'Your baby weighs nearly 2.6kg and at just over 47.4cm, she\'s similar in length to a romaine lettuce (romen salad). Your pregnancy is considered full-term by the end of this week. That means that your baby can be born any day once you start 37 weeks. Only about four per cent of babies are born on their due date. Most women give birth some time between 38 weeks and 42 weeks. Your baby\'s hearing is going to become more sensitive this week. Her brain and nervous system are maturing fast. She continues to shed what\'s left of her lanugo hair and vernix caseosa, the protective substance that covers her skin. She’ll swallow this hair and skin and digest it. It will stay in her bowels as meconium, a black or dark green sticky substance till birth. This meconium will become her first poo after birth. Your doctor will check what position your baby is in at your 36-week antenatal appointment. Most babies are in the head-down (known as cephalic) position by now. If your baby isn\'t yet, there is still time for this to happen, but your doctor will start to speak to you about how the position of your baby might influence her birth. Your doctor may try to help your baby turn by placing their hands on your belly and using firm, gentle pressure. This procedure is called external cephalic version (ECV). She might do this at your next appointment as well if your baby hasn\'t turned by then. The reason she wants your baby in a head-down position is that it\'s the easiest position for a vaginal delivery. If your baby isn\'t in a head down position by the end of your 37th week, your doctor might speak to you about the possibility of a caesarean birth. Babies who are in a breech position (when the head is up and the bottom down), can sometimes be born vaginally. But not all doctors have experience with vaginal breech births and many consider a caesarean birth safer for breech babies. If your baby is lying sideways across your belly (transverse lie position), the only birth option is a caesarean. If your baby is head-down already, she may have moved down into your pelvis, ready for birth. This is called lightening or when the head gets engaged. If this happens, you might feel like your bump has moved down and you can breathe more easily again. Although it means your baby is ready to be born, it’s not necessarily a sign that labour will start soon. Don\'t be disheartened if your baby hasn\'t engaged yet. Some babies don\'t move into the pelvis until after labour has started.'
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