Week 37 of Your Pregnancy

At 37 weeks, you're nine months—and the end is in sight. Keep reading to find out more about week 37 of pregnancy, including symptoms, baby development, common questions, and things to keep an eye on.

Pregnancy Journey Week 37

Design By Alice Morgan / Illustration by Tara Anand

It's week 37 of your pregnancy. Your baby is likely running out of room in your uterus at this stage, and instead of delivering big kicks, you can probably feel them stretching and wiggling more. They're getting ready for their big debut, and so should you.

Pregnancy Week 37 Quick Facts

  • At 37 weeks, you're nine months pregnant
  • You have three weeks until your due date
  • You're in the third trimester

Your Unborn Baby's Size at 37 Weeks

At 37 weeks pregnant, your unborn baby is as long as a stalk of Swiss chard. They weigh approximately 6.30 pounds and measure 19.13 inches.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 37 

While your pregnancy symptoms likely haven’t changed much in recent weeks, during week 37 of your pregnancy, you are probably experiencing several recurring symptoms, including:

If you experience uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions, try drinking water, changing positions, or altering activity levels. For backaches, make sure you have supportive shoes and avoid lifting heavy objects. Fatigue can be beat by limiting caffeine and resting or napping during the day—and getting to bed early—and you can manage swelling in your feet, ankles and hands, with movement, i.e. try moving to circulate the flow of blood.

You may also experience a nesting instinct, or a sudden urge to clean and organize your home as you prepare for the arrival of your baby. If you suddenly find yourself fixated on doing laundry, folding and organizing clothes, rearranging, organizing, or decluttering your space, you may be experiencing this symptom.

Developmental Milestones

At week 37 of pregnancy, your baby is considered term and ready to be born. Your baby's systems are close to being fully developed—or are already fully developed and ready to function on their own outside the womb.

Particularly notable are the lungs. Before 34 weeks, a fetus requires breathing support, and between 34 weeks and 37 weeks, steroids are required to speed up development of the lungs. Now, at 37 weeks, your unborn baby can finally breathe on their own. Their hair and nails may be fully grown by now, and the vernix caseosa—that thick creamy white substance which protects the skin from amniotic fluid and helps with delivery—is thinning.

"Keep in mind that these are general milestones, however. Every baby develops at their own rate," says Gene Frank, former OB-GYN at Lutheran General in Chicago, Illinois and attending physician at Christus Saint Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Pregnancy Journey Weekly Reminder

Design by Alice Morgan

Prenatal Tests and Doctor's Appointments

If you haven't already had your group B streptococcus screening, which is typically administered between weeks 35 and 37, your health care provider will likely recommend having this test now to check if you carry this type of bacteria in your vagina or rectum. If you test positive, you'll be given antibiotics during labor to prevent passing the infection to your baby. Your health care provider may do a cervical exam to check if your cervix is dilating or thinning in preparation for labor. Some pregnant people opt out of this exam, choosing to wait until labor has started to measure the cervix.

Your health care provider will likely check your blood pressure and test your urine for protein and other signs of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and organ damage. Your doctor may suggest other tests to monitor your baby's well-being, like a non-stress test, which measures your baby's heart rate in response to their movements. It can help your health care provider determine if your baby is getting enough oxygen and nutrients. They could also suggest a biophysical profile, or a test that combines a non-stress test with an ultrasound to evaluate your baby's breathing, movement, muscle tone, and the amount of amniotic fluid.

At my 37-week checkup and monitoring appointment, not only was my baby's abdominal circumference measuring small, but I had high blood pressure and my baby's heart rate on the non-stress test dipped consistently, an indication that my baby was in distress. Given these issues and the fact that my pregnancy was now considered term, my doctor recommended that I be induced, stating that at this point it was safer for my baby to be on the outside than inside the womb.

Common Questions at This Pregnancy Stage

How can I prepare for a smooth journey to my birth setting when I'm in labor?

Do a practice run! Figure out the best route to your hospital or birthing center and give it a test drive. If you're delivering in a hospital, figure out—in advance—where parking and the labor and delivery unit is. Determine which entrance you will need to go through, and find where the emergency department is. This is important if you are entering the hospital after hours. And be prepared. "I advise my clients have their hospital bag packed and ready at the front door or garage door," says Amber Knowles, certified birth and postpartum doula and owner of Lourei Lu Doula in Chicago. "I also suggest they keep a 'go list' taped to door for last minute items such as chargers, keys, toothbrushes, phones, and towels for the car if their water has ruptured to avoid soaking the seat."


Is it best to go straight to the hospital if I feel contractions, or stay home for a bit?

Unless otherwise indicated by your provider, it is best to stay home until contractions have reached the 5-1-1 pattern: where contractions are five minutes apart and last for one minute for a period of at least an hour. This pattern is indicative of the active labor phase. Showing up to your birthing location prior to this may result in you being sent home. Hospital protocol typically requires a clear liquid diet upon admission. Staying home until the appropriate time allows you to eat further into your labor and, depending on how long labor takes, this could provide you with the energy needed. Think high carb/protein foods or snacks that are easy on the stomach. Be sure to hydrate. It is also easier to rest and be relaxed in your home environment. Familiar sights, sounds, and smells are vital to labor progress.


I've developed hemorrhoids. What can help?

If you’ve developed hemorrhoids during pregnancy, know you are not alone. Many pregnant people experience this condition. The good news is that there are things you can do to alleviate hemorrhoid discomfort and pain. Walking and light exercise can take pressure off the veins in your pelvic area. Eating a high fiber diet can help, as can increasing your fluid intake, and you can use ice pads with witch hazel or soak in a warm bath. If none of those suggestions work, try going to the bathroom with the assistance of a step stool or a “squatty potty.”

Things You Might Consider This Week

At week 37 of your pregnancy, you should dedicate time to any final preparations for your little one's arrival. Consider spending time washing baby clothes, bedding, and setting up a changing area. If you are having trouble preparing for your baby's arrival because you are working, have older children to care for, or are going it solo, consider hosting a nesting party in place of—or in addition to—a baby shower. Ask friends and relatives to come over to help set up, decorate, and organize the nursery. They can also sanitize bottles and pump parts, do laundry, prepare meals to freeze for the first weeks home with baby, or set up a meal train, and arrange child care or school activities for older children.

If you have older kids, try spending some undistracted time with them while you can. Do what you can to prepare them for the arrival of a second (or subsequent) baby. Molly* from Chicago, who is 37 weeks pregnant with a second baby, says, "I'm making sure my son is aware that baby will be coming soon, trying to prepare him for the crying and shared attention, but also making sure he has lot of things to be excited about too."

Support You May Need This Week

As your pregnancy progresses, you may also find it challenging to perform everyday household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Arrange for child care of older children as well. Ask for help from your partner, if you have one, or a friend or family member. This is particularly crucial if you are on bedrest at the end of your pregnancy.

You may want to ask your partner or support person to attend doctor's appointments with you, especially if you need to go through any tests or procedures that can be anxiety-provoking or if any pregnancy complications or concerns with fetal development exist. If you haven't already done so, consider hiring a doula or birth coach to provide additional support during labor and delivery. 

If you don't have the means to hire a doula, having a friend or family member support you during delivery can also be helpful. Keep in mind that some doula services also offer free or sliding scale services and that Medicaid covers costs related to delivery.

* The author's name has been changed for privacy.

Head over to week 38 of pregnancy

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