Third trimester · 2 weeks to go
| Fact | Week 38 |
|---|---|
| Days of pregnancy | 260–266 since LMP |
| Gestational age span | 37w0d to 37w6d |
| Trimester | Third trimester (weeks 28–40) |
| Pregnancy month | Month 3 (weeks 9–13) |
| Average length | 19.6 in (crown to heel) |
| Average weight | 6.80 lb |
| Size comparison | a leek |
| Weeks remaining | 2 (40-week due date) |
Week 38 averages six and three-quarter pounds with organs mature but the brain still adding connections it will keep building for years. The liver is storing iron for the first months after birth.
Toenails and fingernails may need trimming within days of birth. Vernix, the waxy coating, is mostly gone. The baby continues practicing breathing motions and swallowing.
Gestationally, week 38 means you are 37 weeks and 0 to 6 days pregnant, day 260 to day 266 counted from the first day of your last period. This is week 11 of the third trimester (weeks 28–40). Appointments are weekly from week 36 until delivery. Week 39 brings full term. From here the baby gains roughly half a pound a week on average, which is why the third trimester feels measurably heavier by the day. Every number on this page is an average across pregnancies; your own scan dates and your baby's measurements are what actually describe your week 38.
Rest as much as you can and stay reachable. Go in for regular contractions five minutes apart for an hour, or earlier if advised.
Weeks of pregnancy don't map cleanly to calendar months, but the common division puts week 38 falls in month 3 of pregnancy (weeks 9–13). Week 38 is part of the third trimester, which runs from week 28 to birth. Gestationally, week 38 means you are 37 weeks and 0 to 6 days pregnant.
At week 38 the baby averages 19.6 in long and weighs about 6.80 lb, roughly the size of a leek. Sizes come from fetal growth charts (crown-to-heel length from week 20), and normal variation week to week is wide; your ultrasound measurements always outrank a chart.