grams it now again weighs about 100 grams more than in week 37. Your baby is already viable in the current week of pregnancy, so it won't be long until it sees the light of day.

Physical changes – what happens to the mother in week 38 of pregnancy?

Until birth you may still experience the odd pregnancy complaints. Besides the usual symptoms such as back pain and increased urge to urinate other complaints are now appearing more often. Here you'll find an overview:

Weight loss before birth: Even though the belly often grows noticeably again before birth with the baby, many women notice that the previous steady weight gain now stagnates. Some women actually lose a little weight in week 38, shortly before birth, because your child presses on the stomach and they only small portionscan.

Mild diarrhea: In week 38 the birth is imminent. If the uterus contracts regularly and the tissue-loosening prostaglandin is released is released, this also affects your digestion. Very soft stools or mild diarrhea are therefore not uncommon symptoms shortly before birth.

Increased discharge: In the 38th week of pregnancy it is completely normal if you notice increased discharge, because the blood flow in the vagina now increases a bit. If your discharge is reddish or brownish, it may be the so-called 'show'. This refers to the detachment of the mucus plug that seals the cervix. The process is often a sign that the cervix is opening – labor might begin very soon.

Nervousness: In week 38 the subconscious becomes more prominent in many women. Especially at night, when you sleep poorly and are not distracted by everyday life, thoughts about the time after birth swarm around in your head. Try to stay calm and gather strength again in the coming days. If you worry too much, conversations with your partner, your midwife, your doctor, and other trusted people can help.

Planned cesarean section: How will my baby be born?

It is not always possible or desired for a baby to be born vaginally. Depending on the mother's physical condition, the health risks for mother and child may be too great. If the placenta, for example, blocks the cervix or the baby's birth position is not optimal, a cesarean section is necessary. In some cases the cesarean is also the mother's explicit wish. A planned cesarean section is usually performed in the 38th week of pregnancy, so that natural labor does not start prematurely. In addition, your little miracle is now considered fully viable.

What happens during a cesarean section?

If doctors perform the cesarean planned and without complications, it takes about an hour. The mother is given local anesthesia and experiences the birth of the child fully conscious. During the operation a incision in the bikini area is made and the layers of skin are cut through down to the uterus. Afterwards your doctor takes your baby out of the amniotic sac, clamps the umbilical cord, and removes the placenta.

A gentler method, the so-called Misgav-Ladach cesarean, involves that the layers of skin are not cleanly cut but gently stretched and torn are. This creates frayed wound edges that can heal together faster and with less pain after birth.

What risks arise for mother and child?

According to current medical knowledge, the majority of cesarean sections proceed without complications. For the mother, however, a cesarean is usually significantly more risky than for the child. Because blood clotting changes during pregnancy, thromboses or pulmonary embolisms occur more often or the wound edges become inflamed. Because the baby does not have to pass through the narrow birth canal during a cesarean, the amniotic fluid is not initially squeezed out of the lungs. For this reason it is suctioned out directly after birth to reduce mild breathlessness or the risk of asthma.

What happens after the cesarean?

As a rule you hold your baby in your arms immediately after the operation. Latching for breastfeeding should also not be a problem. Nevertheless you still need to be monitored for some time, until you are allowed to go home.

38th week of pregnancy: Prepare birth announcement cards

When your baby finally arrives, you'll probably want to tell the whole world. Why not in the form of a cute card with a photo, birth date, -weight, -time and -place? Until you can fill in these details, it will take a little time. You can pass the time by thinking about the design and deciding on people who should receive such a card. If you want to make the cards yourself, the time until birth may pass a little faster.

For the 39th week of pregnancy