At 38 weeks pregnant, the finish line is so close! It's completely normal to feel like you're practically living in the bathroom, thanks to your baby's increasingly tight squeeze on your bladder. With around two weeks until your estimated due date, both you and your little one are in the final stages of preparation for their grand arrival.
This is an important time, not just for your body and baby, but also for you and your partner to firm up any final plans for the big arrival.
How many months is 38 weeks pregnant?
You're in month 9 of your pregnancy and almost at the finish line of your third trimester! In a couple of weeks you'll get to say hello to your baby face-to-face for the first time.
38 weeks pregnant symptoms
Frequent urination
Thanks to the position of your baby’s head in your pelvis, there’s less room for your bladder, and trips to the toilet are becoming a more and more frequent event. Don’t cut out water though as hydration is more important than ever as you get close to the birth.
Braxton Hicks
If you’ve noticed more frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions, this usually signals that labour is not far away. Get your partner to practise your breathing and visualisation techniques with you.
Nesting instinct
The urge to clean has never been so strong! Although it’s understandable you want to make a beautiful home for your baby by nesting, make sure you’re not using all your energy up on scrubbing the sink and cleaning out the fridge.
Bloody show
The mucus plug discharge tinged with pink, brown or red blood, also called your bloody show, will soon be making an appearance. Keep your eyes peeled for it and call your doctor or midwife once it appears as it usually means labour is not far off.
Indigestion and heartburn
This common symptom is a double-whammy of late pregnancy: the hormone relaxin, which softens ligaments ready for birth, also relaxes the top part your stomach and acids can creep back up up. As well as this, your now big baby and uterus are pushing up on your stomach, forcing its contents higher. This often causes that familiar burning feeling in your chest or throat, a sour taste, or general discomfort after you eat. To help, eat lighter and smaller meals, avoid rich, spicy and fatty foods and try and cut back on fizzy drinks and caffeine.
Itchy belly
As you'd expect, this is usually due to your skin stretching to accommodate your growing baby. It can cause dryness and irritation so keep your skin well-moisturised with gentle lotions or pregnancy-safe oils.
Swollen ankles and feet
It's common to experience swelling in your ankles and feet. This happens because your enlarging uterus and baby can press on the blood vessels, impacting circulation in your legs and leading to fluid accumulation in your lower extremities throughout the day.
Baby development at 38 weeks pregnant
Your baby is now a fully functioning little human, though they are still practising breathing and swallowing. Your baby’s now the length of a leek, and still rowing. They now weigh seven pounds and measuring around 20 inches in length. While it could be any time now that your baby decides to make their grand appearance, the maximum time is four weeks - so you’re so nearly there!
Genitals
If you’ve got a little boy, then his testicles have descended into the scrotum by now, and little girls might have slightly enlarged breasts - don't worry, this is just the effect of your hormones and will go down after birth!
Lungs
Your baby’s lungs are still maturing and producing surfactant, the substance that prevents the lungs’ air sacs from sticking together once they start to breathe.
Eyes
Your baby’s irises - the coloured part of the eye - may gain more pigment in the months after they are born, but they usually won't get lighter or bluer, and green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than grey or blue eyes. If they are born with brown eyes, they'll probably stay brown, whereas if they are born with grey or dark blue eyes, they may stay the same colour or go brown by the time they are nine months old.
Movement
Rather than those jerky movement, your baby will be just pushing and kicking now and you'll likely be familiar with their patterns of movement and level of activity. Movement will continue right up until birth but if you think your baby is moving less than usual, it’s important to let your midwife or doctor know immediately.
Your body at 38 weeks pregnant
Toilet visits
You might feel you’re spending most of your life on the toilet – the pressure on your bladder is so extreme now that it’s squished into a pancake (seriously!). But keep hydrated. Another reason you might have to set up camp in the loo is that you could have diarrhoea now, too. If so, it’s your body making room for the baby to emerge – yep, it’s just one more sign your small one is on their way soon. Avoid rich, fatty or fibre rich foods and instead eat light meals and have toast.
Feeling heavy
On average, pregnant women gain between 10 and 12.5 kilograms (22 and 27 pounds) during their pregnancy. Of course this figure can vary depending on your starting weight and many other factors, but it's likely that you're don't necessarily recognise yourself when you look in the mirror.
Leaking breasts
And if leaking from your bottom end isn’t enough, your boobs could be discharging a thin, yellowish fluid called colostrum, which is the first milk your baby will get. It is full of antibodies and has less fat and sugar and more protein than the milk that arrives later.
Sleeping problems
You're going to be finding it really uncomfortable to sleep and relax, so try and nap when you can - especially if nighttime sleep is proving really difficult. Always sleep on your side but if you wake and you're on your back, don't worry - simply roll onto your side again and use your pregnancy pillow to find a comfy spot.
Looking after yourself at 38 weeks pregnant
Your last antenatal appointment is this week unless you go overdue, so make a list of any last minute questions to ask your midwife.
You're likely to have already stopped working but if not, it'll be time to start thinking about when you want to start your maternity leave if you're eligible.
It's also a good time to tone up your pelvic floor muscles. Gentle exercises can help to prevent leakage, because accidents when you laugh, sneeze or cough just aren't funny from your perspective! The NHS says "Get the muscles going by pretending that you're having a pee and then stopping midflow."
What to do at 38 weeks pregnant?
Make a dad list
Some fathers feel like they’re a spare part but they’re far from it. There are loads of things they can do to help you out. Make a list and stick it to the fridge – it’ll make them feel needed and important and it’ll also help you feel more in control of what's going on.
Stay active
You need plenty of rest but balance this with a gentle stroll when you can and get some fresh ai and clear your head.
Make a list of important contacts
Put the emails and phone numbers of all the doctors, antenatal experts and friends you can call on for advice and support into a list so you have it all in one place.
Stock up
Stock up on a month’s worth of grocery essentials, and some simple ready meals you can freeze. Or, if you or your partner can, (or a friend/family member) cook loads of things that you can freeze for nights when you’re both just too busy (or tired) to cook.
Have a date night
Plan a ‘date night’ this week. Organise an evening during which you make each other feel loved and special (it won't be easy to do this once the little one is born).
Have a bath
A warm bath can be really relaxing in the early stages of labour or after the birth if you are feeling sore.
Get yourself a pedicure
If you haven’t been able to see your toes for a while, do a bit of self-care before the big day. Pregnancy can be a stressful experience so you should take the chance to treat yourself and help you relax.
Check the baby car seat
We assume you've already got a baby car seat one and at this stage of pregnancy as it could happen at any time. Make sure that it is installed correctly and ready to go.
Fill up the car with petrol
Just like with the car seat, your labour could come early and you don't want to find you have no petrol. Keep it topped up at all times and don't risk that warning light!
Read up
Read up on anything you haven't covered so that you feel clued up and confidence. You and the dad-to-be should make sure you learn more about postnatal depression and warning signs to watch out for. It's also a great time to swot up on what to expect during the fourth trimester.
Create a labour playlist
Music during labour can be distracting and relaxing. It is also a nice way to bring your little one into the world and create memories you can associate with music. Create this with your partner so you can both pick your favourite tracks (it will be a great bonding exercise for you too).
Bottle feeding ready
If you're planning on combining breast with bottle feeding or just planning to bottle feed, make sure you've bought your bottles and a steriliser so you're good to go by the time you come home from the hospital with your new arrival.
About the author
Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby and proud aunt to her teen niece. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.