November 10, 2017 (Updated December 6, 2023)

38 Week Pregnancy Update

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

43 comments

38 weeks… wow. I’m officially feeling like this pregnancy might actually have an end point – for a long time it seemed like I would just be pregnant forever and this was my new reality, you know? But now that our due date is so close, we are getting really excited to finally meet our new addition! Crazy that she could come any day now!

38 week pregnancy update

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Check out my previous pregnancy posts first if you missed them:

 

38 Week Pregnancy Update

Baby Size: Roughly 6.5 to 7 pounds, and the length of a leek!

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good physically lately actually! I mean, I have a huge and awkward belly that’s hard to work around and smushes my bladder, but other than that I feel pretty good. The heartburn I had for a week or so seems to have simmered which is awesome, and I don’t really have any aches or pains right now (knock on wood). Still dealing with the digestive issues, but I’ll take that over other symptoms for sure. The belly gets so much larger throughout the day which is funny – by evening it’s intense! Here’s a photo from Wednesday night – whoa! I think the baby may have started to drop a little bit which would explain the disappearance of heartburn and eating being a little easier… and my bladder feeling more squished.

38 week pregnant belly

Currently Missing: I’m starting to get REALLY excited to have the things I’ve avoided for awhile now again soon! See also: sushi, alcohol, runny egg yolks, etc!

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good lately – I wake up once or twice to go the bathroom, and switching sides is still an awkward ordeal that needs to happen every few hours because a leg will get numb or a hip will hurt, but I’m savoring my last chance to get lots of sleep for awhile. 🙂

Cravings, favorite foods, and aversions: Food has been better lately, too – I still don’t feel totally normal with food and some things are hit and miss, but I’m not feeling quite as turned off by most food lately. As I mentioned earlier this week, BLTs and I had a serious moment this week – so good.

IMG_1538

I have also been craving fresh, crunchy salads and raw veggies, which is a nice change! I had some good arugula salads this week at home as part of lunches.

salad pregnancy

Italian food is also consistently a win – I had a really fun girl’s night dinner last night at Filomena Ristorante in Georgetown – I’d never been there before and it was a lot of fun! The three of us shared 2 pasta dishes (and 2 starter salads) since portions were massive and everything was really good. The highlight, though, was this strawberry cheesecake we shared for dessert – it was amaaaazing. I <3 cheesecake.

filomena ristorante cheesecake

Exercise: Since my last update 2 weeks ago, I officially made the switch from regular yoga to prenatal yoga – my belly was getting pretty in the way in terms of scrambling up and down for normal classes, even with lots of modifications. I’ve gone to prenatal yoga a couple times now and it has felt really good!

I also had my last early morning boot camp date with the girls this week – again, I was just starting to feel like my belly was getting really in the way, and I was having to modify more and more. I’m looking forward to the extra sleep instead although I’ll miss seeing the girls for our workout dates!

fitness at 38 weeks pregnant

I’m still planning to continue to do lots of daily walking and some swimming until the baby arrives, though, in addition to the prenatal yoga – might as well keep that up since it keeps me feeling good physically and mentally!

Baby Position: As I wrote about last week, the baby was still head up (in Frank Breech position) at my 36 week appointment. We decided against doing the version procedure and instead I have been focusing on doing all the various other methods that are supposed to help with turning babies (inversions, warm baths with ice packs on the upper belly, peppermint oil rubbed into the top of my belly, moxibustion, prenatal chiropractor, etc.). I haven’t tried acupuncture yet but that’s next on the list if the baby still hasn’t moved as of today – we have our 38 week doctor appointment this afternoon so we will see if she has moved or not! I can’t tell – sometimes I think I feel movements in new areas, and sometimes I don’t. Who knows! I do think she has started to move down a little bit, though, as I mentioned already!

We have a C section tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 20 in the case she doesn’t flip – although we may move that back to November 24 just to give her a tiny bit more time to bake… we’ll see. November 24 would be the day after our due date, so it’s a bit of a gamble in the sense that if I actually go into labor before that then we will have an emergency C section situation on our hands, which is a bit more chaotic/intense as the baby can get more stuck, everyone is rushing around, etc. Any thoughts? If she doesn’t flip, should we stick with November 20 or do November 24? (In between those dates are not options for scheduled procedures due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Nov 23, our actual due date.) If we do November 20 and everything goes okay, the doctor said we’d probably be home by Thanksgiving, so it could be fun to introduce the baby to my parents, brother, and grandmother that day (although I’m wondering if we will be up for that…). If we wait until November 24, it would be nice to have one last adult only Thanksgiving the day before, provided she doesn’t decide to make her debut on her own. The other thing is that if we stick with Nov 20 we currently have our least favorite doctor assigned to us as she’s the one on call that day…

Maybe we will find out today that she has flipped and then it will just be up to her to decide when to arrive – who knows! 🙂

ElyseesEye-DistrictLineCo17-148Photo credit

Pre-Contractions/Labor Sensations: Still nada! I haven’t had any pre-contractions or anything like that. I know that some people have their water break/go into labor without any of these early signs, though, so who knows if this indicates anything or not!

