38 weeks pregnant: patience, and a plan for every scenario
Waiting can be the hardest part. This week you will talk about what happens if your baby comes soon, and what happens if they do not.
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
At 38 weeks your baby is about 49.8 cm from head to heel (NHS) and is gaining roughly half a pound a week (Cleveland Clinic). At your 38-week appointment you will also discuss what happens if you are still pregnant after 40 or 41 weeks. The one thing to do this week: bring your questions about induction to that appointment.
Where you are at 38 weeks
Still early term in ACOG and Cleveland Clinic terms, full term in the NHS guide. Month 10 by Cleveland Clinic's grouping. Two weeks before your estimated due date, which, ACOG reminds us, only about 1 in 20 people actually give birth on. Check today's exact count with the pregnancy week calculator.
Your baby this week
The NHS gives about 49.8 cm from head to heel, the length of a stick of rhubarb. Most of the lanugo, the downy hair from the second trimester, has gone; some babies keep patches at birth.
Your baby is storing meconium, a sticky dark green first poo made of what they have swallowed in the womb. The NHS explains that if a baby passes meconium during labour, it can be a sign of distress and your baby will be monitored closely. Cleveland Clinic says babies put on about 0.5 pounds a week at this stage.
Your body and common symptoms
- Frustration and boredom. The NHS names them as this week's new symptoms. They are real. Plan small things you enjoy for each day.
- Pelvic pressure, more discharge, practice contractions. All common. Painful, regular contractions are different (see below).
- A walk is fine. The NHS suggests getting out for fresh air, with your notes in your bag just in case.
Is this normal? When to call
Call your midwife or maternity unit when contractions come every 5 minutes or more often, or any time you are unsure. Call urgently if your waters break, you bleed, a contraction lasts longer than 2 minutes, you have 6 or more in 10 minutes, or your baby moves less than usual (do not wait until morning). A severe headache, vision problems or sudden swelling can signal pre-eclampsia, which the NHS notes can still appear late in pregnancy or after birth. UK: maternity unit, NHS 111 if you cannot reach them, 999 in an emergency. US: labour and delivery or your OB-GYN, 911 in an emergency.
Appointments and tests around 38 weeks
UK (NHS): the 38-week appointment checks your bump size, your baby's position, blood pressure and urine (for protein, a sign of pre-eclampsia), movements and your mental health. It is also when you will discuss your choices if you are still pregnant after 40 weeks. The NHS guide says around 1 in 5 labours are induced.
US (ACOG): weekly visits continue. The group B strep swab should be done by 38 weeks. Some people are offered, or ask about, induction at 39 weeks. In the ARRIVE trial of over 6,000 first-time mothers at low risk, induction at 39 weeks did not significantly change serious problems for babies but led to fewer caesareans (18.6% against 22.2%). It remains a choice, not a rule.
Thinking about a home birth?
The NHS says around 1 in 50 women in England give birth at home with a midwife. Its practical tips: have everything set aside (clothes for labour, nursing bra, breast pads, maternity pads, newborn essentials), plan pain relief with your midwife, have towels and waterproof sheets ready, and keep a bag packed in case you need to transfer to hospital.
Your checklist for week 38
For your partner
Patience is your job too this week: fewer "any news?" messages from family, more walks, films and easy dinners. Field the group chat for her.
Previous and next week
Week 37: early term and signs of labour · Week 39: full term and the warning signs not to ignore · The third trimester · All weeks · Due date calculator
Questions parents ask
What are the early signs of labour at 38 weeks?
The NHS lists contractions or tightenings, a show (a sticky plug of mucus that may be yellow or streaked with blood), backache, an urge to go to the toilet as the baby's head presses down, and your waters breaking. Early labour can take hours or even days.
Can I ask for an induction at 39 weeks?
In the US, ACOG says induction may be considered for healthy women at 39 weeks to reduce the chance of a caesarean, and should not be done electively before 39 weeks. In the UK, NICE asks teams to give uncomplicated pregnancies every opportunity to start labour naturally and to discuss induction from 41 weeks. Talk it through with your own team.
When is a planned caesarean usually booked?
The NHS week 38 guide says a planned (elective) caesarean is usually booked when you are at least 39 weeks pregnant, to give your baby's lungs the fullest chance to mature.
Sources
- NHS — Week-by-week guide to pregnancy, week 38 checked October 13, 2026
- Cleveland Clinic — Fetal development, week-by-week stages of pregnancy checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Week-by-week guide to pregnancy, week 31 (cot and mattress advice) checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Signs that labour has begun checked October 13, 2026
- NICE NG207 — Inducing labour, recommendations checked October 13, 2026
- ACOG — Labor Induction checked October 13, 2026
- Grobman et al. (2018), NEJM — Labor induction versus expectant management in low-risk nulliparous women, ARRIVE trial (PMID 30089070) checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.