Now that you are at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, the impatience is great: you can't wait to meet your little one.

In these lines, I accompany you to discover what awaits you in the final period of your pregnancy.

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 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-eighth week of pregnancy you are halfway through the ninth month, which ranges from 35+1 to 40 weeks. 

At the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, in case of delivery, the baby would be considered full-term.

The probability that labor will start is higher than you might think.

Keep in mind that, on average, only one in five newborns is born on the expected due date.

If a scheduled cesarean section is planned for the end of your pregnancy, it could be performed this week.

Unless there have been complications during pregnancy, delivery at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy is considered not risky.

If you are expecting twins, the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy can be, depending on the indications, the right time for a scheduled delivery.

The symptoms of the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy are almost all focused on preparing the body for childbirth.

Among these signs is the loss of the mucus plug.

As I mentioned in this article, it is not always a sign of imminent labor.

Sometimes, it may be necessary to wait several weeks.

It is also normal to experience symptoms of diarrhea at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy.

This is a consequence of the increase in oxytocin and prostaglandins.

These hormones act primarily by stimulating uterine contractility, but they also have an impact on the intestine.

Back pain is also a companion of your days during this thirty-eighth week of pregnancy. 

To relieve this symptom, remember the following:

• The pregnancy sleeping pillow is a valuable ally.

• Osteopathy can help you.

• You can do back relief exercises like those explained in the video below, which will be very useful also in view of the labor. 

I also remind you that if at 38 weeks you often say “I feel pushing!”, know that it is all normal.

This is the effect of the pressure that the baby's head exerts on the pelvic floor structures.

During the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, it is normal to feel particularly strong fetal movements.

They are due to the following factors:

• Little space in the uterus

• Head now deeply positioned in the pelvis

If you don't feel them for a while, eat something sweet, listen deeply to your baby and if you feel at least ten movements in 30 minutes, relax because it means everything is fine.

Measuring 49-50 cm and with an average weight of around 3 kg - note: if your baby's estimated weight is lower, it does not mean they are not well - the fetus will use the remaining time before birth to prepare the lungs for when, after delivery, it will have to start breathing independently.

During the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, cortisol is synthesized by the mother's body with the specific purpose of promoting lung opening at the time of the first breath outside the womb. 

As already mentioned, during the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy the fetus, which also thanks to Braxton-Hicks contractions, or false labor, has moved into the correct position for birth, moves in a way that the mother can feel particularly intensely.

With the skin covered by a layer of fat that will partly dissolve in the amniotic fluid, the fetus at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy has all organs developed and able to perform their functions outside the womb.

In anticipation of the moment of birth, the vernix caseosa also gradually reabsorbs. 

It can happen that, at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, the fetus has not yet turned into the cephalic position.

Don't worry: there are several ways to help it turn. 

Here are the main ones:

• Moxibustion

• Rebozo

• Quadruped walking

Also work on pelvis mobilization, helping yourself with a precious ally for well-being in pregnancy, namely the fitball.

Even at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, you can refer to several essential tests to understand if your little one is well. 

Here they are:

• Blood pressure measurement. When it is too high, it can be a sign of gestosis or preeclampsia.

• Toxotest, to be redone especially in case of susceptibility to infection during the first trimester.

• Detection of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies.

• Urine test with urine culture.

If expressly indicated by the healthcare provider in case of non-physiological pregnancy, you can start with the cardiotocographic tracing even during this period.

During the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy, you just need to continue as you have done so far, that is, to follow the Mediterranean diet.

Put seasonal fruits and vegetables on the table, preferably of different colors, whole grains, varying the types, good fats, and sources of protein, dividing the intake 50:50 between plant-based and animal-based foods.

Here's a quick review of the foods that, at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy and until delivery, you must continue to avoid to protect yourself from foodborne infections:

• Raw fruits and vegetables not washed under running water and scrubbed vigorously, the only way to eliminate Toxoplasma gondii eggs.

• Raw or undercooked meat.

• Raw or undercooked fish.

• Raw or unpasteurized eggs and preparations containing them, such as mayonnaise.

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

• Raw or lightly cooked blue cheeses.

• Quickly aged cheeses made from raw milk.

There is also another category of foods that, both now that you are at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy and after delivery when you will be breastfeeding, you must continue to avoid.

These are pro-inflammatory foods such as refined flours, dairy products, processed meats, fried foods, sources of trans fats.

Since the intestinal bacterial colonization of the baby occurs already during fetal life and considering that, as demonstrated by this study published in 2018 in Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, neonatal colic is associated with intestinal inflammation, nutrition plays a decisive role in their prevention.

You will have understood that they are not physiological as you have often been told!

Physical activity at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy is more than ever aimed at preparing the body for labor.

Two excellent disciplines for this purpose are yoga and Pilates.

The first allows focusing on different positions that enable working on the pelvis and pelvic floor. Here are some:

• Malasana or garland pose, which involves assuming a position similar to a squat, very useful also to help the fetus position itself well.

• Utkata konasana, or goddess pose. In this case, the focus is still on a squat, but with the legs spread wide apart.

• Savasana - on the side - very useful for relaxing between contractions.

Also to try at the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy is Pilates.

This discipline, with preparatory exercises such as those based on diaphragmatic breathing, allows you to exercise the deep transverse muscle, which works in synergy with the pelvic floor structures, training it for what it will have to do during labor.