the next generationYour baby is still putting on weight — about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the creamy substance that has protected her skin during its submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, and they'll stay in her bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Babies born between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term; a baby born before 37 weeks is pre-term and after 42 weeks is post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery, but if she isn't head-down next week, your provider may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to turn your baby manually, by pushing her from the outside of your belly.