39 weeks pregnant: your 6-week check, baby's first jabs and paternity leave
In this article
At 39 weeks pregnant you're very close to your due date. It's normal to give birth a week or two either side of it, HealthXchange says. KKH's planner uses this week to look past the birth: your own check-up six weeks after delivery, your baby's first vaccinations, and your partner's leave.
Your 6-week check
Six weeks after delivery you'll have a post-delivery check-up. KKH says it usually covers:
- contraception, family planning and when to resume sex
- checking any wounds
- a blood sugar test if you had gestational diabetes, and your blood pressure
- possibly a pap smear
- how you're coping with your mood, breastfeeding and your general health
After a caesarean, KKH's planner says your review is at about 4 weeks at KKH; after a vaginal birth, about 6 weeks at a polyclinic or GP. If you've felt low, tearful or hopeless on most days for up to two weeks, tell your doctor; see postnatal depression help in Singapore.
Your baby's first jabs
Right after birth, babies get vitamin K and a hepatitis B injection, KKH says. The next jab is due in about 4 weeks, so mark it on your calendar. Our vaccination schedule tool lists every dose on Singapore's childhood schedule, and baby vaccinations in Singapore explains each one.
Your partner's leave after the birth
| Leave | How it works |
|---|---|
| Government-Paid Paternity Leave | 4 weeks if the due date is on or after 1 April 2025. By default, 4 continuous weeks within 16 weeks of the birth; by agreement, any time within 12 months, as a block or in days |
| Shared parental leave | 10 weeks for children born from 1 April 2026, shared between you; taken within 12 months, in one block within 26 weeks if you and the employer can't agree |
| Notice | 4 weeks for both, unless the employer accepts less |
| Protection | From 1 April 2025, it's an offence to dismiss an employee on paternity leave |
Work out the split with the paternity leave calculator and shared parental leave calculator.
What's due in Singapore at 39 weeks
| Week 39 at a glance | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Status | Full term |
| Visits | Weekly |
| Your baby | Vitamin K and hepatitis B at birth; next jab in about 4 weeks |
| Your check | Postnatal review at 4 to 6 weeks |
| Your partner | Paternity leave within 16 weeks by default |
| Labour | Time contractions; know your hospital's route |
When to go to the hospital
KKH's three signs of labour are your water bag breaking, a bloody show and regular contractions that come closer and get stronger. NUH lists contractions every 5 to 15 minutes. Go straight in for bleeding that isn't a show, or fewer movements than usual.
From 22 weeks on, KKH sends leaking fluid, bleeding and labour signs to its Delivery Suite, Level 2 of the Women's Tower. NUH's is Ward 22 on Level 2 of the Main Building. Save your own hospital's delivery suite number in your phone now, so nobody has to look it up in a rush.
Frequently asked questions
When is the postnatal check-up in Singapore?
About 6 weeks after a vaginal birth, at a polyclinic or GP, and about 4 weeks after a caesarean at KKH, KKH's planner says.
When does my baby get the first vaccinations?
Vitamin K and hepatitis B are given right after birth, KKH says, and the next jab is due in about 4 weeks.
When can my husband take paternity leave?
By default, as 4 continuous weeks within 16 weeks of the birth, or any time within 12 months if his employer agrees, MOM says.
39 weeks pregnant is how many months?
About nine months, counted from the first day of your last period.
Week by week. Previous week: 38 weeks pregnant. Next week: 40 weeks pregnant. Every week from 4 to 40: pregnancy week by week.
- HealthXchange (KKH), Pregnancy: second and third trimester (read 11 Oct 2026)
- HealthXchange, KKH pregnancy planner: week 39 (read 11 Oct 2026)
- HealthXchange, KKH pregnancy planner: week 37 (read 11 Oct 2026)
- SingHealth, Do's and don'ts in pregnancy, by KK Women's and Children's Hospital (read 11 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower, Paternity leave (read 11 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower, Shared parental leave (read 11 Oct 2026)
- HealthXchange, KKH pregnancy planner: week 31 (read 11 Oct 2026)
- NUH, Obstetrics: giving birth at NUH (read 11 Oct 2026)
- KKH, Urgent O&G Centre (read 11 Oct 2026)
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