Week 37: Munchkie is the size of a Diaper Bag!

Welcome to Week 37: Munchkie is the size of a Diaper Bag!

Baby's Length: 19-21 in.

Baby's Weight: 6.33-6.5 lbs.

Dear Munchkin,

Your daddy and I are so excited to meet you. It won't be too long now before you enter this world. If you wouldn't mind doing me a favor before you come and be a little more gentle on my rib cage. I can't wait to see your little feet in person. We are wondering if you are going to be a soccer player, a football kicker, or a swimmer. Daddy hopes you want to be a kicker! You certainly have a strong kick.
We love you and can't wait to meet you soon!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

P.S. Check out what you look like in my belly this week:

What's happening with the baby this week:

At the end of this week your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
Your baby has likely hit the six-pound mark by now, and her length is approximately twenty-one inches. The weight on your abdomen probably feels like twice that. Your baby is practicing her breathing, but she has increasingly less space to practice stretching and kicking. Your baby' intestines are also building up meconium, a greenish-black substance made of baby by-products such as dead cells, shed lanugo, and amniotic fluid. It'll become your little darling's first bowel movement, hopefully after she is out of the womb. Her body fat has increased to about eight percent. By birth, it'll be about fifteen percent. If your baby is a boy, his testes will have descended into his scrotum. While your baby could be born at any time, the longer she stays in, the more time she has to develop the connections in her brain in the pleasant peace and quiet of your womb. At this point, she can do all the things a newborn can, with the exception of breathing air and pooping in a diaper. Just as you're feeling stretched, your baby is being squeezed on all sides. Some of your antibodies are crossing the placenta, giving your baby's immune system some support for her first days in the world. If you breastfeed, you'll later be giving her immunities in your milk.

• This week, the average size is about 6.3 pounds (2859gm) now and 19.1 inches (48.6cm) length.
• She is official full term at the end of this week, but can still benefit from extra days in the womb.
• Your baby continues to practice breathing movements. Isn't it amazing how she can breathe "under water?"
• Grasp is firm now. It won't be long until you'll feel that strong little fist confidently grasping your finger (or tightly clenching your hair)!
• A few weeks ago, your baby would move her eyes toward light. Now she turns towards light outside the uterus.
• " As the uterine wall stretches and thins allowing more light to permeate, he develops definite daily activity cycles. You will want to be sure to establish good patterns yourself at this time, thus encouraging them in your child. Ever heard of a baby getting his days/nights mixed up? Now's the time to try to avoid that!