Pregnancy at week 37

Your baby

Your baby is now considered full-term.

They have fully mature lungs and can grip firmly with their hand. Your baby’s digestive system won’t mature completely until they’re about 1 to 2 years old. Although by now, their gut contains sticky green meconium that will form their first poo after they are born.

Your baby should continue to move in the same pattern right up until they are born and even during labour. At any stage of your pregnancy, if you are concerned about your baby's movements, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. A slowing down of movement may be a sign that your baby is unwell.

Your body

Your baby may engage – move down into your pelvis – any time from now until the birth. This is more likely to happen if it’s your first baby. When your baby engages, you may start to feel a little more comfortable.

Many women notice their breasts leak colostrum (your first milk) towards the end of pregnancy. If this is bothering you, you can buy breast pads from your local pharmacy. You might also choose to start expressing and storing some colostrum in case it’s needed after birth. There can be many benefits to doing this before your baby is born.

You cannot predict when your labour will start since every labour is different. Even if you’ve had a baby before, there’s no way of predicting when and how this labour will start. Most women experience early signs of labour between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy.

Early signs of labour might include:

• cramps that feel like period pain
• backache
• diarrhoea
• your waters may break
• a show' – sticky mucus

Things to remember

If you haven’t already stopped working, you will probably want to stop now.

Your parental leave can start up to 6 weeks before your due date, or earlier if you and your employer agree. Your employer can also ask you to produce a medical certificate saying that you are fit to work in the weeks before your baby is born.

In Australia, all employees are entitled to up to 12 months unpaid parental leave if they have worked for 12 months continuously for their employer. This can also include casual employees if they have been working regularly for the same employer.

Your employer may also offer you paid parental leave. You can talk to them about when you would like this to start. It’s a good idea to work out a budget to help you plan for taking time off work.

It’s also a good idea to stock the fridge for when you come home with your new baby, so you don’t have to think about cooking with a newborn.

Resources and support

Speak to your doctor, midwife or obstetrician if you have questions about your pregnancy.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby also has more information on:

• maternity care in Australia
• having a healthy pregnancy
• exploring the anatomy of pregnancy and birth
• checkups, screenings, scans and tests you can have during your pregnancy
• common conditions you might experience during your pregnancy
• looking after your mental health and wellbeing

Speak to a maternal child health nurse

Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.