38weeks
pregnant

Medically reviewed by Clare Herbert, Senior midwife and team leader

Written by Chess Thomas | 20 Aug 2021

IN THIS ARTICLE

Highlights this week

Is your baby in a head down position yet?

Baby development at 38 weeks

The average weight of a baby at 38 weeks of pregnancy is about 3.2kg (7.1lb), and the average length is about 49.3cm (19.4in) (Hill 2019a). Your midwife may be able to give you an idea of whether your baby will be bigger or smaller than this, based on your fundal height (NICE 2019). Fundal height is the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your womb (uterus) (NICE 2019).

The fine lanugo hair that covered your baby's body is largely gone. But they may still have some patches when they’re born (Hill 2019b, Moore et al 2019a, NHS 2018), particularly on their upper arms and shoulders (MedlinePlus 2019). Their elbows and knees may have small dimples (Visembryo 2014a), and they can now make a firm grasp with their hands (Moore et al 2019b).

The colour of your baby’s irises at birth may not indicate what colour their eyes will be when they're older. This is because the pigmentation in their irises needs natural light outside your womb to finish developing (Visembryo 2014b). It's not an instant transformation, either. It'll take a few weeks, or longer, before they have their final eye colour (Daugman nd, Visembryo 2014b). The pattern and colour of their irises are as unique as their fingerprints (Daugman nd)

baby with fat accumulating around knees, elbows, and shoulders

Your baby at 38 weeks

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Your baby is as long as a leek

length

49.3

head to toe

weight

3.2

kilograms

Pregnancy symptoms at 38 weeks

You may be feeling huge and uncomfortable during these final weeks. Try to take it easy. See a film, read a book that has nothing to do with pregnancy or babies, and catch up with friends. If you’re finding it hard to get comfortable in bed, take lots of naps to keep up with your rest.

Always try to sleep on your side. Although stillbirth is rare, recent research has shown that sleeping on your side reduces the risk. Don’t worry if you wake up on your back – simply roll onto your side again to drop off.

Have you had a sudden urge to clean the house, pre-prepare meals, and get all your baby’s things together? This is known as the nesting instinct, and it’s something many parents-to-be experience close to the birth. There’s no harm in getting everything in order, but take it easy and rest when you need to. At this point, you never know when you’re going to need plenty of energy for meeting your baby!

baby in womb at 38 weeks, compressing bladder

Your body at 38 weeks

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What you need to know at 38 weeks pregnant

This week you'll have your last antenatal appointment unless you go overdue. So make a list of any final questions you may have for your midwife. These may range from how to cope with early labour to what pain relief is available. Or you may prefer to ask for advice on natural ways to ease labour pain.

Your partner should try to relax, too, and enjoy some activities there won't be time for after your baby arrives. Some partners worry about feeling a bit of a spare part while you do all the hard work giving birth. Reassure them that there's plenty they can do to support you. It may help them to read about what birth partners wish they'd known before the birth.

As for last-minute preparations, collect change for vending machines and make sure that your phones are fully charged. If you already have children, double-check your back-up plans for childcare when labour begins.

It sounds weird, but one thing I’m really glad I packed is straws! When my wife was in labour, there were several times she wanted a drink, but couldn’t easily drink from a cup in her position. Having straws to hand made me feel like a genius!

Lewis

Your pregnancy to-do list at 38 weeks

Your baby will be scored according to the Apgar scale at one minute and five minutes after they’re born. Read more about the tests and checks your newborn baby will have.
Find out which infections can be dangerous for your baby at this stage of pregnancy.
Take a break and read our fun baby star signs.
See how your baby will make their way into the world with our animated labour and birth video.
Remember to keep your account updated so you don't miss a single issue of your My Baby This Week newsletters.

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Sources

BabyCentre's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organisations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Daugman. nd. Anatomy, physiology, and development of the iris. University of Cambridge. www.cl.cam.ac.ukOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

Hill MA. 2019a. Fetal development: fetal growth. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.auOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

Hill MA. 2019b. Integumentary system: hair development. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.auOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

MedlinePlus. 2019. Fetal development. Medline Plus. US National Library of Medicine. medlineplus.govOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. 2019a. Integumentary system. Chapter 19 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th ed. Elsevier

Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. 2019b. Fetal period: ninth week to birth. Chapter 6 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th ed. Elsevier

NHS. 2018. You and your baby at 40 weeks. NHS, Health A-Z, Pregnancy and baby. www.nhs.ukOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

NICE. 2019. Antenatal care - uncomplicated pregnancy. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.ukOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

Visembryo. 2014a. 34 weeks post ovulation: gastrointestinal system still immature. The Visible Embryo. www.visembryo.comOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]

Visembryo. 2014b. 32 weeks post ovulation: fetus begins to develop immune system. The Visible Embryo. www.visembryo.comOpens a new window [Accessed December 2019]