Two weeks from your due date. Your baby is well past the 3-kilogram mark, and the final developmental polishing is happening inside: the brain and lungs are still refining themselves, even now. Week 38 is one of the most anticipatory weeks of pregnancy. You know it's soon. Your body knows it too.
Track your progress with our Due Date Calculator.
Your Baby This Week
Size: Leek — about 49.8 cm (head to toe)
Weight: About 3.1 kilograms
Your baby is looking very much like a newborn already. What's still happening:
- Brain development is ongoing. The brain is not finished — and won't be until your child is in their mid-twenties. But within the pregnancy window, the third trimester represents an enormous amount of neural wiring and myelination (the insulating of nerve pathways). Babies born at 39–40 weeks have measurably better cognitive and neurological outcomes than those born at 37–38 weeks. Every additional day counts.
- Lungs continue to mature. Surfactant production is at full capacity by 38 weeks for most babies, but the fine structure of the airways is still developing. The lungs won't fully mature until childhood.
- Meconium is in the intestines. Your baby will pass this dark, tarry first stool within the first day or two after birth. If meconium is present in the amniotic fluid before or during birth, your care team will watch carefully for any signs of aspiration.
- Lanugo is almost gone. The fine body hair that covered your baby has largely shed. You may see a small amount in skin creases at birth.
- Head is engaged. Most 38-week babies are head-down and low in the pelvis. You may feel increased pelvic pressure and the sensation of the baby pressing against your bladder constantly.
- Fingernails may need trimming. Babies born at full term sometimes come out with nails that have grown past the fingertips. Pack a baby nail file or infant mittens.
Your Body This Week
Week 38 is physically exhausting. That's the most accurate summary:
- Sleep is nearly impossible to achieve comfortably. Between the weight, the pelvic pressure, the frequent urination, and the general discomfort, most women at 38 weeks are getting fragmented sleep at best. This is genuinely hard. Do what you can: sleep in whatever position works, nap when possible, and accept that this period is temporary.
- Cervical changes are happening. Whether or not your provider is checking, your cervix is likely effacing (thinning) and beginning to dilate. These changes can happen over days or weeks, and dilation at 38 weeks does not predict whether you'll go into labor soon. Women can walk around at 2–3 cm for weeks, and others go from nothing to active labor in hours.
- Contractions are more frequent. Braxton Hicks are strong and frequent. You may also be experiencing prodromal labor — contractions that are semi-regular, feel real, and then stop. Prodromal labor is exhausting and demoralizing. It's not false labor (those contractions are doing something), but it's not active, progressive labor yet.
- Increased pressure and discharge. Increased vaginal discharge is normal. The mucus plug may come out in pieces over days. Bloody show is pink or red-tinged mucus and is a sign of cervical change.
- Emotional intensity. The waiting at this stage is genuinely difficult. Excitement, anxiety, impatience, and exhaustion compound each other. This is normal and valid.
Tips for Week 38
1. Hospital bag is done and in the car. If it's not, do it today. Focus on: your ID, birth plan, comfortable clothes for labor (you'll likely labor in a hospital gown, but having your own feels better), postpartum supplies, phone charger, snacks, one going-home outfit for the baby, the car seat.
2. Know the 5-1-1 rule. Contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, for 1 hour — that's the general signal to head to the hospital for a first-time mother. Your provider may have different guidance based on your specific situation; confirm at your next appointment.
3. Rest without guilt. You are not failing by lying on the couch. You are conserving energy for labor, which is exactly what you should be doing. The housework can wait.
4. Eat protein-rich foods. Labor is intense physical work. Your body benefits from having adequate fuel in the days leading up to it. Don't skip meals, and prioritize foods that sustain energy.
5. Review your birth plan one more time. Share it with everyone who will be in the room. Make sure your birth partner knows your preferences as well as you do — they may need to advocate for you when you're mid-contraction.
6. Don't let casual comments derail you. The weeks of "any day now!" from well-meaning friends and family can become genuinely wearing. You don't need to respond to or engage with predictions. Your baby will come when they're ready.
When to Call Your Doctor
- Water breaking — always call; you'll likely be told to go to the hospital
- Contractions following the 5-1-1 pattern — or sooner if your provider has given specific instructions
- Heavy vaginal bleeding — this is different from bloody show
- Decreased fetal movement — your baby should still move regularly; fewer than 10 movements in 2 hours warrants a call, even at 38 weeks
- Signs of preeclampsia: severe persistent headache, visual changes, upper right abdominal pain, sudden severe swelling of face or hands
- Fever or signs of infection
Related Tools & Articles
- Due Date Calculator — Calculate your estimated due date
- Contraction Timer — track contractions in labor
- Hospital Bag Checklist — full packing list
- Pregnancy Week 39 — one week to due date
- Pregnancy Week-by-Week Overview — full timeline