Week 38

My Baby's Development

By week 38, your baby weighs about 6 pounds, 6 ounces (2,900g) and measures about 13.4 inches (34cm) in length from crown to rump. Although your baby’s growth is slower now, fat is still accumulating. Your weight gain may has decreased or ceased at this week.

Since your baby’s muscles are able to suck and swallow amniotic fluid, waste material is being accumulated in his or her intestines. Lanugo hair, dead skin cells and cells shed from the intestines are some of the waste products that contribute to meconium (a greenish-black substance) that constitutes your baby's first bowel movement.

If you're having a baby boy, his testicles have descended into the scrotum (unless he has a condition called undescended testicle). If you're having a baby girl, the labia are now completely developed.

My Body

By this week, making frequent bathroom trips a necessity because your baby is engaged in your pelvis and thus your bladder is extremely compressed.

Have you and your partner made a decision of circumcision? Circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the foreskin of the penis in baby boy. For some parents the decision to circumcise is a religious one. For others, the choice is not as easily made. Consult your health care provider about the issues of circumcision, including pain relief options for the baby.