You are at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy and the most important blind date of your life is just around the corner! At this time, your baby is as big as a nice pumpkin.

In this article, I will take you by the hand and help you discover the main changes and wellness tips that will improve your life in the last weeks before delivery.

For an even more complete and aware journey towards birth, I recommend joining the Academy to access all the best video courses to support your health during pregnancy (multidisciplinary childbirth preparation course, pelvic floor, breastfeeding, nutrition, pilates, etc.) and the development of your baby (motor development, language, cognitive, baby-led weaning, pediatric airway clearance, etc.).

Also, on my Instagram profile @drsilva.com_official and on my YouTube channel you will find lots of content designed for you and your little one.

During the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy you are in the ninth month, between 35+1 and the beginning of the fortieth week.

During the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, during which the amniotic fluid renews approximately every 3 hours, you are accompanied by various symptoms.

Among these are Braxton-Hicks contractions, or false contractions.

They occur with a very specific purpose, namely to strengthen the walls of the uterus in view of what will be the actual labor.

Unlike actual labor contractions, they are not painful but cause a sensation of discomfort.

Also, they last from 30 to 60 seconds and do not increase in intensity.

Another possible symptom of the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy is the loss of the mucus plug.

An event recognizable primarily by observing the mucus, which appears yellowish in color and gelatinous in appearance, it may also be accompanied by small blood spots.

Caused by various factors, ranging from changes in the composition of cervical mucus to modifications of the cervix, the loss of the mucus plug is not a sign of imminent labor.

It occurs, in any case, towards the end of the pregnancy, generally starting from the thirty-sixth week of pregnancy.

Continuing our little journey to discover what happens during the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy and the universe of symptoms, we cannot fail to mention back pain.

Consequence both of the load on the lumbar area and the now deep action of estrogen hormones and relaxin, which increase the flexibility of muscles and ligaments to prepare your body for the effort of labor, is a cause of great discomfort during this period.

Keep using a specific pillow for pregnancy when you lie down - to breastfeed your baby you will need to buy another one - and get specific follow-up from an osteopath.

The pregnancy sleeping pillow is also valuable for fighting insomnia, a common problem at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy both due to the weight of the belly and the discomfort caused by cramps, not to mention the need to urinate more often because of the pressure of the uterus on the bladder.

Also dedicate yourself to exercises to relieve your back, which will be very useful to approach managing free positions during labor.

Looking for information about the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, perhaps on some maternity forum, you have surely read about the nesting syndrome.

Another typical symptom of these last weeks before birth is the mother cleaning the house very carefully, to make it perfect in anticipation of the newborn's arrival.

As confirmed by several studies over the years, it is a behavior that has specific evolutionary reasons and that we share with other mammals in nature, who dedicate time and effort to preparing a safe place for the offspring to come.

For the parental couple, the nesting syndrome experienced during the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy also has the advantage of strengthening the bond and preparing together to welcome the greatest change in life.

Even though at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy it is no longer considered premature birth, unless there are very serious clinical conditions ongoing, including gestosis, the pregnancy reaches full term and spontaneous labor onset is awaited.

At most, during this period, one discusses with the midwife about natural methods to stimulate it.

Consider, in any case, that labor that occurs spontaneously from three weeks before to 2-3 weeks after the due date is absolutely normal.

At the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, a mother has gained, on average, from 9 to 13 kg.

Take this value into account when monitoring your health, but do not consider it as the only indicator.

At the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, your baby, on average, is just under 50 cm long and weighs about 2.9 kg.

These are, as always, rough estimates, which are not the only data to focus on when monitoring fetal health.

During this period, the most significant changes concern the increase in fat reserves.

The baby gains about thirty grams of body mass every day.

During the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, about 15% of its weight consists of fat deposits.

Their role is essential for thermoregulation, which will still not be perfect for a while after birth.

In the days of the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, the fetus gradually loses the lanugo that covers its body.

The same happens with the vernix caseosa.

Also during this period, thanks to Braxton-Hicks contractions, the fetus, if already in the cephalic position, moves the head toward the lower part of the pelvis.

In an objectively uncomfortable position, the baby at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy spends a lot of time sleeping to gather strength for birth and, when moving, makes itself felt particularly strongly.

During the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, you can monitor your well-being and that of your little one with the following tests:

• Blood pressure check, which if too high can be a symptom of pregnancy toxemia.

• Swab for group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus.

• Toxotest and detection of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies.

• Cardiotocographic tracing (at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy it is not always indicated, but only in case of issues such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, and reduced fetal movements).

Of course, continue with your regular appointments with your trusted midwife. In case of abnormalities, she will be the first to recommend an ultrasound. 

Continue, now that you are at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, to follow the guidelines you have considered so far regarding nutrition.

The best is the Mediterranean diet with its abundance of seasonal vegetables, whole grains - try to vary, including alternatives like millet, sorghum, teff, rice, spelt, oats, etc. - high biological value proteins and good fats.

Here is the list of foods you must continue to avoid until delivery:

• Raw fruits and vegetables not washed under running water and rubbed well, the only way to remove the eggs of Toxoplasma gondii.

• Raw cold cuts (you can eat, in moderation, only cooked ham, bologna, turkey breast).

• Raw or lightly cooked fish and meat.

• Raw or lightly cooked blue cheeses and raw milk cheeses with rapid aging.

• Raw and unpasteurized eggs.

To prevent neonatal colic, which are not physiological at all but, as reminded by this 2018 study, are often associated with a picture of neonatal intestinal inflammation, ban pro-inflammatory foods such as refined flours, processed meats, sweets, dairy products, sources of trans fats.

It makes sense to do it already from the sweet wait - yes, even at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy - since the bacterial colonization of the baby's intestine already occurs during fetal life.

Even though at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy fatigue is high and the body is put to the test, do not stop moving.

During this period, everything is aimed at promoting pelvic opening in view of labor.

Excellent for this purpose is the yoga position of the garland - Malasana - which also allows you to work a lot on hip joint opening.

How is it done?

Starting from the standing position with legs together.

From here, you lower yourself down to reach the squatting position, very useful during labor because it allows you to take advantage of gravity.

You can also try Pilates which, with preparatory diaphragmatic breathing exercises like those you see in the video below, helps train the pelvic floor by engaging the deep transverse muscle.

When you are not practicing, treat yourself to a walk.

Walking at the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy is a blessing against leg cramps - osteopathy also helps a lot - and helps improve mood and circulation.