Pregnancy Week 38
Baby’s Growth During the 38th Week of Pregnancy
At 38 weeks pregnant your baby is already reaching 7 pounds, getting more and more plump these days. Your baby now has a firm grasp, which you’ll soon be able to test when you hold their hand for the first time. The organs have matured and are ready for life outside. For example, baby is producing more surfactant, a substance that prevents the air sacs in the lungs from sticking to one another once baby begins to breath.
Are you daydreaming about the color of your baby’s eyes? Don’t be discouraged when you can’t tell right away. If your baby is born with brown eyes, they’ll likely stay brown. But babies born with steel gray or dark blue eyes may stay gray, blue, or turn green, hazel or brown by the time baby is 9 months old. This happens because the child’s irises may gain more pigment in the months after birth, but they usually won’t get “lighter” or more blue.
Body Changes in the 38th Week of Pregnancy
Your body is tending to some final touches as well, one of which is getting the milk up and running for baby. Part of the process is producing colostrum, a thin yellowish liquid that’s the precursor to breast milk. Colostrum is full of antibodies that protect your newborn, and has more protein and less fat and milk sugar than the breast milk that arrives later. Chances are you’re leaking colostrum you might want to break out those nursing pads right about now. If you’re not leaking but you are curious about colostrum, you can gently squeeze your areola to express a few drops.
If you’re feeling as though you’re playing the waiting game, try to use this time to make some final touches for your home and family. Finish up the baby’s nursery, take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for awhile, take naps, catch up on reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can. In just a few weeks, everything will change.
In these last few weeks you may notice swelling in your feet and ankles, it’s normal. However, call your doctor right away if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have sudden weight gain. Additionally, if you have severe or persistent headaches, visual changes, intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting call your doctor as these symptoms are common of a serious condition known as preeclampsia.
