37 weeks pregnant

You at 37 weeks pregnant

It’s common to have trouble sleeping.

You probably need to go to the toilet several times a night, and your baby’s movements might be keeping you awake too. Sleep and rest when you can during the day.

Sleep on your side when you can to reduce your risk of stillbirth. You can sleep on either side. It’s OK if you wake up during the night on your back. Just roll over to sleep on your side again.

You might notice a bit more vaginal discharge around now.

If you think your waters have broken or you notice any other signs of labour, call your midwife, doctor or hospital straight away.

pregnancy illustration, week 37

Feeling low or worried
Every now and then, you or your partner might have days when you feel flat or irritable. That’s OK. But if you’re more than a bit teary or you feel sad, anxious or ‘flat’ for more than 2 weeks, get help.

Antenatal anxiety and antenatal depression can get in the way of your daily life. If you feel like you’re not coping or you’re worrying about how you’ll cope after your baby is born, this is another good reason to talk to someone you trust.

You could talk to a friend, your partner, or your doctor or midwife. You could also call Lifeline on 131 114, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or PANDA on 1300 726 306.

Your baby when you’re 37 weeks pregnant

Your baby looks a lot like a newborn at this stage. Your baby:

measures about 35 cm from head to bottom
weighs around 3 kg and is getting steadily heavier
has a firm hand grip
does hiccups that you can really feel now – like little jumps in your belly.

If you can, try to find time to treat yourself and do things that you enjoy in the last few weeks of pregnancy. This might be time to read, catch up with friends, have dinner with your partner or someone special, have a pregnancy massage and so on.