Pregnancy Calendar - Week 37

Week 37
Your baby now weighs about 6 1/2 pounds, and is practicing breathing. Her grip is now fairly firm and will turn and respond towards light. Vaginal discharge may be heavier now and will have more cervical mucous in it as your body prepares for the coming labor. This week, your baby is considered full-term! But your baby hasn’t stopped growing yet. She continues to develop fat at the rate of one half an ounce a day. In general, boys weigh more than girls at birth.

The position your baby is in now is generally the position it will be in when it comes to delivery time. Ensure that your husband has managed to do all the little things that need to be done before you rush off to hospital. This will help keep you calm, and prevent leaving something important at home.

After this week, you may lose the mucous plug that sealed off your uterus from infection and bacteria. The mucous plug can be lost a few weeks, days, or hours before labor and is thick, yellowish, and may be tinged with blood (the mucous plug is also called bloody show). As the cervix dilates in preparation for the labor, the plug is discharged from the body. Vaginal dischrge may be heavier now and you’ll have more cervicalmucous as your body prepares for labor. Be sure to speak with your health care provider about any discharge you may be having.

Provided by ArmMed Media
Revision date: June 20, 2011
Last revised: by Andrew G. Epstein, M.D.