37 weeks pregnant: full term, your birth plan and newborn warning signs

At 37 weeks pregnant your baby is full term, KKH says, and could arrive any day. HealthXchange says every organ is ready to work on its own except the lungs, which keep maturing until birth. If you haven't settled your birth plan, KKH's planner suggests doing it now.

Vaginal birth or caesarean

KKH usually encourages a vaginal birth, and does caesareans only for medical reasons its obstetricians assess. A planned caesarean is called elective; an emergency caesarean may be needed if a vaginal delivery runs into trouble. Here's how recovery compares at KKH:

KKH's planner also notes that a caesarean carries higher risks in future pregnancies and makes a repeat caesarean more likely, while a vaginal birth makes the next one easier. Our guides to the birth plan, C-section recovery and VBAC go into more detail.

Newborn warning signs

KKH asks parents to learn these now, before the baby arrives. Get medical help if your newborn:

• cries more than usual, or screams as if in pain
• is unusually quiet or drowsy
• has diarrhoea or vomiting
• has a sunken or bulging soft spot on top of the head
• breathes much faster than usual, or has trouble breathing
• has a fever
• has pale, cold, clammy skin

If your baby just seems wrong to you, ask your doctor. KKH notes that a mother's instinct is often right.

Your baby at 37 weeks

HealthXchange puts a full-term baby at 48 to 53cm and 3 to 4.5kg, while KKH's planner says an average Singaporean baby weighs 2.5 to 3.5kg at term. Either way, your baby is ready to be born.

What's due in Singapore at 37 weeks

Keep the contraction timer on your phone's home screen.

When to go to the hospital

Go in with regular contractions, your water bag breaking, a bloody show with contractions, any other bleeding, or fewer movements than usual.

From 22 weeks, KKH asks you to go straight to its Delivery Suite, at Level 2 of the Women's Tower, for water-bag leakage, vaginal bleeding or signs of labour. At NUH, the Delivery Suite is Ward 22, on Level 2 of the Main Building. Booked somewhere else? Go to your own hospital's delivery suite, or call its O&G clinic if you're unsure.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to give birth at 37 weeks?

Yes. KKH counts 37 weeks as full term and sees 37 to 40 weeks as the ideal window for an uncomplicated pregnancy.

How long will I stay in hospital after giving birth?

At KKH, about 3 days after a caesarean and 1 to 2 days after a vaginal birth.

Can I ask for a caesarean?

KKH says caesareans are done for medical reasons as assessed by your obstetrician. Talk to your doctor about your situation.

37 weeks pregnant is how many months?

About eight and a half months, counted from the first day of your last period.

Week by week. Previous week: 36 weeks pregnant. Next week: 38 weeks pregnant. Every week from 4 to 40: pregnancy week by week.