Pregnancy week 39
Trimester 3 · Baby is about a small watermelon
The baby is full term with fully developed lungs, ready to breathe air.
How your body may feel
- • Contractions may become rhythmic.
- • Backache that wraps around the abdomen.
- • A sudden burst of energy.
Self-care this week
- • Go to hospital for regular contractions 5 minutes apart lasting 1 minute for 1 hour.
- • Go immediately for bleeding, reduced movement or waters breaking.
- • Rest between surges.
Milestone
Full term — birth can happen any day now.
Seek care urgently if you notice
- • Reduced, absent or changed baby movement — call immediately, day or night
- • Severe headache, blurred vision or pain under the ribs
- • Waters breaking before 37 weeks, or green or bloody fluid
- • Vaginal bleeding of any amount
- • Regular painful contractions before 37 weeks
- • Difficulty breathing, chest pain, or a seizure — call emergency services
Related resources
Related articles
Related FAQs
Related warning signs
- Heavy bleeding — Soaking a pad in under an hour, or passing large clots
- Severe headache that won't ease — Especially with blurred vision or sudden swelling
- Difficulty breathing — Breathlessness at rest or when lying down
- Chest pain or a racing heart — Pressure, tightness or fluttering that doesn't settle
Ask Nestora About This Week
Your Companion can explain week 39 in your own words — symptoms, nutrition, what to raise at your next visit.
Ask Nestora About This Week