Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Officially it is considered that you are carrying a full term baby now, even though your due date is 2 weeks away.

Most of the babies are said to born before the due date.

The baby development in 38 weeks pregnant is completed and the baby is not so little anymore.

The baby is now almost 7 pounds in weight and about 20 inches long.

Here is the baby development in 38 weeks of the pregnancy.

Fat layer deposits

Your baby’s development is complete, and the main job of your baby is to gain some weight. The body is continuing to deposit the fat layers at about 28 grams in a day, which will manage the temperature of baby’s body and glucose levels after his/her birth. The wrinkled skin of the baby is converting into baby smooth skin.

Baby’s hair

Your baby is now having a complete head of hair, of one inch or much long, while some other babies will have only a peach fuzz. Most of the downy hair which is called as lanugo that covered the baby’s body has disappeared, but still you might notice some on the shoulders and upper back after the baby’s birth.

Waste management

• Baby swallows the amniotic fluid and some fluid settles in the baby’s intestine where it passes along with some other waste products from gallbladder, liver, and pancreas of your baby. That is stored in their bowels. This is the baby’s first bowel movement which is in the form of blackish waste known as meconium.
• Lots of this meconium is stored in the baby’s intestine. Nearly 30% of the babies pass their bowels before their birth. This indicates that the baby is under the stress and can lead to pneumonia if the baby consumes the amniotic fluid which consists of meconium. If there is any indication of meconium in amniotic fluid at baby’s birth, your doctor will thoroughly suction the lungs and throat of the baby.

Lungs

Baby’s lungs maintain to mature as much and much surfactant is produced. This surfactant serves in preventing the lungs from sticking together when the baby starts to breathe. At this week, almost all the systems go!

Orienting response

Your baby is now having a firm grasp reflex. If your stomach is exposed to a light, your baby turns towards it. This is known as orienting response.

Brain

The baby’s brain aids him/her to refine breathing, regulate the heart rate, prepare to eat, and improve digestion.