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Week 37
How Big is the Baby at 37 Weeks
Pregnant?
Your baby may weigh close to 6 and a half pounds by
pregnancy 37 weeks, and may be as much as 21 inches long during pregnancy at 37
weeks.
Your Baby's Growth and
Development
Congratulations! You have now entered the final stages
of your pregnancy week by week. Between pregnancy weeks 37 and pregnancy week 41
most women are considered full term.
Your baby is still busy putting on
weight during pregnancy week 37. The longer your baby stays in utero, the more
he will weigh when born! These added layers of fat will help strengthen your
baby's overall well being and increase their chances for a healthy and safe
entry into the world.
Your Growth and
Development
Many women start noticing that their uterus seems to
stop growing at 37 weeks pregnant. May women's uteri will remain the same size
from now until birth. You should measure about 6 and a half inches from the
navel.
Changes in You
By
37 weeks pregnant you may have gained 35 pounds. Many women will notice a
reversal of weight gain during pregnancy at 37 weeks and in the last couple of
weeks of their pregnancy. Some women might even lose a pound or two.
You
are now more eager than ever to meet your newborn baby. Be sure you take some
time to discuss your labor and delivery preferences with your healthcare
provider at this point in time. If you haven't pre-registered you should
consider doing so now.
Talk with your healthcare provider about your
'plan of action' by pregnancy at 37 weeks so you have a plan when you do start
having contractions. Find out when your healthcare provider would like you to
phone, and when they prefer you visit the hospital.
Your healthcare
provider might take a Group B strep test during pregnancy week 37. Group B is a
type of bacteria that can live in the vagina or area surrounding the rectum.
Typically group B strep is present in up to 35 percent of healthy adults.
Normally Group B does not pose any health risks.
However, when you are
colonized with this bacteria during pregnancy, your baby might get infected with
the bacteria during labor and delivery. Infected newborns will require close
observation and treatment in the hospital. Your baby will need antibiotics if
they are infected. Group B infections in newborns can cause serious infections
such as sepsis, which is an infection of the bloodstream. It can also cause
meningitis, a condition that affects the lining of the fluid surrounding the
brain. Group B can also lead to pneumonia. Typically most newborns exposed will
start showing symptoms during the first week of life, though late onset Group B
disease may also develop a week or more after birth.
Fortunately, your
doctor can perform a culture prior to delivery to see if you have Group B
present in your body. If you do, your healthcare provider will likely set you up
on a course of antibiotics before and during labor. This will help prevent the
spread of infection to your baby.
Some women are more at risk than
others for this infection, including women who have already had a baby with a
Group B infection, women who develop a fever during labor, women who have a
urinary tract infection caused by Group B or women who rupture their membranes
before 37 weeks.
Researchers are currently working on developing a vaccine
to treat Group B strep.
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