Your baby is now fully developed. They will continue to gain fat until the birth but their organs and features are now all in place. They may now have a full head of hair but some babies will only be born with a small amount of fine fuzzy hair!

Your baby’s development

By week 38 your baby will be about 50cm in length and weigh around 2.9kg.

They will be using these last couple of weeks to lay down fat. Since your baby’s been developing the muscles to suck and swallow, they have been ingesting amniotic fluid and waste material has been collecting in their intestines.

Your baby’s first bowel motion is called meconium and is dark green to black in colour. It contains dead skin cells and lanugo hair and is completely normal.

At this stage, your baby can hear your voice, so make sure you and your partner talk to them. It will familiarise them with who you both are and the important role you’ll both play in the future.

Your Body

During these final weeks, you may be finding it increasingly difficult to sleep properly, especially at night. You may be feeling huge and uncomfortable, so try to take it easy. Get lots of rest during the daytime and put your feet up. Use the time to read a book or watch a good film. These are the things you’ll find hard to fit in once your baby arrives.

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Please note: These pregnancy week-by-week articles, are meant to give you a general sense of the growth and development going on within you. However, it’s important to remember that every baby develops differently, even during pregnancy.