Week 38 is a good time to prepare your home for the return from the hospital. It is not about a deep clean, just a few spots that will make the first days with your baby easier. It is also worth deciding who will help and planning rest instead of a round of visits.
What to do in week 38
- Prepare the baby's sleeping place and the feeding corner.
- Wash and sort the clothes into two sizes.
- Stock up on diapers, wipes, and cosmetics.
- Book your community midwife visit and write down her number.
- Agree with your loved ones on dividing duties for the first week after you return.
A corner for the baby and a place for you
The simplest approach is to prepare two places: a safe place for your baby to sleep and a comfortable corner for feeding where everything is within reach. The rest of the flat can wait.
- A sleeping place set up according to the manufacturer's instructions, away from drafts and radiators.
- A feeding corner: a comfortable chair, back support, water, a charger.
- A changing table or a fixed changing spot with a supply of diapers and wipes.
- A bin for used diapers and a laundry bag within arm's reach.
Tip
Set up one place where you will feed, rest, and change — the rest of the house will sort itself out somehow.
Supplies and laundry before the birth
The first days are better spent with your baby than in a shop. It helps to have basic supplies at home for a few days and clothes washed before the birth.
- Wash and sort your baby's clothes into two sizes.
- Stock up on diapers, wipes, and care cosmetics.
- Prepare meals that are easy to reheat, plus a supply of water.
- Check that you have your regular medications and prescriptions at home.
The first days and help from loved ones
After you return home, your community midwife's visits and a calm daily rhythm matter more than a spotless flat. Agree with your loved ones that the first days are for you, your partner, and your baby — and that guests can wait.
- Book your community midwife visit and write down her number.
- Ask someone close for help with shopping and cooking, not with visiting.
- Agree with your partner or family on dividing duties for the first week.
- Write down the numbers to call if you have doubts about your baby or yourself.
The community midwife — care after you return
After the birth, care for you and your baby includes a community midwife who visits you at home. It is worth asking before the birth how she gets notified and on which days the visits usually happen. Prepare the questions you want to ask her and note the answers. If something worries you between visits, you can call — that is what the contact with your midwife is for.
- Ask at the clinic how to report your baby's birth.
- Write down the midwife's number and her visiting hours.
- Prepare a list of questions about care and feeding.
- Keep your baby's documents where the midwife will find them.
Visitors in the first days
The first days after coming home from the hospital are intense, so it is worth setting the rules for visits before the first calls arrive. You do not have to explain in detail — a short message that you are giving yourselves time is enough. If someone wants to help, ask for something concrete: shopping, dinner, or a walk with the dog. That way the help truly lightens your load instead of turning into more duties.
- Agree with your loved ones from which day you will start receiving guests.
- Ask one person to pass information on to the rest of the family.
- Instead of answering questions about how you feel, ask for concrete help.
- Do not feel obliged to chat while you are resting.
Nights in the first days — how to divide the duties
Nights with a newborn can be the most exhausting part, so it is worth dividing them in advance. Decide who gets up for the baby and who handles feeding or changing, so that one person is not awake the whole time. If you are breastfeeding, your partner can take over the changing and soothing after feeds. On the day you run out of strength, ask your loved ones to take over a few hours of baby care.
- Note who gets up in the first and who in the second half of the night.
- Split the tasks so each person gets one longer stretch of sleep.
- Keep water, diapers, and a charger by the bed.
- Ask for help before your strength runs out.
When to contact a doctor
- • If something about your baby's behavior worries you after you return home, call your midwife or doctor — do not sit on the question.
- • When you feel growing sadness, anxiety, or have no strength left, tell your loved ones and your medical team.
- • With fever, wound pain, or heavy bleeding, contact the ward where you gave birth.
- • In a life-threatening situation, call 112.
When to call a doctor or midwife
- • Worrying behavior from your baby that is getting worse — call your midwife or pediatrician.
- • Growing sadness, anxiety, or exhaustion — tell your medical team.
