At week 37 you are considered to be full term pregnancy even though may still have two or three weeks to go. Both the new mom and the baby are continuing to gain some weight. You may start to have thoughts about childbirth and whether or not you are going to be a good mother. These thoughts are normal; you may be able to ease your fears by talking to your doctor or your partner. Every pregnancy woman at one time has thought the exact same things.

Your big belly may have gotten in the way of many of your daily chores such as doing dishes, cooking dinner, picking up around the house and even doing laundry. Due to the weight gain, you may find yourself sitting and resting a lot. You should be now on maternity leave if you work. Take some time to enjoy the last few weeks of the pregnancy.

Don’t be discouraged because your body will go back to the way it was before the pregnancy after the baby is born. What is funny is that you have 9 months or so being pregnant as after the baby is born and after the first year or so, you aren’t going to remember being pregnant. You may remember the morning sickness but there are things that you are not going to remember. Make the most of the last few weeks of pregnancy.

You should have a bag packed and all necessary phone calls made. By now you should have made a decision on whether or not to bottle-feed or breastfeed. If you are going to be using help from friends or relatives make sure that you keep in contact with them. The baby could come at any time and you want to make sure that you have everything in place.

Baby’s Development

The baby sis still gaining weight at this week in pregnancy. The baby fat is still developing and being distributed under the cheeks, knees and elbows. The baby put son about ½ an ounce per day. The baby becomes rounder and rounder everyday. The baby’s skin is losing the wrinkled look and the skin is looking like pink rather than red. The baby is breathing on their own now and can be born without any healthy problems.

The baby should weight an estimated 6-1/2 to 7 pounds and measure in length at 20 to 21 inches. Remember this is a guideline not a fact. If your baby weighs less or more don’t panic. Your doctor is aware of how much the baby weighs and if they have not brought it to your attention by now, then it is safe to say that there is isn’t a problem.

The most important development at this stage of pregnancy is the position of the baby. The mom will be experiencing some pressure in the lower abdominal region, this is called lightening. The baby will now move and shift with their head down and will rest against the pelvic bone. This is very common in about 95% of the pregnancies.

Changes With Your Body

You are now in the advanced stages of pregnancy. The baby could be born at anytime now. The baby is mature at this point and is a full term baby. The stage is set for the baby to be born. You may start to or continue to feel heavy at this point. This may make you unhappy and sad even though your baby will be here at any time now. Don’t worry, it perfectly normal to have these feelings. The weight gain has prevented you from doing many things you are used to be doing.

By this week in pregnancy, the baby will continue to prepare for birth by dilation of the cervix. The mucus plug is as a protectant sealant of the uterus. As the plug begins to leak the closer you are to birth. Ask your doctor about the mucus plugs and how that works. You may notice the increase in breast size; they have become heavier and a bit fuller as they prepare for lactation. They may feel tender a bit sore until birth. You may feel some itchiness still but some cocoa butter and moisturizer can help with that.

Your doctor will be checking for blood pressure, increased sugar levels and urine levels as well. If the doctor has any concerns they will let you know. Otherwise don’t panic, try not to stress about anything in these last few weeks.

What To Expect

You are now ending the last part of the pregnancy. You are having the feeling that you don’t want to be pregnant anymore. You want a healthy baby but you are tired of being pregnant. The extra weight gain may be starting to make you more uncomfortable. But once the baby comes it will be well worth the aches, pains and fatigues. It is a challenge to stay happy and positive but it is all worth it for the baby.

It is still important to eat healthy and get as much rest as possible. Try not to change anything you have been doing in the past 9 months. It has been working so far and the old saying goes if it is not broke don’t fix it. Try to keep up the personal hygiene this will stave off yeast and urinary tract infections.

By now you are wanting to make sure that everything is ready for when the baby is born. The nursery should be ready and the name should be all picked out. Phone numbers should be kept close by and the hospital bag should be packed.

Tips/Advice

If you are having any concerns, now is the time to talk to the doctor, friends, family and especially the father of the baby. It is an exciting time and your baby is now closer than ever before to being born. You should have everything ready and the count down is on!