Development Week 39

As the baby begins to settle into your pelvis, it will relieve the pressure from your diaphragm, letting your breathing become easier. Unfortunately it is now pressing on your bladder making you run to the bathroom every few minutes.

Is it Labor?
The rupture of your amniotic sac could happen any day now. Some women experience a large gush of water, whereas other women feel a steady trickle when their water breaks. If you think your water has broken or you are experiencing regular contractions, contact your health care provider.

Ready to Go
Your baby is now probably over the seven pound mark and can hardly move inside the uterus. The lungs are also nearly fully developed and functional. The umbilical cord that carried nutrients from the placenta to your baby is now 20 inches long (50 centimeters) and is a half-inch (1.3 centimeters) thick. Because your baby weighs about 7 pounds (3288 grams) and consumes all of the space in your uterus, it's common for the umbilical cord to become knotted or wrapped around him.

Most of the vernix that covered your baby's skin has disappeared, as well as the lanugo. Your body begins to supply the baby with antibodies through the placenta that will help the baby's immune system fight infection for the first 6 months of life.

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Select a week of development to read detailed information:

Week 1	Week 11	Week 21	Week 31
Week 2	Week 12	Week 22	Week 32
Week 3	Week 13	Week 23	Week 33
Week 4	Week 14	Week 24	Week 34
Week 5	Week 15	Week 25	Week 35
Week 6	Week 16	Week 26	Week 36
Week 7	Week 17	Week 27	Week 37
Week 8	Week 18	Week 28	Week 38
Week 9	Week 19	Week 29	Week 39
Week 10	Week 20	Week 30	Week 40

Have a question about giving birth? Ask it in our Labor forum.