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Trimester 3 · Week 38 of 40

Week 38 of pregnancy: Waiting for Labour

What to do if your waters break, why fluid colour matters, and what your baby's first hour can look like: skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding.

Last updated 28 September 2026

What's happening this week?

Your baby is still early term and gaining weight more slowly now, while you wait. This week focuses on two things worth knowing before the day. First, what to do if your waters break, including why green or brown fluid means going in at once. Second, what happens in your baby's first hours: skin contact and starting breastfeeding within an hour of birth, which India's dietary guidelines strongly encourage. Sharing these plans with your family now helps them support you.

Baby's development

Most of the fine lanugo hair has now gone, and the vernix coating is gradually decreasing. Your baby continues to gain weight, but more slowly than a few weeks ago, at about 150–200 g a week. Fat continues to build, giving your baby rounder cheeks and limbs and helping them keep warm after birth.

Meconium, the sticky, dark first stool, has been building up in the bowel since mid-pregnancy. It is not normally passed before birth. If it is passed into the waters, the fluid turns greenish or brown; this is more common after 40–41 weeks, and it is one reason the colour of your waters matters.

Your hormones cross the placenta, so the breast tissue of any newborn can look slightly swollen at birth. This is an expected effect of those hormones, not a sign of a problem.

Your baby keeps practising sucking and swallowing, which will help with feeding in the first hour. Colostrum, the first milk your breasts are already making, is rich in nutrients and anti-infective factors, and it is produced in the small amounts a newborn's stomach needs.

Your baby's size

About the size of a winter melon

49.8 cm

19.6 in · Length

3100 g

Weight

Week 38

Gestational age

The 49.8 cm and 3.1 kg here are single reference points. The Hadlock median around now is about 3.2 kg, but Indian babies are often lighter; a healthy term weight spans roughly 2.5 to 4 kg, commonly about 3 kg in India. Late scan estimates can be out by a few hundred grams, and the melon is a loose picture.

Your body this week

The membranes, or bag of waters, around your baby can break before labour starts or during it. It may be a sudden gush or a slow trickle that is easy to confuse with urine or discharge. Waters are usually clear or pale and may be slightly bloodstained at first.

Your cervix is softening, and pelvic pressure, cramps and irregular tightenings come and go. Pressure is often stronger once the head is low, and you may need to pass urine even more often. Keep going to sleep on your side, as you have since 28 weeks. Some people feel a burst of energy, others feel heavy and tired of waiting. Both are normal.

Your breasts are ready for feeding. Colostrum will be your baby's first food, and India's dietary guidelines are clear that it should not be discarded, whatever older family customs suggest. Feeding early also helps your uterus contract firmly after birth, which reduces bleeding.

Symptoms you may notice

Every pregnancy is different - you may have some, all or none of these.

Leaking fluid: It can be hard to tell waters from urine or discharge. Wear a pad rather than a tampon so you can see the colour and amount, and call your hospital if fluid keeps coming or you are unsure.
Pelvic pressure: A low, heavy baby presses on your pelvis. Resting on your side, slow movements and getting up carefully help.
Worry while waiting: Uncertainty is hard. Talk it through with someone you trust, and mention worry that stops you sleeping or coping to your doctor.
Tiredness: Broken nights and carrying a full-term bump are draining. Nap when you can; extreme tiredness is worth mentioning at your check.
Irregular tightenings: Tightenings that come and go without a pattern are common. Start timing them if they begin to feel regular or stronger.

Medical care and tests

38-week check
Routine
38 weeks
This is a UK appointment and a WHO contact. Blood pressure, urine, bump size, position and movements are checked. In the UK, midwives also begin to discuss what happens if the pregnancy goes beyond the due date.
If your waters break at term
Only if needed
37 weeks onwards
Your hospital will usually want to check you, your baby's heart rate and the colour of the fluid. If labour does not start within about 24 hours, induction is usually offered, because the risk of infection rises.
Care in the first hour
Routine
Immediately after birth
ICMR-NIN guidance says skin contact and breastfeeding should begin as soon as possible, within one hour of birth. Early feeding helps milk production and bonding, and helps the uterus contract.
Hepatitis B protection for your baby
Only if needed
At birth, if your test was positive
If your hepatitis B test in pregnancy was positive, your baby can receive a vaccine and immunoglobulin at birth. Ask your team to confirm the plan now.

