38 weeks pregnant: development and going past your due date
38 weeks pregnant is a stage at which, the NHS says, the baby is around 49.8 cm long from head to heel, about the length of a stick of rhubarb, and is full term (NHS, 2026). This page sets out what the NHS, NICE and ACOG say about week 38, including the conversation about going past your due date.
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Medically reviewed by Dr Mary Davidson, Reproductive endocrinologist, checked on
Seek help now if you have any of these symptoms
Bleeding and cramping are common in early pregnancy and often do not mean miscarriage. The symptoms below, however, need to be assessed straight away.
- Soaking two or more sanitary pads per hour, or passing large clots
- Severe lower abdominal pain, especially on one side
- Pain at the tip of the shoulder
- Dizziness, fainting, or collapse
- Signs of shock — pale, clammy, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness
- Pain on opening bowels, or bladder or bowel changes
- Feeling very unwell, or feverish
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How the sources describe development around 38 weeks
- Size and shape, NHS
- The NHS week 38 page in its week-by-week guide (NHS, 2026) gives the baby as around 49.8 cm long from head to heel and compares it to the length of a stick of rhubarb. It says the downy hair called lanugo is mostly gone, though some babies are born with patches, and that the baby is storing up sticky green meconium in the bowels, which normally comes out after the birth as the first poo.
- Development, ACOG
- ACOG’s list for weeks 37 to 40 includes the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems being done developing, the lungs, brain and nervous system finishing their development, and fat continuing to be added all over to keep the baby warm after birth (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). It does not date these to a single week.
Weeks are counted from the first day of the last menstrual period, so about two weeks of the count come before conception (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). This page covers 38 weeks 0 days to 38 weeks 6 days.
A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period, so at 38 weeks about 2 weeks remain to the estimated due date (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). Your own due date depends on your last period or a scan, not on the week alone.
The 38-week appointment
The NHS says that at the appointment due around now the midwife or doctor measures your bump with a tape measure, checks your blood pressure and looks for protein in your urine, which could point to pre-eclampsia (NHS, "Week 38 of pregnancy", 2026). Its appointments page says the midwife discusses your choices if you are still pregnant after 40 weeks (NHS, "Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments", 2026). NICE guideline NG201 says that from 38 weeks care teams should discuss prolonged pregnancy and options on how to manage it (NICE, 2021).
Planned caesarean and induction, as the NHS describes them
The NHS says that if you are having a planned caesarean you will probably be booked in at at least 39 weeks, to give the baby’s lungs the best chance of being fully developed. It says you will have a chat about what might happen if you go beyond 41 weeks, that there could be risks for you or the baby so you may be offered an induction, and that around 1 in 5 labours are started this way (NHS, "Week 38 of pregnancy", 2026).
Where babies are born
The NHS says around 1 in 50 women in England have their babies at home, supported by a midwife (NHS, "Week 38 of pregnancy", 2026).
Work out which week you are in
The Pregnancy week calculator takes your last period, conception date, scan or IVF transfer and shows how many weeks and days pregnant you are today.
Sources
- NHS Best Start in Life. Week 38 of pregnancy (week-by-week guide to pregnancy). nhs.uk, 2026.
- NHS. Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments. nhs.uk, 2026.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Antenatal care (NG201). NICE, 2021.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy (FAQ156). ACOG, 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What happens at the 38-week appointment?
The NHS says the midwife or doctor measures your bump, checks your blood pressure and looks for protein in your urine, and its appointments page says they discuss your choices if you are still pregnant after 40 weeks (NHS, 2026).
What is induction?
The NHS says it is when labour is brought on artificially, for example with a tablet or gel in the vagina, and that around 1 in 5 labours are started this way (NHS, 2026). Your care team explains the options and risks if it is offered.