38th week: Your baby is full term

Weeks and days
37+0 to 37+6
Month
10
Trimester
3

From 37+0, your baby is considered full term, and a birth from now on is no longer premature. This week, it gains from about 2,970 to 3,190 grams and, on average, passes three kilograms. About 95 out of 100 babies are now lying head down.

Side view of a round baby bump in the 38th week of pregnancy, the hands resting beneath the bump, warm window light
around 3.2 kghow heavy your baby is at the end of the week

Week 38 of 40

Calculate your week
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How big and how heavy is the fetus?

050100150200250300350 mm36th week310 to 31837th week318 to 32738th week327 to 33639th week336 to 344

327 to 336 mm

By the end of the week, the fetus weighs about 3,190 grams. From head to heel, it measures about 47 centimeters.

Crown-rump length according to the values from Archie et al. 2006, weight according to the WHO growth charts.

This week

Your baby

  • The body is round, and the downy hair has almost disappeared. The toenails reach the tips of the toes.
  • The baby tries out facial expressions: it frowns and smiles. This has nothing to do with its mood.
  • About 95 out of 100 babies are now lying head down, facing your back. This is the best position for the birth.

Your body

  • Once the baby has slipped into the pelvis, heartburn and digestive problems often ease.
  • Discharge increases, and practice contractions become more frequent. They can be uncomfortable but should not hurt.
  • Many suddenly feel the urge to tidy up and clean. This is called the nesting instinct.

What matters now

  • Call your midwife or the labor ward when contractions come regularly every 5 minutes or more often. With a first baby, it often takes more than half a day after that until the birth really begins.
  • If your water breaks, let your midwife know or go to the hospital. You do not need to lie down on the way.
  • In Austria, it is the last week for the fifth Parent-Child Pass (Eltern-Kind-Pass) examination and the fourth ultrasound.

Get checked right away: bleeding from the vagina, greenish or foul-smelling amniotic fluid, fewer baby movements than usual, a contraction that lasts longer than 2 minutes, severe headache, or vision problems.

Gestational sacPlacentaFetus with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 37+0

    Head circumference is on average about 326 mm.

  2. 37+0

    Abdominal circumference measures on average about 328 mm.

  3. 37+0

    Thigh bone (femur) measures on average about 70 mm.

In Germany and Switzerland, no routine ultrasound is scheduled. In Austria, the window for the fourth ultrasound ends this week.

Frequently asked questions about the 38th week of pregnancy

Which month is the 38th week of pregnancy?

The 10th month of pregnancy, in the 3rd trimester. Figures such as 37+4 weeks also belong to the 38th week of pregnancy.

Is my baby full term in the 38th week of pregnancy?

Yes. From 37+0, a baby is considered born at full term. In Germany, a good 9 out of 10 babies are born at 37 to 41 completed weeks. Breathing problems are now rare: about 1 in 100 babies has respiratory distress syndrome.

Can I bring on labor in the 38th week of pregnancy?

For methods such as acupuncture, homeopathic remedies, sex, or stimulating the nipples, no effect has been proven. Castor oil has not been studied enough. There is no safe way to get the birth started at home.

What does greenish amniotic fluid mean?

Normally, amniotic fluid is clear and pale. If it is greenish, the baby may already have passed bowel contents. This can be a sign of stress. Call your midwife or the labor ward right away.

Sources

Updated on 31 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team