Thirty Seven Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Measuring up
"Gaining a little weight every day helps me get ready for the big day." It's likely that your baby is more than 19 inches long and weighs between 6 and 6.5 pounds, nearing her final birth weight. These last few weeks are important, though; she's still gaining half an ounce of fat per day. This fat helps her body regulate her temperature and keep an even blood-sugar level. The brain, and the skull that houses it, continue to grow.

Ease on down
Is your baby sitting lower these days? You may feel as if she's dropped down into your pelvis—and perhaps she has. This dropping, called lightening or engagement, can occur a few weeks before your baby is born. The new, lower position may take some pressure off your squished lungs and diaphragm, making breathing easier for you.

What Mommy is Doing:

Bag it!
Have you packed a bag for the hospital yet? Only 5 percent of babies are born on their actual due date, so it's handy to have a packed bag waiting by the door in case your little one comes early.

Close scrutiny
Your health care provider may start performing pelvic exams at your weekly prenatal visits around now. She will check to see if your cervix is dilated (opening up) or effaced (thinning) and will look for any signs of labor. Many women start to dilate or efface weeks before actually going into labor, while some don't show any signs of labor until it's time to go to the hospital.