- • Fever, wound pain, or heavy bleeding after the birth.
- • Feeding difficulties that wear you out — ask your midwife for help.
In a life-threatening situation call 112 or go to the nearest maternity hospital admission room — do not wait for a follow-up appointment.
Week 38 in detail
Week 38: how your baby is growing — Leek
At thirty-eight weeks your baby is about the length of a leek (around 49 cm) and weighs about 3 kg. The vernix is gradually fading, the skin is becoming smooth, and the intestines are filling with meconium — the first stool. The lungs are fully ready for that first breath.
Development at week 38
- Vernix fading.
- Intestines full of meconium.
- Lungs ready for breathing.
Tip
Midwife's tip: meconium is the first stool — dark and sticky. Completely natural, and you'll see it in the first days after birth.
Sources
- NHS — You and your baby at 38 weeks — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/28-to-40-weeks/38-weeks-pregnant/
- Mayo Clinic — Pregnancy week by week — www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week
Week 38: what's happening in your body
Week thirty-eight is an emotional rollercoaster: from impatience to being moved to tears. You have every right to feel it all at once — hormones, tiredness, and anticipation are doing their thing. It's normal, and you don't need to 'fight' it.
Emotions late in pregnancy
- Impatience and tiredness are natural feelings.
- Mood swings are common.
- Talking to loved ones genuinely helps.
How to care for yourself
- Give yourself space for every emotion.
- Sleep whenever you can.
- Avoid comparing your pregnancy to others'.
Tip
Midwife's tip: allow yourself impatience and tears — both are okay. There's no 'one right' emotion at this stage.
Sources
- NHS — Emotions in late pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/mental-health/
Week 38: Vernix fading — what you can do today
Week thirty-eight is a lovely moment for one last date as a couple. Before your twosome becomes a threesome, spend time together deliberately — no lists, no rush.
Your tasks for this week
- Plan an evening together with your partner.
- Talk about your expectations and feelings.
- Do something you both enjoy — dinner, a walk, a movie.
Why it matters
- It strengthens your bond before the roles change.
- It gives you space to talk about fears.
- It's a mindful 'last time' as a duo.
Tip
Midwife's tip: you don't need to plan anything grand. What counts is being present and being together — that's the foundation for the weeks ahead.
Sources
- NHS — Relationships in pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/mental-health/
Related guides
- Your baby's movements — how to observe them and when to act
Your baby's movements are one of the few things you can observe every day, which is why they matter so much. We explain how to learn your baby's own pattern, why we don't give you any kick-count number here, and exactly what to do when activity changes.
- Postpartum — what happens to your body and when to contact a doctor
The postpartum period is the time when your body returns to balance after pregnancy and birth — gradually, over weeks, and without a rigid schedule. This guide organizes what happens in the first hours, days, and weeks, what midwife home visits and the postpartum check-up look like in Poland, and when it is worth calling your care team instead of waiting for a scheduled appointment.
- Birth plan and hospital bag — a practical checklist without the myths
A birth plan is one sheet of paper with your preferences; a hospital bag is what you want within reach on delivery day. This guide gathers concrete lists: documents, clothes for you, the minimum for your baby, what your companion should pack, and how admission at the labor ward works. No myths about the perfect birth, no items you will never use.
Medical disclaimer
This article is educational in nature and does not replace advice from a doctor, midwife or other specialist. If in doubt, contact your attending physician.
This week is awaiting medical review: the page is not indexed and carries no ads until the content has been verified by a medically qualified person.
Sources
We base our content on these documents. Every medical claim in the guide is reflected in one of the publications below.
- WHO — "WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience" — www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549912
- NHS — "Pregnancy": care during pregnancy and preparing for birth — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/
- Institute of Mother and Child — educational materials — imid.med.pl/pl/
- NHS — You and your baby at 38 weeks — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/28-to-40-weeks/38-weeks-pregnant/
- Mayo Clinic — Pregnancy week by week — www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week
- NHS — Emotions in late pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/mental-health/