Reading/Baby-Related Classes and Prep: My hospital bag is packed, we’ve taken all the various baby-related prep classes we wanted to, our hospital tour is done… now all that remains is getting our car seats checked! We have an appointment to do that one night next week – hoping the baby doesn’t come before that happens but they didn’t have any earlier openings!

Baby Room Progress: We ordered some cute baby animal prints for the baby’s room from Etsy, but they haven’t come just yet – so no new nursery photos or updates! I’ll share a final photo tour once we have it all finished – we figure there’s no rush since the baby won’t be in there for awhile anyway, and it’s ready for diaper changes and nursing already.

Work/Maternity Leave: This week was my last big week of AnneTheRD nutrition client meetings! Next week I’m going to enjoy relaxing more and getting ready for our new addition, while continuing to work ahead in terms of blog-related partnerships.

Thank you for reading and sharing in this special time with us. <3 I’m not sure if I’ll be posting another dedicated pregnancy update at 40 weeks or not – it’s all up to the baby! Stay tuned! When she arrives, I’ll plan to take some time off the blog (a week or so), but will pop in to let you guys know she is here. Check Instagram for updates, too – that will likely be the first place I’ll announce her arrival to the public! 🙂

- anne

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43 comments
  • Kris S
    Love the photos! :D
    Reply
  • holly
    I would switch to the 24th, the doctor you have will make a huge difference with your experience and even if you go into labor, especially for your first baby, it won't happen super quick, you'll have time to get to the hospital etc. It is nothing like the movies, which I am sure you already know. :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      Yeah, that's what our doula was saying (in terms of labor being pretty slow especially the first time anyway, so it's not like the baby will be popping out before they can do the C section). Gotta love the dramatic movie version of it all, ha!
      Reply
  • Annie
    I would stay with the 20th. I end up with an emergency c-section because my breach baby cake early. I saw my dr for a few minutes. The most important people were my nurses. They were the ones who were there the most and super helpful. Doc just came in a few times to check incision. Good luck!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Oh man, yikes! Hmmm... decisions!
      Reply
  • Traci Ward
    As someone who's had a c section...you probably will not feel super excited to mingle with tons of people just after delivery. Those first few days are hard (especially if you are nursing), I remember feeling like my daughter was constantly eating once my milk came in. If you can enjoy one last holiday before baby I say do that! But avoiding that emergency c section situation is always tricky. Many though and hugs for you! The best is yet to come, promise ❤️
    Reply
    • Anne
      Thanks Traci <3
      Reply
  • jessey
    One reasoning for keeping the 20th is her birthday will never be on Thanksgiving. The 24th you'd have to contend with a holiday birthday (though not for a few years) - I know this not because I know someone with that birthday but I know I found out I was pregnant with my daughter on Thanksgiving, November 24, 2005 (I usually never go out on Black Friday, but went out and bought about 6 more pregnancy tests). We have a few family members with holiday birthdays (Halloween, New Year's Eve, St Patrick's Day, 4th of July, my dads sometimes was on Easter), so I would avoid it if possible. I was in the camp of never having a contraction, ever, and my water broke 36 hours before my induction. Good luck - how exciting!!!!
    Reply
    • Rebecca
      Oh funny! I have a Thanksgiving birthday some years, and I love it! Even as a little girl, I was excited when my birthday fell on the holiday. Maybe it helps that the Thanksgiving birthday is the exception, not the rule....
      Reply
  • Jessica
    You have to do what feels right to you, but hopefully she turns and you won't even have to decide! That said, I personally would do the 20th so that you're a tiny bit ahead of your due date and can potentially avoid any extra stress and rushing to the hospital. They say first babies typically don't come that quickly, but that isn't always the case. I wouldn't worry about the doctor too much as you may end up spending majority of your time with the nurses on staff. The amount of time I actually saw the doctor while in L&D (28 hours) was probably 1.5 hours - my L&D nurse was seconds from delivering our baby.
    Reply
  • Evey Lennon
    Based on my experience, I would recommend waiting. Those first babies like to come late. :) I can guarantee you will not be up to Thanksgiving festivities/guests if the baby is delivered on the 20th, so I wouldn't weigh that in your decision. Hope that baby decides to flip! Wishing you the best.
    Reply
  • Stacey
    So excited for you! I love reading all of your updates. You look amazing, all belly for sure! Thank you so much for sharing such a personal time with all of us. Best of luck to you and can't wait to to continue to follow your journey.
    Reply
  • Laurel
