1. 37th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 37
2. How your baby develops in the 37th week of pregnancy
3. This is how you feel
4. 37th week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints
5. What you should look out for in week 37 of pregnancy

37th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 37

It's slowly getting exciting! You are now in the 10th and final month of your pregnancy. You can hardly wait to finally hold your baby in your arms, smell it and stroke its head. It's understandable if your anticipation is mixed with uncertainty and anxiety. Your life is about to change dramatically once again, so it's quite normal to have big feelings and emotions. In this part of our pregnancy calendar, you can find out how your baby is developing in week 37 of pregnancy, what symptoms may occur in the last few weeks and in which cases an external turn is recommended.

How your baby develops in the 37th week of pregnancy

In week 37, your baby is about 47 centimetres tall and weighs 2900 grams. If your gynaecologist has diagnosed your child in Ultrasound If you measure the weight and come up with slightly larger or smaller values, this is generally no cause for concern. The measurements are estimates and are therefore not entirely accurate. There are often large discrepancies between the weight determined by ultrasound and the actual birth weight.

It is also quite normal for some babies to be a little more petite, while others are born as real bundles of joy. The birth weight of healthy, full-term babies can be between approximately 2400 and 4300 grams. If you are worried, it is best to consult your midwife or gynaecologist.

Your little belly dweller is on the home straight

Your baby has now reached an important milestone: at 37 weeks' gestation, it is no longer considered a premature baby. Even if your baby is born a little before the expected date, it will most likely not have any significant teething problems.

The baby slips into the pool

In week 37, most babies have already slipped their heads into the pelvis and are therefore in the perfect birth position. The good thing about this is that if the baby's head is firmly in the pelvis, you don't need to worry about any umbilical cord prolapse in the event of premature rupture of the membranes. In this case, it is not possible for the umbilical cord to become trapped.

Pretty tight in the belly

The ever-growing baby no longer has much room in your belly, which is why the baby's movements change in week 37. However, the typical movement times remain the same. Your little one now sleeps a lot and gathers strength for the upcoming birth. In its dreams, it processes the many experiences it has in your belly. He also sucks his thumb a lot, which is an ideal exercise for sucking on the nipple. Are you planning to breastfeed your child? You will be perfectly prepared for this special part of the mother-child relationship with our Online breastfeeding course.

Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.

How you feel in the 37th week of pregnancy

The last stage of your pregnancy has begun. You're probably already excited and listening to yourself a lot. When will the baby arrive? What will the birth be like? What do I have to do beforehand? Many thoughts are now circling around in the expectant mother's head. Try to practise patience and relax as much as possible. Meditation can help you to concentrate fully on yourself and your baby. It is also advisable to talk about your uncertainties. If you are plagued by fears, now is the time to reduce them. Take another look at the parts of the Birth preparation course who will explain to you how your baby is preparing for the birth. Talk to your midwife, your best friend or your mum and, of course, talk to your partner about your feelings.

Perhaps you would like to immortalise these special last weeks of pregnancy. Plan a short photo shoot where you can really show off your ball belly or make a plaster cast of your baby bump. You can then look at these memories with your child in a few years' time and marvel at the fact that your little one actually fitted into your belly.

37th week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints

Many movements are now more difficult

As beautiful as the baby bump is, it makes everyday life more and more difficult towards the end of pregnancy. Tying your shoes, shaving your legs, running to the bus stop - all of these things become much more difficult or even impossible with a potbelly. Take enough time for your errands and shift down a gear. You should also plan regular breaks.

Do you need to bend down for something? Then try to squat down with your body upright and stand up straight again. Ideally, you should hold on to something. This is the best way to get out of bed in the morning: While lying down, turn towards the edge of the bed and support yourself in front of your upper body with your free hand. You can then push yourself up from the side. You should avoid sitting up directly from a supine position to avoid putting unnecessary strain on the abdominal muscles that have loosened up during pregnancy and to reduce the risk of rectus diastasis.

What you should look out for in week 37 of pregnancy

When does an external turn make sense?

The position of the baby has a major impact on the course of the birth. Ideally, the baby should lie head down in the so-called cephalic position. If the baby is head up, i.e. in the breech position (pelvic presentation), a natural birth is often still possible. However, the risk of complications is then slightly higher. If, on the other hand, the baby is lying transversely in the abdomen, a caesarean section must be performed.

Has your baby not yet moved into the cephalic position in week 37? Then it may be possible to bring it into the optimum birth position by turning it externally. To do this, the chances of success must first be weighed up.

The chances of a successful external turnaround are good if:
- sufficient amniotic fluid is still present.
- the baby's breech is not yet firmly seated in the pelvis.
- you have not yet had any contractions.

External turning is not recommended in the following cases:
- You are expecting twins or multiples.
- You have a placenta praevia.
- There is a multiple umbilical cord loop.
- A uterine malformation was diagnosed.
- There are indications that the child is under-supplied.
- You have a premature rupture of the membranes

Sequence of the outer turn
A detailed consultation with the doctor takes place before the external reversal is performed. They will explain to you exactly which technique will be used and what the risks are. Be sure to ask if anything is unclear.

This is an outpatient procedure. It is carried out in the clinic so that a caesarean section can be performed quickly in an emergency.
You will be seated on a couch and the doctor will determine the exact position of your baby using ultrasound. For the outer turn, you lie flat on your back. Try to relax and breathe in and out calmly. The doctor will feel your abdomen and try to turn your baby into the correct position using gentle movements. In addition to the conventional technique, there is also the so-called soft-touch method, in which the doctor uses a special massage technique to activate the baby's own reflexes. This stimulates the baby to turn into the cradle position on its own.

An external turnaround is not always possible. The chances of success are around 50 %. It can also happen that the child turns back again afterwards. In rare cases, there are complications such as a sudden drop in heart rate. The baby then has to be delivered by caesarean section. Sometimes the procedure also leads to the induction of labour. For this reason, an external caesarean section is only performed from the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy. This ensures that the baby is already well developed in the event of a premature delivery.

Once your baby has been successfully turned, you can push it towards your pelvis by circling your pelvis and squatting low. This will reduce the likelihood of your baby being able to turn back again.

Decreasing labour movements

Just a few weeks ago, your tummy dweller was still showing off like a little boxing world champion, but now the movements are becoming slower. Instead of strong punches, kicks and somersaults, you will probably feel more of a pushing, shoving and turning on its axis. This is completely normal for this last phase of pregnancy. The reason is obvious: your baby simply doesn't have much room for exuberant gymnastic exercises. This is especially true when the baby's head is already firmly in the pelvis. Many unborn babies also take more naps during this time. After all, they need to gather energy for the strenuous labour.

If you have not felt your baby at all for many hours and are worried, it is best to contact your doctor or midwife. They can, for example, listen to your baby's heartbeat or perform an ultrasound to check that everything is OK. In the vast majority of cases, you can then go home again with peace of mind. Sometimes a decrease in the baby's movements is also a sign that the birth is imminent. Are you wondering how you can tell if the birth is about to start? Here you can find out more about the start of labour.

Labour in the 37th week of pregnancy

In this week, your uterus begins the first contractions that change the cervix. Triggered by the pressure of the baby's head on the inner cervix, your body produces additional prostaglandin. This hormone softens the cervix during this phase of pregnancy and gradually causes the cervix to shorten. Your physical activity, but also the movements of your child, will now trigger more and more frequent contractions. This is a good thing. Because your uterine muscle has to perform at its best during labour. It is good if this muscle completes a few training sessions beforehand.