Third trimester · Pregnancy week by week
Week 37 of pregnancy
Baby is the size of swiss chard. About 19.10 inches, 2900g.
Week 37 is full term (early). The CDC PMSS notes that more than half of preventable maternal deaths in Black women occur in the postpartum period, not delivery — postpartum planning matters now. Source
What's happening with the baby
The fetus is full-term (early). All major organs are mature. Hand grasp is strong. Vernix and lanugo are thinning.
What's happening for you
Many women have prodromal labor — early contractions that aren't true labor. Lightening and pelvic pressure peak. Some women feel a burst of energy ('nesting').
Common (normal) symptoms this week
Lightening, pelvic pressure, Braxton Hicks (more frequent), prodromal labor (irregular early contractions), breast colostrum, sleep disturbance, occasional nausea.
Call your OB or 911 if
- Severe headache that won't go away with acetaminophen — preeclampsia.
- Vision changes — blurred vision, light flashes, vision loss.
- Severe right-upper-quadrant pain — HELLP syndrome.
- Sudden swelling of face, hands, or feet.
- Reduced fetal movement — fewer than 10 kicks in 2 hours.
- Vaginal bleeding, fluid leakage, or persistent contractions.
- Severe shortness of breath at rest or chest pain.
- Fever over 100.4°F.
- Seizure — eclampsia, life-threatening.
Why this week matters for Black families
The final weeks and the immediate postpartum period are where Black-maternal-mortality cases cluster. Postpartum hemorrhage rates are 3 to 4 times higher in Black women per ACOG Practice Bulletin 183, and recognition is documented to be slower. If after delivery you soak a pad in under an hour, pass golf-ball-sized clots, feel lightheaded standing up, or your heart races at rest — go to the ED, not to your OB's office for an appointment. Postpartum preeclampsia can develop up to 6 weeks after birth and is repeatedly missed. The Serena Williams near-miss in 2017 wasn't an outlier — it was the median pattern.
What to do this week
Weekly visits with cervical exams. Discuss when to come to the hospital (5-1-1 rule: contractions 5 min apart, lasting 1 min, for 1 hour). Confirm postpartum visit (typically 6 weeks but recommend earlier 1–3 week visit per ACOG 2018 update). Identify your postpartum support team.
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References
- CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System.
- ACOG Committee Opinion 736 — Optimizing Postpartum Care.
Last medically reviewed: .
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