Week 37: Full term

A real milestone: at 37 weeks you’re considered full term, and your baby could now safely arrive any day. About the size of a large cucumber, they have all the reflexes ready for life outside — grasping, rooting, sucking — and their brain will keep growing astonishingly fast over the first year.

Your body is quietly preparing too. Your cervix may be starting to soften and open, and you might lose your mucus plug or notice a “show”. The nesting urge can feel quite intense right about now.

It helps to know the signs that labour is starting: regular, building contractions; your waters breaking; or a bloody show. If you’re ever unsure, call your hospital — that’s exactly what they’re there for. Stay hydrated, eat lightly if things kick off, and rest while you can; labour is a marathon, not a sprint.

When labour does start, much of the early part is usually best spent at home, where you’re most comfortable. Rest if it’s night, stay gently active if it’s day, and lean on heat packs, a warm shower, movement and slow breathing to stay on top of the sensations. Timing your contractions helps you see when they settle into a real, regular pattern — a common guide for heading in is the “5-1-1” rule: contractions about five minutes apart, each lasting around a minute, for an hour. Your midwife will give you guidance for your particular situation.

Being “full term” doesn’t mean labour is imminent, though — plenty of first babies arrive in the days or weeks after their due date, so it’s worth settling in for a potentially patient wait rather than reading into every twinge. That said, some things mean call straight away whatever the timing: your waters breaking (note the colour, as green or brown needs an immediate call), any heavy bleeding, severe pain, or a change in your baby’s movements. Trust your instincts — your care team would always rather hear from you and reassure you.

Emotionally, these final weeks are a strange brew of impatience, nerves and excitement, often all at once. Be kind to yourself, line up small distractions, keep your support people close, and rest while you can. Whenever it begins, you’re ready — and so is your baby.

It’s also worth a final check of the practical pieces so future-you isn’t scrambling: the hospital bag packed and by the door, the car seat fitted and checked, the route to hospital (and a backup driver) sorted, and the key phone numbers somewhere easy to find. With those handled, you can relax into the wait — try to rest, eat well, and do gentle, distracting things, because these last days can drag, but your baby will come when they’re ready.

One practical note: if you’re in active labour, don’t drive yourself — have your partner take you, or call 000.