    It goes without saying that this is totally your call, but I personally would do the 20th. My son was my first baby and I was *convinced* he was going to be late, him being my first and having had zero signs of labor and then boom my water breaks and he's born 4 days before his due date. As someone else mentioned, first babies usually don't have a short labor but you never know--my friend had like a 2 hour labor with her first; he came fast. As long as your least favorite doctor seems competent, I wouldn't worry about it---you're going to be spending most of your time with L&D nurses. Good luck and I hope she's turned for you!
    Reply
  • Lindsay
    I agree with the others who said you will spend most of your time with the nurses. I had to have 2 emergency c-sections, and I would opt for the earlier day. Such an exciting time! Rest up and good luck to you!!
    Reply
  • Laura Swanson
    I'd stick with the 20th to avoid going into labor and having an emergency c section. She'll be full size and not like 4 days would make a difference in terms of her health.
    Reply
  • Erin
    My 2nd baby was frank breech and I went into labor before my scheduled c-section. They didn't really consider it an emergency. I was fine, the baby was fine. There wasn't really any rushing or anything. I know every situation is different. But it even though it was unscheduled it was still a calm, pleasant experience :)
    Reply
  • Sarah
    I would go with the 24th! A few extra days can make a difference in the development of baby's suck reflex so that can be helpful with breastfeeding. And, I've heard that if you go into labor on your own, that can be a plus if you ever want to try for a VBAC with future babies (though I know there's a lot that goes into that equation). I ended up with my least favorite doctor too, in a semi emergency situation, and ended up loving her. So you never know how the situation may play out! Good luck!! Enjoy the anticipation of the adventure! :)
    Reply
    • Lisa
      Babies can suck, swallow and breathe starting ato 34 weeks. Babies are full term at 37 weeks. At this point, a few more days in is not going to have an impact on sucking. Now the baby may gain some weight in those last 4 days, but at this point she is fully developed.
      Reply
  • Michelle
    You can actually choose your daughter's astrological sign -- Scorpio or Sagittarius ? Just like everything you have done so far you should go with what your gut instinct tells you. You can't go wrong either way.
    Reply
    • Emily Malone
      Haha I was thinking this same thing! Would def go with the Sagittarius baby. I'd go as long as possible! So excited for you!!
      Reply
    • Anne
      Lol I discovered that too re: the astrological signs!
      Reply
  • Amy S
    You look great! I have loved reading your pregnancy updates. Crazy that your daughter could be born any day! I agree with some of the other posters - go with your instinct on deciding between the 20th and the 24th. Honestly, I'm sure you can't go wrong - whatever is meant to be will happen :) Where did you get that pink and red shirt in the photos? I'm pregnant right now too and I really like that top, so I'm curious!
    Reply
    • Anne
      It was a hand me down so I think it's pretty old, but it's Motherhood Maternity brand! :)
      Reply
  • Lisa
    I'm always a fan of waiting as long as you can to induce/have a c-section because I believe there is a reason that babies come when they do, so I would say wait until the 24th. But I also believe in mother's intuition, so if you're not sure, trust your gut!
    Reply
  • Melanie
    I would recommend the 20th...I had 3 C-sections and planned is way better than un-planned...plus I don't recommend being in the hospital over a Holiday weekend....you may experience staff shortages, back-up personnel etc. plus if there are any complications for you or the baby Specialists can be hard to reach on Holidays. I would not expect to attend anything on Thanksgiving if you have the C-section on the 20th...my first one I was in the hospital 5 days, second one (unplanned) was 2 weeks, third one 3 days. As always..wishing you all the best!
    Reply
  • Amanda
    That pic of you is gorgeous :) My two cents on the 20th v. 24th dilemma is go with your gut instinct like you did when deciding whether to do the version procedure or not. My baby was breech too, but my experience was entirely different than yours and one that I wouldn't wish on anyone (emergency c section at 24 weeks...traumatizing to say the least). Anyway, thank you for sharing your journey with us. Wishing you all the best and can't wait to see pics of the new addition!
    Reply
  • Leanne
    You look amazing!! Personally, I would stick with the 20th. My daughter was due on Thanksgiving, the 24th (13 years ago!) and we scheduled my induction for the 19th. My story was different, because she wasn’t breech, and she came on her own on the 18th. I had a houseful on Thanksgiving, which was good and bad (my family is high maintenance and not helpful), but I was so happy to be home with our daughter on Thanksgiving. Whatever feels right to you will be the right thing to do. Good luck with your decision!
    Reply
  • Allyssa
    I see pros and cons to both dates! So I'm going to have to agree with those who say follow your instinct and not logic. I can't speak from experience, as both of my babies came on their own at 38 weeks, but I'm really on the fence about the two dates because of the holiday. As a nurse, I have to disagree with concerns about staffing. I've worked in multiple hospitals and all function at pretty much the same level as always on a holiday. Specialists are still on call and required to evaluate within the same time frames as always. I don't think you'll want a bunch of visitors for Thanksgiving if you have her on the 20th. Bringing your first baby home is hard (so much easier when you have a second one) and breastfeeding the first week is really challenging. I would kind of lean towards picking the later date, but don't think you can go wrong either way. Do what your gut tells you!
