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Your 37-week-old baby – development & growth

Table of Contents

37-week-old baby

Table of Contents

 37-week-old baby– the tips and tricks behind encouraging your baby to self-feed and why should you block your calendar to get the baby their first flu shot around week 37.

Your baby's thirty-seven-week after birth

A 37-week old baby’s development and health may improve this week as you can expect the little one to be able to recognize certain sounds that they hear, and also be able to remember their favorite toys. This means the little one has increased memory and an understanding of familiar sounds.

Adding on, your baby will now also recognize people they see on a regular basis, with their improved baby’s vision, focusing on seeing things to a considerable distance. Not only that, but a 37 weeks old baby may also start crawling so make sure you are well prepared with all the necessary changes and baby proofing. Isn’t it exciting? Read on to know more about the 37th week.

Your 37-week-old baby's development and physical growth

Let us now understand what happens with the little one in their 37th week after birth in terms of their physical development in the thirty-seventh week after birth.

Your baby's weight:

  • The weight of a 37-week old baby is around 19 pounds ( if a boy )and around 18 pounds ( in a girl). Perhaps, on average, the babies could gain up to 3 to 5 ounces of weight in the ninth month after their birth.
  • On the other hand, the height of a boy at week 37 is approximately 28 inches and 27 inches for a baby girl.

Your baby's sleep:

  • In week 37, you can expect the baby to sleep for 14 to 15 hours a 24 hours cycle. Perhaps, the baby gets their sleep in two major parts, that is, night-sleep of about 10 to 12 hours and 1 to 2 one or two day-naps.
  • However, it is seen that babies tend to have uninterrupted sleep patterns too. Therefore, if this is the case with you as well, try sleep-training, give them a warm formula baby bottle, or sing soft lullabies instead.

Your baby's diet

  • Parents might see major changes in the little ones eating habits as they will grow into acquiring healthy milestones this week. The nine months old baby will become more independent and may also learn to help themselves as they learn to hold their own feeding bottle or sippy cup.
  • Based on the information, a baby at 37 weeks will start acquiring around 700 to 900 calories in a 24 hour period.

Your newborn and 37-week-old baby's health

Children in their early years would require to visit the doctor for a few shots that are important for their development and healthy growth. Here is everything parents must keep in mind or would need to know about the doctor’s visit in 37 weeks after birth.

  • Possible ear infection in the baby

A child at 37 weeks is bound to have a possible ear infection as 75 percent of children find it occurs due to their developing immune systems that often lead to ear infections. There are certain symptoms to look out for, like ear pain drainage or discharge, fever, fussiness, loss of appetite, and trouble when swallowing. When visiting the pediatrician, they will take a look at the baby’s ear and prescribe certain antibiotics to clear it up.

  • A blood test for your baby

The health care provider or the baby’s physician might suggest a blood test in order to see if there are any symptoms of anemia. This usually happens due to the mother’s milk when breastfeeding due to the lack of iron. Or, the other reason would be that the little one is quite a fussy eater, resulting in lower levels of iron in his blood.

  • Vaccinations or shots for the baby

Your 37-week old baby gets their third shot of Hepatitis B at 6 months.

Postpartum baby tips: Week 37 after birth

A 37-week old baby at this age after birth goes through many developmental changes as opposed to them in their early days. Here are a few things that you can keep in mind when at home or otherwise in regards to the little one’s growth and activities.

Understanding your growing baby who is now almost walking

In case your little not-so-new family member has been crawling for quite some time now, there are chances that trying their best to get to most objects and places that fall in their way while on their fours. However, in case they haven’t started crawling, you can expect the baby to scoot, creep, or pull themselves up in order to stand. Yes! you can be surprised with the kids at play to now start on with their tiny steps now, in a normal couple of weeks.

Understanding the importance of getting their possible first playdates

Although it might seem that it’s way too early for small playdates, perhaps getting together with other moms is important for your and the baby’s sanity as they build their social blossoming. Here’s what you must keep in mind:

  • Invite moms with babies of around the same age group
  • Allow the little ones to be left alone to help them discover good skills and learn from each other.
  • Leave some soft toys or their different favorite toys as per their needs to help them develop and not hold back.

The parents after childbirth of a 37-week old baby: What is happening and what to expect in their thirty-seventh week after giving birth?

Here are a few tips for our parents to help them simplify their journey with their 37th-week old baby:

You must make sure to baby proof your house

With the 37-week old baby moving around the house as they explore each corner, it is best for parents to baby-proof their house in order to keep them safe in and around the places that might have poisonous things.

  • You can choose to install baby gates for doors and stairs to avoid the little baby from accessing certain areas in the house
  • Install safety locks in the cabinets and door
  • Install smoke detectors in each room

Taking good care of the baby essentials

  • Remember to brush your baby’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste while you teach them to spit
  • Purchase a convertible rear-facing car seat
  • Babies are quite curious at this age, so make sure you keep smaller objects out of the reach to avoid any choking hazards
  • Engage the baby in activities that will help build and enhance their motor and cognitive skills with communication.

To Conclude

Being parents of a 37-week old baby is no piece of cake, therefore, make sure you stay aware at every step and also not overburn yourself too. Try taking time out to relax and recharge, for example, go for walks, meet your friends, catch your beauty sleep, etc.

Also, remember to baby-proof your house as this 37th weeker is perhaps quite curious and would try to reach everyplace without any safety gates. They might also start to chow on solid foods, so consult your doctor as per what you must feed the baby during this week.

FAQs: Your 37-week-old baby - development and growth

1. Do babies born at 37 weeks develop slower?

Babies born at 37 weeks tend to catch up to full-term relatively slower and have setbacks. However, babies born early in pregnancy are likely to have serious, lasting disabilities, therefore, the doctor's supervision is of utmost importance to prevent any of these.

2. Is the baby fully developed at 37 weeks after birth?

At 37 weeks a baby is considered as an "early-term," after a mother's last menstrual period may seem to look healthy as to those who are full-term babies born at 39-41 weeks. Nonetheless, there are studies that have found it to be the other way round.

3. How much should a 37-week old baby eat?

A baby 37 weeks old must eat around 14 to 18 ounces every 24 hours. Even doctors would recommend a special or higher-calorie formula that will help the little one to receive extra calories for better growth or calcium for the development of their bone as they will need more calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

On behalf of the editorial team at Parenthoodbliss, we follow strict reporting guidelines and only use credible sources, along with peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and highly respected health organizations. To learn about how we maintain content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

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