<p>Being 38 weeks pregnant means you are between 38+0 and 38+6 weeks. About 8 months and 22 days have passed since your last period, so you are in the 9th month. Your baby could come any day. From this week NICE advises discussing what can be done if labour does not start on its own.</p>
<p>At 38 weeks, about 8 months and 22 days have passed since your last period, so you are in the 9th month. Weeks are counted from the first day of your last period (days 266–272).</p>
According to the NHS, your baby is about 49.8 cm from head to heel. Most of the fine body hair (lanugo) from the 2nd trimester has gone, though some babies are born with patches. A sticky green substance called meconium is building up in the bowel: it is made of what the baby swallows in the womb, including amniotic fluid and hair, and normally comes out after birth as the first poo. The NHS notes that if the baby does a poo during labour it can be a sign of distress, and the baby will need close monitoring.
The NHS says a new symptom this week may be frustration or even boredom. If you feel anxious or low, talk to your doctor or midwife. A walk for fresh air is fine; take your pregnancy notes with you.
Braxton Hicks contractions may become more frequent; they should not be painful. According to the NHS, real labour contractions hurt when your bump goes tight and the pain eases when the muscles relax.
Turkish Ministry of Health (antenatal care guideline, 2026): this is the last week of the 36–38 week 4th visit; if not done yet, the ultrasound, check of the presenting part, blood pressure, urine and blood tests and breast examination are completed. Weekly blood pressure checks continue until birth.
NICE NG201 — 38-week appointment: blood pressure, urine protein and fundal height are checked, and in single pregnancies the bump is felt for a breech baby. The NHS explains that urine is checked for protein because pre-eclampsia can happen in the second half of pregnancy or after birth. New at this appointment is a discussion of what happens if you go beyond 41 weeks.
If labour does not start — how institutions approach it: NICE advises discussing prolonged pregnancy and its options from 38 weeks. The NHS says that after 41 weeks an induction may be offered because of possible risks, and that about 1 in 5 labours are started this way. UpToDate suggests induction if you have not given birth by 41+0 weeks; it also lists induction in the 39th week as an option and notes that membrane sweeping at visits from 39 weeks, if the cervix is partly open, may help labour start. The Turkish Ministry of Health guideline does not make a recommendation on this.
NICE does not recommend routine scans at this stage in uncomplicated pregnancies, while the Turkish guideline asks for an ultrasound at the 4th visit. The estimated weight on ultrasound is approximate: in a systematic review cited by UpToDate, the error exceeded 14 percent of birth weight in 5 percent of fetuses.
| Symptom | Usually | Seek care if |
|---|---|---|
| Frequent tightening | Braxton Hicks contractions become more frequent now and are painless (NHS). | Call your maternity unit if contractions are painful, regular and last at least 60 seconds every 5 minutes (NHS). |
| Impatience, boredom, anxiety | The NHS describes these as common feelings at 38 weeks. | If anxiety or low mood is getting to you, talk to your doctor or midwife (NHS). |
| Wet underwear | Discharge can increase, or you may leak a little urine. | Your waters may have broken: the NHS says it can be just a trickle and that you should call if unsure. |
Most of these are danger signs or emergency referral criteria in the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline; call your maternity unit or go to the nearest emergency department without waiting. The NHS says to call straight away, even in the middle of the night, if your baby's movements reduce, stop or change pattern, without waiting until the next day. NICE asks for hospital assessment within 24 hours if blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above and the same day at 160/110 mmHg or above; it recommends a hospital review for any unexplained bleeding after 13 weeks, and anti-D for women who are RhD negative and at risk of isoimmunisation. The NHS also says you can call any time if you are worried something is wrong.
About 8 months and 22 days have passed since your last period, so you are in the 9th month.
According to the 2017 WHO fetal growth charts, the 50th percentile for estimated weight at 38 weeks is 3,186 g, and the 10th to 90th percentile range is 2,723–3,652 g. According to the NHS, the baby is about 49.8 cm from head to heel. The WHO values come from ultrasound measurements in low-risk pregnancies in ten countries; the authors note differences by country, maternal factors and fetal sex, and that birth weight varies considerably even under optimal conditions. Your own baby's estimated weight is measured on ultrasound and has a margin of error (UpToDate, 2026).
The NHS says a planned caesarean is usually booked for at least 39 weeks, to give the baby's lungs the best chance of being fully developed. UpToDate also recommends planned caesarean for a breech baby at 39+0 weeks or later unless there is a specific reason for earlier birth.
The NHS says it may be a trickle rather than a gush and can be confused with leaking urine. If you think your waters have broken, call: labour may need to be induced because of the higher risk of infection. According to UpToDate, waters break before labour starts in about 8 percent of term pregnancies.
Usually you wait. NICE advises discussing the options from 38 weeks; the NHS says induction may be offered after 41 weeks, and UpToDate suggests induction at 41+0 weeks and notes induction in the 39th week as an option.
Last updated: . All sources have been confirmed with their latest versions. This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for a doctor's examination.