Week Thirty Eight: Development is complete

My wife is now 38 weeks pregnant and this is what is happening this week in peanuts development. Baby William is about 20 inches and weighs about 7.5 pounds. The soft down, which covered the body throughout the pregnancy, is now disappearing. His body fat is continuing to build up. The wrinkled skin is becoming 'baby' smooth. He may have reached his final birth position. Most babies are born head first with only about 3 percent coming out feet first. About one in eight births are cesarean. For baby William his development is complete, his main job is to continue to gain weight. The body continues laying on the fat stores that will help regulate his body temperature after birth. The amniotic fluid, this is approximately equal to 4 or 5 cups. It doesn't sound like much, but when my wife's water breaks, it will feel like much more to her. Baby William may have a full head of hair now, an inch or more long, but some babies are born with only peach fuzz. Speaking of hair, most of the downy coat of lanugo that covered William for weeks has disappeared, but we may see some on the upper back and shoulders when he arrives. Almost gone has most of the vernix caseosa, the whitish substance that also covered William. William will swallow the lanugo and exterior coating, along with other secretions, and store them in his bowels. These will become his first bowel movement, a blackish waste called meconium. Williams intestines are accumulating lots of meconium. About 30% of babies move their bowels before birth. Usually this is a sign that William is under some stress and can cause pneumonia if he inhales any amniotic fluid with meconium in it. If there are signs of meconium in the amniotic fluid at birth our care provider will make sure that his throat and lungs are suctioned thoroughly. Love, you are almost at the end of your pregnancy. Your weight should not increase much from this point. It should remain between 25 and 35 pounds until delivery and you still look more beautiful then ever. Reference: http://baby2see.com/development/week38.html