37 weeks pregnant: fetal development

Medically reviewed by Joseph Aquilina, Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist

Congratulations, you've reached full-term! Your baby is ready for birth, and you'll be meeting him in a small number of weeks (NHS 2018).

Your baby weighs more than 2.9kg and is about 48.6cm long from head (crown) to heel (Hill 2019a). This is similar in length to a stalk of rainbow chard.

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Your baby continues to work his facial muscles by practising pouts, frowns and grimaces (López-Teijón et al 2015, Reissland et al 2011). His blinking and startle reflexes are more honed because his hearing has taken a leap in sensitivity (Ogo et al 2019).

Your baby's toenails should now reach the end of his toes (Hill 2019b, Moore et al 2019), but they're still not as long as his fingernails (Hill 2019b). After your baby's born, his fingernails will continue to grow faster than his toenails, and you may need to trim them weekly (Kaneshiro 2017).

Your baby's digestive system is still developing and will continue to mature for several years after he's born (Hill 2019c). His small intestine will grow by over a metre in his first year alone (Hill 2019c)!

Your baby will still have a regular pattern of movements, which will continue until he's born (RCOG 2019, Tommy's 2018). If you notice a change in his pattern of movements, speak to your doctor, midwife or maternity unit straight away so that they can check he’s safe and well (RCOG 2019, Tommy's 2018).

Discover how pregnancy can affect your body and your life at 37 weeks pregnant.

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Note: Every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give you a general idea of how a fetus grows in the uterus.

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Sources

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organisations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Hill MA. 2019a. Fetal development. University of New South Wales, Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.auOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

Hill MA. 2019b. Integumentary system – nail development. University of New South Wales, Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.auOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

Hill MA. 2019c. Gastrointestinal tract – postnatal. University of New South Wales, Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.ed.auOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

López-Teijón M, García-Faura A, Prats-Galino A. 2015. Fetal facial expression in response to intravaginal music emission. Ultrasound 23(4):216-23

Kaneshiro NK. 2017. Nailcare for newborns. US National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus. www.medlineplus.govOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. 2019. Integumentary system. Chapter 19 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th ed. Elsevier

NHS. 2018. You and your baby at 37 weeks pregnant. NHS, Health A-Z. www.nhs.ukOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

Ogo K, Kanensihi K, Mori N, et al. 2019. Change in fetal behavior in response to vibroacoustic stimulation. J Perinatal Med 47(5):558-63

RCOG. 2019. Your baby's movements in pregnancy: information for you. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Patient information leaflet. www.rcog.org.ukOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

Reissland N, Francis B, Mason J, et al. 2011. Do facial expressions develop before birth? PLoS One 6(8):e24081

Tommy's. 2018. Baby movements in pregnancy. Tommy's. www.tommys.orgOpens a new window [Accessed April 2020]

Megan Rive

Megan Rive is a communication, content strategy and project delivery specialist. She was Babycenter editor for six years.

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