Week 37: Early Term!
Your baby is now considered 'early term'! While it's best to wait until 39 weeks for full term, baby born now would likely do very well with minimal support.
Medically reviewed by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN
Nursing Informaticist · United States Navy Nurse Corps · Last reviewed
Your baby is the size of a...
🥗 Swiss Chard Bunch!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓Baby is considered 'early term'
- ✓Practicing breathing, sucking, and swallowing
- ✓Fat layer continues building for temperature regulation
- ✓Brain and lungs continue to mature
- ✓Firm grasp — ready to hold your finger!
- ✓Baby is gaining about an ounce per day
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Loss of mucus plug (bloody show) possible
- •Nesting energy bursts
- •Difficulty sleeping
- •Pelvic pain and pressure
- •Braxton Hicks contractions may become regular
- •Anxiety and excitement about the impending birth
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
Thirty-seven weeks is 'early term.' Babies born now are not technically preterm but still benefit from another week or two in utero — risk of respiratory issues, NICU admission, and feeding difficulties is meaningfully higher at 37 versus 39 weeks. ACOG specifically recommends against elective delivery before 39 weeks for medical or social convenience reasons. Spontaneous labor and medically-indicated early delivery are different stories. The mucus plug — thick mucus, sometimes streaked with blood — may come out anywhere from days to a couple of weeks before labor; on its own it doesn't mean labor is starting today. What does mean labor: contractions that get longer, stronger, and closer together over time and don't stop with rest, water, and a position change. Bloody show (a tablespoon-ish of mucus tinged with blood) often precedes labor by hours to a day or two.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Regular contractions, 5-1-1 pattern — call/go in
- !Water breaking — call (any leak, gush, or constant trickle)
- !Bleeding heavier than spotting — call
- !Decreased fetal movement — call
- !Severe headache, vision changes, RUQ pain — call
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Loss of mucus plug
- ✓Bloody show
- ✓Strong Braxton Hicks
- ✓Loose stools or diarrhea (body preparing)
✅ To-Do This Week
- Rest as much as possible — big day is coming!
- Practice your breathing and labor techniques
- Confirm your support person's availability
- Keep your phone charged and nearby
- Enjoy date nights — your last as a childless couple (or before adding another!)
- Review newborn care basics (feeding, diaper changing, bathing)
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?Is losing my mucus plug a sign of imminent labor?
- ?How dilated and effaced am I?
- ?Is the baby in the optimal position for delivery?
- ?What will happen when I arrive at the hospital?
- ?What are the indications for a C-section?
- ?How do I know if my water has broken?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 146: Management of Late-Term and Postterm Pregnancies. Obstet Gynecol. 2014;124(2 Pt 1):390-396.
- [2]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 107: Induction of Labor. Obstet Gynecol. 2009;114(2 Pt 1):386-397.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...