At 37 weeks pregnant, your baby is about the size of a small watermelon, measuring around 19 inches long and weighing roughly 6.7 pounds. You’re officially in the “early term” window, which means your body and your baby are making final preparations for birth. Here’s what’s happening this week and what you’ll likely feel.
Early Term, Not Quite Full Term
You may have heard that 37 weeks is considered “term,” but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists actually breaks it down further. Weeks 37 through 38 are classified as “early term,” while “full term” doesn’t begin until 39 weeks. This distinction matters because those last two weeks allow for important development, particularly in the brain and lungs. Babies born at 37 weeks generally do well, but when possible, staying pregnant until at least 39 weeks gives your baby extra time to build fat stores, strengthen sucking reflexes, and mature lung tissue.
What Your Baby Is Doing
At 6.7 pounds and 19 inches, your baby is close to birth size but still putting on about half a pound per week. Fat is accumulating under the skin, which helps with temperature regulation after birth. The lungs are producing surfactant, a substance that keeps the tiny air sacs from collapsing, though production continues to increase over the next couple of weeks. Brain development is also in a rapid phase. Between 35 and 39 weeks, the brain gains significant volume, building the neural connections your baby will need for feeding, breathing, and regulating body temperature independently.
Your baby has likely settled into a head-down position by now. If not, your provider will check and may discuss options. You’ll still feel movement, though it may feel different since there’s less room. Rolls and stretches are more common than big kicks at this stage.
How Your Body Feels
The most noticeable change this week for many people is “lightening,” sometimes called the baby “dropping.” The baby descends lower into your pelvis in preparation for delivery. When this happens, you may notice you can breathe a little easier since there’s less pressure on your diaphragm. The trade-off: more pressure on your bladder, which means even more frequent trips to the bathroom.
As the baby drops, you might also feel sharp, shooting pains in your pelvis or groin, sometimes called lightning crotch. This happens because the baby’s head puts pressure on nerves in the lower pelvis. It’s brief, lasting only seconds, and while startling, it’s a normal part of late pregnancy.
Other common symptoms at 37 weeks include:
- Pelvic pressure and hip pain. The weight of the baby combined with loosened ligaments can make walking, standing, and sleeping uncomfortable.
- Swollen feet and ankles. Mild swelling is normal, especially at the end of the day. Sudden or severe swelling in your face or hands is different and worth reporting to your provider.
- Trouble sleeping. Between bathroom trips, discomfort, and anxiety about labor, insomnia is extremely common in the final weeks.
- Increased vaginal discharge. You may notice thicker or slightly pink-tinged discharge as your cervix begins to change.
Braxton Hicks vs. Real Contractions
By 37 weeks, Braxton Hicks contractions can become more frequent and more noticeable, which makes it harder to tell whether something real is starting. The key differences come down to pattern and progression. Braxton Hicks are irregular. They don’t follow a rhythm, they don’t get closer together over time, and they don’t get stronger. They usually last less than 30 seconds to about 2 minutes, and they tend to fade if you change position, drink water, or rest.
True labor contractions are the opposite. They come at regular intervals that gradually shorten. They last between 30 and 90 seconds and get longer as labor progresses. Most importantly, they get stronger over time rather than fading. If you’re timing contractions and they’re consistently getting closer together and more intense over the course of an hour, that’s a pattern worth paying attention to.
The Mucus Plug and Bloody Show
At some point in the coming weeks, you may lose your mucus plug, a thick clump of discharge that has sealed the cervix throughout pregnancy. It can come out all at once or gradually over several days. It may be clear, yellowish, or tinged with pink or brown blood, which is sometimes called “bloody show.” Losing the mucus plug can happen several days before labor begins, or it can happen right at the start of labor. On its own, it doesn’t mean you need to head to the hospital, but it is a sign that your cervix is starting to soften and dilate.
The Group B Strep Test
If you haven’t already had your Group B Strep (GBS) screening, expect it around this week. The CDC recommends that all pregnant people be screened during the 36th or 37th week. The test itself is quick: your provider swabs the vagina and rectum with a cotton swab and sends it to a lab. There’s no prep needed and it takes just a few seconds.
GBS is a type of bacteria that about 1 in 4 pregnant people carry. It doesn’t cause symptoms and isn’t a sign of infection. But if you test positive, you’ll receive antibiotics through an IV during labor to prevent passing the bacteria to your baby during delivery. This is the single most effective way to prevent GBS disease in newborns during their first week of life.
Your Prenatal Visit Schedule
Starting at 37 weeks, you’ll see your OB-GYN or midwife every week until delivery. These visits are short but important. Your provider will check your blood pressure, measure your belly, listen to the baby’s heart rate, and may check your cervix for dilation and effacement (thinning). Some providers don’t do cervical checks routinely unless you’re experiencing symptoms, so don’t be surprised if the approach varies.
These weekly visits are also a good time to ask about your birth plan, discuss pain management preferences, and talk through any scenarios that might apply to you, like what happens if you go past your due date.
Warning Signs to Take Seriously
Most of what you’re feeling at 37 weeks is normal discomfort, but a few symptoms need immediate attention. Preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure condition, can develop in late pregnancy and escalate quickly. Watch for a severe headache that won’t go away, blurry vision or dark spots in your vision, pain in your upper right abdomen, sudden swelling of your face or hands, and shortness of breath. Preeclampsia is diagnosed when blood pressure rises above 140/90 along with signs of organ stress, and it requires prompt medical care.
You should also contact your provider if you notice a significant decrease in fetal movement, have fluid leaking from your vagina (which could be your water breaking), or experience regular contractions before you’ve reached full term at 39 weeks. Vaginal bleeding that’s heavier than light spotting also warrants a call.
Practical Things to Do This Week
With your due date roughly three weeks away, this is a good time to finalize logistics. If you haven’t packed a hospital or birth center bag, now is the week. Include basics like comfortable clothes, phone chargers, snacks, and anything you want for labor like a playlist or a pillow from home. Install your car seat if you haven’t already, since many hospitals will check before discharge.
If you’re planning to have someone with you during labor, make sure they know the route to your birth location and have a plan for getting there at any hour. Discuss who will care for pets or older children if labor starts unexpectedly. Meal prepping or stocking your freezer now can save significant stress during the first weeks postpartum. These small steps add up and let you focus on labor and recovery when the time comes.