The fine lanugo hair that covered your baby's body is largely gone. But she may still have some patches when she's born, particularly on her upper arms and shoulders. Her elbows and knees may have small dimples, and she can now make a firm grasp with her hands.
Looking forward to seeing what your newborn looks like? You may be able to tell right away who she looks like most in the family, but for many babies you'll have to wait for them to grow a bit before you can decide. Some of your baby's features will change with time. To begin with, her head will be cone shaped because of her narrow trip down the birth canal. Her head will round off on its own when your baby starts sitting and spending less time lying down.
Her legs will also be bow shaped from her long stay in your womb. As soon as your baby starts walking and putting her weight on her legs, they will straighten out.
Your baby may be born with a head full of hair, or she may be bald. If she has hair, don't be surprised if it starts falling out soon after birth. It will be replaced by thicker hair that will be more like her permanent hair in texture and colour.
Find out how your life and your body are changing this week with our guide to 38 weeks of pregnancy.
Episiotomy: why and how
Childbirth expert Daphne Metland explains how and why an episiotomy may be done.See more preparing for birth videos
Note: every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give a general idea of how a fetus grows in the womb.
38 सप्ताह की गर्भावस्था की जानकारी हिंदी में पढ़ें!
Last reviewed April 2020
References
Daugman. nd. Anatomy, physiology, and development of the iris. University of Cambridge. www.cl.cam.ac.uk [Accessed December 2019]Hill MA. 2019a. Fetal development: Fetal growth. University of New South Wales Embryology. Embryology.med.unsw.ed.au. [Accessed December 2019]
Hill MA. 2019b. Integumentary system: hair development. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.au. [Accessed December 2019]
MedlinePlus. 2019. Fetal development. Medline Plus. US National Library of Medicine. medlineplus.gov [Accessed December 2019]
Moore KL, Persaud TVN and Torchia MG. 2019a. Integumentary system. Chapter 19 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th edition. Elsevier
Moore KL, Persaud TVN and Torchia MG. 2019b. Fetal period: ninth week to birth. Chapter 6 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th edition. Elsevier
NHS. 2018. You and your baby at 40 weeks. NHS, Health A-Z, Pregnancy and baby. www.nhs.uk. [Accessed December 2019]
NICE. 2019. Antenatal care - uncomplicated pregnancy. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Clinical knowledge summaries. cks.nice.org.uk. [Accessed December 2019]
Visembryo. 2014a. 34 weeks post ovulation: gastrointestinal System Still Immature. The Visible Embryo. www.visembryo.com [Accessed December 2019]
Visembryo. 2014b. 32 weeks post ovulation: fetus begins to develop immune system. The Visible Embryo. www.visembryo.com [Accessed December 2019]
