Your baby weighs over 2.9kg (6.3lb) and is about 48.6cm (19.1in) long from head (crown) to heel (Hill 2019a). This is similar in length to a stalk of swiss chard.
Your baby continues to work their facial muscles by practising pouts, frowns and grimaces (Lopez-Teijon et al 2015, Reissland et al 2011). Their blinking and startle reflexes are more honed because their hearing has taken a leap in sensitivity (Ogo et al 2019).
Your baby's toenails should now reach the end of their toes (Hill 2019b, Moore et al 2019), but they're still not as long as their fingernails (Hill 2019b). After your baby's born, their fingernails will continue to grow faster than their toenails, and you may need to trim them weekly (MedlinePlus 2019).
Your baby's digestive system is still developing and will continue to mature for several years after they're born (Hill 2019c). Their small intestine will grow by over a metre in their first year alone (Hill 2019c)!
Your baby will still have a regular pattern of movements, which will continue until they're born (RCOG 2019, Tommy's 2018). If you notice a change in their pattern of movements, speak to your midwife or maternity unit straight away so that they can check your little one is safe and well (RCOG 2019, Tommy's 2018).
Discover how pregnancy can affect your body and your life at 37 weeks pregnant.
How your baby is born
A 3D animated look at the stages of labour from contractions to birth.More labour and birth videos
Note: every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give you a general idea of how a fetus grows in the womb.
References
Hill MA. 2019a. Fetal development. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.au [Accessed December 2019]Hill MA. 2019b. Integumentary system - nail development. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.au [Accessed December 2019]
Hill MA. 2019c. Gastrointestinal tract - postnatal. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.au [Accessed December 2019]
Lopez-Teijon M, Garcia-Faura A, Prats-Galino A. 2015. Fetal facial expression in response to intravaginal music emission. Ultrasound 23(4):216-23. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov [Accessed December 2019]
MedlinePlus. 2019. Nailcare for newborns. US National Library of Medicine. www.medlineplus.gov [Accessed December 2019]
Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. 2019a. Integumentary system. Chapter 19 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th ed. Elsevier
NHS. 2018. You and your baby at 37 weeks pregnant. NHS, Health A-Z, Your pregnancy and baby guide. www.nhs.uk [Accessed December 2019]
Ogo K, Kanensihi K, Mori N, et al. 2019. Change in fetal behavior in response to vibroacoustic stimulation. J Perinatal Med 47(5):558-63
RCOG. 2019. Information for you: your baby's movements in pregnancy. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. www.rcog.org.uk [Accessed December 2019]
Reissland N, Francis B, Mason J, et al. 2011. Do facial expressions develop before birth? PLoS One 6(8):e24081. www.ncbi.nlm.gov [Accessed December 2019]
Tommy's. 2018. Baby movements in pregnancy. Tommy's. www.tommys.org [Accessed December 2019]
