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How Big is the Baby at 38 Weeks Pregnant?
Your baby is rapidly approaching 7 pounds during pregnancy at 38 weeks. The length will remain about 21 inches from now until birth even though you continue to develop during your pregnancy week by week.

Your Baby's Growth and Development
Your baby is still focusing on putting on weight during pregnancy 38 weeks. Did you know that after delivery your healthcare team will conduct an Apgar test on your baby? Many parents become obsessed with the Apgar score their child receives after birth, so it is worth a mention or two.

The Apgar score is simply a way that your doctor can evaluate the overall condition your newborn is in just a few minutes after birth. This score may sometimes be helpful for evaluations that occur later.

An Apgar evaluation is given one minute after birth and then again after five minutes of birth. Your doctor or nurse will make note of the following things:

• Your baby's color after birth (bluish or pink).
• Your baby's respiration.
• Your newborn baby's heart rate.
• Your newborn baby's muscle tone.
• Your baby's reflexes.

The one minute score reflects how easily your baby handled the birthing process. A high score generally indicates that your baby will do well in the postpartum period. A low score might indicate that your baby requires observation or further tests to make sure that everything is ok.

The second test is given to measure how well your baby is handling his new environment outside the womb.

Your baby is given a score based on the following parameters:

• Color - 2 points for pink body, 1 point for close to pink with blue arms or legs, 0 for blue or pale coloring all over.
• Respiratory - 2 points for a strong cry, 1 point for a slow or weak cry, 0 points for no crying.
• Heart Rate - 2 points for heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute, 1 point for a heartbeat under 100 beats per minute, 0 points for no heart beat.
• Muscle Tone-- 2 points for vigorous movement, 1 point for small flexing of the limbs, 0 points if the baby is still.
• Reflexes - 2 points if your baby cries during the test, 1 if your baby makes a little bit of a fuss, 0 if your baby doesn't make any noise during this exam.

Generally a high score, or a score between 8 and 10, means that your baby is in very good condition. A lower score might necessitate some further testing.