Nutrition this week

Breastfeeding needs more energy than pregnancy: ICMR-NIN advises about 600 extra kcal a day in the first six months. Plan regular meals and snacks such as dal with roti or rice, dahi, fruit, nuts and a glass of milk, rather than relying on sweets.
Keep a water bottle wherever you plan to feed; ICMR-NIN advises more than 2 litres of fluid a day.
India's programme continues iron-folic acid tablets for 180 days after birth, and calcium tablets for six months, so plan to keep taking them.
While breastfeeding, avoid alcohol and tobacco in any form, and take medicines only on a doctor's advice.

Movement and exercise

Short walks and gentle stretching can help you feel better while you wait; you do not need to push yourself to exhaustion or walk for hours.
Once your waters have broken, avoid sex because of the infection risk, and follow your hospital's advice about activity.
Keep up pelvic floor exercises, which also support your recovery after birth.
Rest lying on your side, with pillows between your knees and under your bump for comfort.

Things to keep in mind

If you think your waters have broken, note the time, check the colour and amount on a pad, and call your hospital even if the fluid is clear and you feel well.
Go in immediately if the fluid is green or brown, smells unpleasant, is mixed with blood, or your baby is moving less.
If you see or feel the cord in your vagina, call an ambulance at once, get onto your knees with your bottom higher than your head, and do not try to push the cord back.
Share your first-hour wishes with your birth companion and family: skin contact, early breastfeeding and no other feeds such as honey, glucose, water or diluted formula.

When to contact your doctor

Call your doctor or midwife the same day if you have

Itching of the hands and feet.
A temperature of 38°C or higher.
Smelly or itchy discharge, or pain when passing urine.
A swollen, painful calf.
A headache that will not go away, or a face or hands that swell quickly.

Get emergency care now if you have

Waters breaking with green, brown, bloody or foul-smelling fluid.
Seeing or feeling the cord in the vagina.
Movements that are reduced, different or absent.
Heavy bleeding or constant severe pain.
Chest pain, a fit or collapse.

In India, call 108 for an ambulance, 102 for free transport for pregnant women in many states, or 112 for any emergency - or go straight to your nearest hospital with a maternity unit.

If something feels wrong, trust that feeling and call - you never need to wait for your next appointment.

Questions to ask your doctor

If my waters break, should I call first or come straight in?
Will my baby be placed skin-to-skin with me after birth, including after a caesarean?
Is there help with breastfeeding on the ward?
Does my baby need anything extra at birth because of my test results?

Week 38 checklist

Keep maternity pads at home and in your bag
Put the labour ward number where family can find it
Tell your companion about skin contact and early feeding
Talk to elders about giving only breast milk
Plan easy meals for the first weeks of feeding

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my waters have broken?

It is not always obvious. Waters may come as a gush or keep trickling, and are usually clear or pale, sometimes slightly pink at first. Wear a pad, check the colour and call your hospital; they may examine you to confirm. Green, brown or smelly fluid, bleeding, or fewer movements mean going in straight away.

What happens in the first hour after birth?

If you and your baby are well, your baby can be placed on your chest for skin contact, and breastfeeding can start within the first hour, as India's dietary guidelines advise. This early feed gives your baby colostrum, supports bonding and milk supply, and helps your uterus contract. Ask your hospital how they support this after a caesarean.

Can my baby have honey or water before my milk comes in?

No. India's dietary guidelines advise giving only breast milk from birth, starting within the first hour, and avoiding honey, glucose, water or diluted formula before breastfeeding starts and throughout the first six months. Colostrum comes in small amounts but is rich in nutrients and protective factors, and frequent feeding helps your supply build.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for care from your own doctor or midwife. Pregnancies differ, and timings here are typical ranges rather than deadlines. Read our medical disclaimer and editorial policy.