    Reply
    • Anne
      That's good to hear re: the hospital staffing!
      Reply
    • Lisa
      I had my daughter the day before Thanksgiving last year. The staff on Thanksgiving was like it was on the weekends. No big group rounding, just the on call attending. I had been in the hospital for 5 weeks before she came. They always had a specialist there if one was needed as well, even on holidays.
      Reply
  • Lauren
    After a C-section I am not sure you will want to be amongst a big group. And the hormones are insane those first few days, not to mention trying to get into a groove of breastfeeding every couple hours (or less! I was more or less topless for the first week.). As someone who had your exact circumstances 20 months ago, I'd strongly recommend not making plans and seeing how things go hour to hour. It's a truly crazy time and C-section recovery is no joke. Give yourself time and grace. Also, to ease your mind, I went into labor with my breech baby three days after my due date and it was not an emergency at all - just called the doc, went to the hospital, and had the c-section. Good luck!!
    Reply
  • Allie
    I switched to a later c-section date (that was my actual due date- started having small contractions that day) because I wanted my doctor to do the surgery and not someone I didn’t know very well and didn’t particularly care for. Once I switched I felt so much more at ease. Also, had my daughter right after thanksgiving. There was NO WAY I would have been up for a family thanksgiving celebration those first few days and there was something kind of special about the last holiday before we met our little girl.
    Reply
  • Susanna
    I’m a Labor and delivery nurse and can tell you it is much easier on mama (and everyone) when a c-section is scheduled, versus urgent/stat if you were to go into labor or your water broke. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be wonderful either way! You will spend more time with your nurses than your doctor :) Also- not important, but my birthday is the 22nd and often falls on Thanksgiving. So if her birthday was the 20th, that wouldn’t happen. Truly, all that matters is that your sweet girl arrives safely!! Thinking of your family in this exciting time
    Reply
  • Susan
    I doubt you will feel like seeing anyone if you have a newborn on thanksgiving. The first two weeks are tough. Most first time moms who go into labor naturally deliver late, so I’d wait it out. It will be fine either way, and a year from now you will laugh that you worried about it!
    Reply
  • Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off
    SO exciting!!! And I feel like you would rather it be the 24th, I mean it's so important to be comfortable with the doctor, I think! Good luck with everything <3
    Reply
  • Roadrunner
    Think the 20th would be best; go with the plan! Glad you are feeling decent. Couple of weeks to go!
    Reply
  • Nicole @ Bento Momentos
    That strawberry cheesecake is speaking love to me. Wishing you a healthy and safe delivery, whenever that little one decides to come out!
    Reply
  • GAYE MCGRATH
    You look absolutely glowing in that last photo! I've enjoyed your baby updates, thanx for sharing. Wishing you all the best these next two weeks. Can't wait to see a pic of her.
    Reply
    • Anne
      Thank you Gaye! :)
      Reply
  • Isela
    My first baby was breech and we waited until I went into labor on my own. I wanted to give him as much time as possible to flip (rare the later it gets, but not impossible!), and since I was going to miss out on labor and traditional birth I wanted to have at least some of the excitement and anticipation. I wanted the baby to choose his own birthday so it wouldn't feel so clinical and planned. My water actually webbed up breaking on my due date, around 5am. I took a shower, ran around in excitement getting our things out the door and headed to the hospital. They did ultrasound and he was still breech, so we did end up with a csection. It didn't feel stressful at all, and I appreciated my doctor letting us have some say in how his birth went. I'd do the same again. (We also didn't do a version, my gut just told me not to. His head was stuck in my ribs and needed some tugging to get him out. I can't imagine having tried to do that from the outside!)
    Reply
    • Anne
      This is really good to hear, especially since we are leaning towards the later date for the scheduled C section... at least that will give her a little more time to flip and/or try to come on her own!
      Reply
  • Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
    I know you have a breech update but I am not going to read ahead! It's a tough decision but I would go with the 20th over the 24th. If I could rank how I'd like my baby to come into this world (which I obv can't - ha!) my choice would be 1) vaginally 2) scheduled c-section 3) emergency c-section. It seems like most of the moms I know who had emergency c-sections were able to do skin-to-skin with the baby immediately after birth. I am not sure why that was the case. But it seems like you have better odds with a scheduled c-section? But I only have anecdotal evidence to back that up so who knows if there is any scientific proof to that! You look so cute pregnant! I am sure you feel so uncomfortable but you sure look beautiful!
    Reply