Pregnancy Development on Week 38

Embryo growth

How is the development of the fetus 38 weeks gestational age?

Fetal development 38 weeks of gestational age can be seen from changes in the size of the baby in the womb.

Your baby is now about the size of a leek, about 45 cm in length from head to heel and weighs 3.2 kg. The weight will still continue to grow even though growth is slowing down. You may also realize that your weight has dropped or stopped increasing.

Because your baby already has muscles to suck and swallow amniotic fluid, the stool has begun to accumulate in his intestines. Cells originating from the intestine, dead skin cells, and Lanugo hair, are some of the materials that contribute to forming meconium.

Changes in the Body

What are the changes in the body of a pregnant woman at week 38?

Because the baby's position is on the pelvis, your bladder will be depressed. Therefore the frequency of urination is increasingly often unavoidable.

If your baby is a boy, you and your partner will be asked to make a decision regarding circumcision. Circumcision is a surgical process for removing the skin of the foreskin on the baby's penis.

For some parents the decision to circumcise is religious. For others, this decision is not easy to make. Talk to your doctor about issues related to circumcision, including the choice of pain relief for babies.

Maintain a pregnancy that runs 38 weeks

It is normal to give birth even one or two weeks before - or after - a specified time. If your pregnancy must continue for two weeks after passing a predetermined time, this is called pregnancy by the deadline. You may experience pregnancy past the deadline if:

• The exact date of your last menstruation is unknown
• This is your first pregnancy
• Ever experienced pregnancy past the previous deadline
• Pregnancy often occurs past the deadline for your family
• Your baby is a boy

Visit to Doctor / Midwife

What do I need to discuss with the doctor on week 38?

Prenatal care will continue even when due date have passed. Your doctor will monitor the health and also your cervix to see if it has thinned and widened to prepare for the delivery process.

If you have passed one week from the prescribed time limit, the doctor will check your baby's heart rate using an electronic fetal monitor or ultrasound to observe your baby's movements and measure the amount of amniotic fluid.

Tests that may be needed at gestational age 38 Sunday

The closer you are to the appointed time, the doctor may check your pelvis regularly to ensure the position of your baby in the womb. The test can help the doctor know the position of your baby during labor later: head first, feet first, or buttocks first in your womb.

Most babies are in a head-position at the end of pregnancy. At that position the baby's head is located right on the insides of your stage. During the pelvic test, the doctor will also examine the cervix to see if your cervix has begun to open or soften or thinner, and this information will be indicated by numbers and percentages.