37 Weeks Pregnant

The 9 months have already past and you are 37 week pregnant. You can give birth at any time, but still, you still have 2 – 3 weeks before then. Even though most of your pregnancy has passed, both you and your baby still take additional weight and it`s possible to feel very exhausted.

You probably think that the little one will come into this world soon and you`ll start enjoying the result of the 9 months of pregnancy. However, now you still feel heavy and may find it difficult to move around, at least due to the position of the baby. Moreover, the uterus has increased a lot and now is around 1000 times bigger than it originally was.

You`ll be surprised to find that you`ll recover almost the same shapes as before the pregnancy only a few days after birth. Until then, it will be of big help to organize and plan everything in advance. A mother should decide regarding family planning, contraception, conception, pregnancy and baby care, in direct dialogue with her life partner. If everything is organized properly, there won`t be any last minute problems.

Future parents need to have all the proper clothing prepared for the new mother, but also clothes for the newborn. Also, the mother can choose how to organize the bottles of milk if she planned to feed him with baby formula. It`s recommended for the mother to always have the possibility to get in touch with her life partner and with the hospital or clinic where she`ll give birth. If her husband or life partner isn`t available, it would be recommended to talk to a friend who can be ready at any time to take her to the hospital.

Development of the Baby

During the week 37 of pregnancy or at 35 weeks after conception, the baby is considered to be at term. His organs can now function on themselves.

A few weeks before labor starts, most babies will place themselves into the right position so they can be prepared for birth – with their head towards the birth canal. Still, this doesn`t always happen, and his legs or other parts of his body may be positioned first. This condition is known as the breech position (breech birth) and appears at around 1 out of 25 newborns at term.

37 Weeks Pregnant: the Mother`s Body

During this week you are ready to give birth at any moment, even more as the baby is completely developed and at term. It`s possible to feel heavy and, as mentioned above, you may still gain weight along with your baby.

The little one has reached the pelvic cavity in the birth position. From now on your body will start preparing for labor by dilating the cervix. Also, the mucus, which until now had a protective role for the uterus, starts to unfold. Therefore, it`s best to contact your doctor on this issue.

Other significant changes concern the increase of the breast size, which become heavier and fuller due to hormonal changes, reason for which they may feel uncomfortable. In some cases, breasts will start producing colostrum or may appear cracking on the areola. Also, your stomach may itch due to excessive stretching of the abdominal muscles.

Other changes that may appear is the increased anxiety due to exhaustion and lack of sleep, frequent urination, high blood pressure, high levels of sugar in the organism, hemorrhoids, lower back pain or headache.

37 Week Pregnancy: What to Do?

It`s possible to already finish the prenatal course as well as finish all the preparations for bringing the baby home. If there may be other last minute things to do, now it`s the right time to do them. Some women may want to have their entire house clean and organized when they bring their baby home. Also, you may want to have an extra supply of cooked food so you can find it easy to prepare your meals a few days after getting home with your baby. You may want to cook a few of your favorite foods.

Make sure you have the luggage for the hospital ready and close to you.

When you bring home a newborn for the second time, it might be a bit different than the first time. With your first baby you have maybe focused on how to recover immediately after birth and how to take care of him as best possible. With the second baby, you probably wondering how his big brother will react and how you`ll manage to take care of both their needs.

Advices for Immediately after Birth

You are probably wondering how will go the first meeting with your baby. If you had an easy labor, you`ll spend the first hours after birth with the baby in your arms, hugging and watching him. Babies pay much attention and respond quite well during this period. If your little one needs immediate healthcare after birth or if you have been sedated during birth, you shouldn`t worry that you didn`t keep him in your arms during the first hour. You`ll have plenty of time to love him after you recover or he received the healthcare he needs.

You can start to initiate your breastfeeding since the first hour of your baby`s life. Breastfeeding is a unique method of offering your baby the perfect food for a healthy development. World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of 6 months and starting with solids after this age, but continuing in parallel with breastfeeding until 2 years old.

Is Swimming Safe during Pregnancy?

Yes, swimming is considered safe during pregnancy. If you have a healthy pregnancy, it`s recommended to do a physical activity regularly. Swimming helps staying in shape, which will make breastfeeding easier later. Also, it will help you feel better regarding with the changes of your body. Swimming practiced while pregnant is a very useful exercise because the water helps sustain the extra weight gained during pregnancy, which can be of real help especially during the third trimester of pregnancy. Moreover, unlike other types of aerobic exercises, swimming doesn`t increase the temperature of the body.

Advices for the Father

Is there anything more that you could do to help your partner in these last few weeks of pregnancy? Did she repeated you a few times to assemble the baby`s bed or finish painting his room? Or maybe there`s another household activity that she wants you to finish. Or on the contrary, you have maybe finished all of these things and you can now relax by inviting her at a “last date of 2,” just before the baby is born.

For lots of men, becoming a father is a transition that will change their lives forever. You can prepare for the new role of being a parent by learning how you should take care of a newborn and help your partner during the next period when she needs to recover from pregnancy.