You made it to full term. Week 37 is a genuine milestone — your baby is now considered full term, meaning they have completed enough development that birth at this point carries a far lower risk of complications than earlier delivery. Your baby at 37 weeks is real, ready, and waiting. And so, probably, are you.
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Your Baby This Week
Size: Bunch of Swiss chard — about 48.6 cm (head to toe)
Weight: About 2.85 kilograms
Full term starts now. Here's what that means developmentally:
- Full term designation. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists defines "full term" as 39 weeks, "early term" as 37–38 weeks. Both terms describe babies whose organ systems are mature enough to function independently. However, 37–38 week babies have measurably higher rates of NICU admission and feeding difficulties than 39–40 week babies — so staying in remains advantageous even now.
- Brain is still developing. This is one of the most important things to understand about early term birth: the brain grows significantly in the final weeks of pregnancy. Between 35 and 40 weeks, brain volume increases by roughly 50%. Babies born at 37 weeks are more likely to need learning support in early school years than those born at 39–40 weeks.
- Lungs are mature. Surfactant production is sufficient for independent breathing in virtually all 37-week babies. Respiratory distress at this stage is uncommon.
- Head is typically engaged. Most babies are well into the pelvis by now, head-down, in position. The exact timing of descent varies and does not predict when labor will start.
- Meconium is present. The dark, sticky first bowel movement is ready to go. Meconium in the amniotic fluid before birth is monitored closely because if the baby inhales it, it can cause respiratory complications.
- Growth continues. Your baby is gaining approximately 30 grams per day. Every additional day of gestation between now and 40 weeks matters.
Your Body This Week
Week 37 marks the beginning of weekly prenatal appointments in most care models:
- Weekly provider visits begin. Your provider will check blood pressure, urine protein, fundal height, fetal heartbeat, and likely begin (or continue) cervical checks. Cervical progress tells you about readiness, not about when labor will start.
- Pelvic pressure is intense. The baby's head pressing into the pelvis causes aching, pressure, and the sensation of your pelvis "spreading." Walking, standing for long periods, and even sitting are increasingly uncomfortable.
- Sleep is difficult. Finding a comfortable position is nearly impossible. A full-length pregnancy pillow helps; sleeping in a recliner is not unusual at this stage.
- Nesting is strong. The urge to prepare and organize is at its peak. This is useful — let it move you to finish the things that genuinely need doing.
- Early labor signs may begin. The cervix may begin dilating and effacing. You may lose more of the mucus plug. Bloody show (a small amount of blood-tinged mucus) may appear. These are all signs of progress, but they don't tell you exactly when active labor will start.
Tips for Week 37
1. Hospital bag must be packed and at the door. You can go into labor any time from now. The bag needs to be ready. Check the list: your ID and insurance card, your birth plan, phone chargers, comfortable clothing for labor and recovery, postpartum care supplies (maternity pads, comfortable underwear, nipple cream if breastfeeding), car seat installed and checked.
2. Know your signs of labor — in detail. True labor contractions: regular pattern (starting 10–15 minutes apart, then progressing), growing stronger and longer, not stopping with movement or a bath. Other signs: water breaking (a gush or a slow trickle that doesn't stop), bloody show, or a significant increase in lower back pressure that comes in waves.
3. Have your birth plan in multiple copies. Give one to your OB or midwife, one to your partner, and pack one in the hospital bag. One page is ideal — cover the essentials: pain management preferences, support persons, skin-to-skin, cord cutting, feeding intentions.
4. Do a final car seat check. Make sure the car seat is correctly installed and you know how to operate the harness. Your hospital discharge staff will check before you leave, so better to know it's right in advance.
5. Prepare meals and freeze them. The first two weeks postpartum with a newborn are relentless. A freezer full of easy meals is one of the most practical things you can do right now. Soups, stews, casseroles — anything that reheats easily with one hand.
6. Line up your postpartum support. Who is helping you the first week? Who can be on call for weeks two and three? If you're planning to breastfeed, have a lactation consultant's number ready — feeding support in the first days makes a significant difference in outcomes.
When to Call Your Doctor
- Regular contractions — contractions 5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour (the 5-1-1 rule) is the standard guidance for heading to the hospital, though your provider may give you different instructions
- Water breaking — call regardless of whether contractions have started; you'll typically be advised to go to the hospital
- Heavy vaginal bleeding — bloody show is a small amount of blood-tinged mucus, not heavy bleeding
- Decreased fetal movement — your baby should still move regularly even at full term; fewer than 10 movements in 2 hours warrants a call
- Severe headache, visual changes, upper right abdominal pain, or sudden severe swelling — signs of preeclampsia require immediate evaluation
Related Tools & Articles
- Due Date Calculator — Calculate your estimated due date
- Contraction Timer — essential for tracking labor
- Hospital Bag Checklist — full packing list
- Pregnancy Week 38 — what's coming next
- Pregnancy Week-by-Week Overview — full timeline