36 Weeks Pregnant: What's Happening and One Thing to Set Up

You're in the home stretch. Around now a lot of parents look at a half-packed bag and a half-finished nursery and feel the clock ticking. That feeling is normal this far along.

At 36 weeks, your baby is roughly the size of a romaine lettuce, around 47cm from head to heel, and the lungs are usually mature enough to breathe outside the womb.¹

How big is the baby at 36 weeks?

About 47cm head to heel, close to a romaine lettuce.¹ Most of the big developmental work is already done. These last few weeks are mostly about putting on weight and settling into position for birth.

What's common around 36 weeks

Many babies have moved head-down into the pelvis by now, which midwives call "engaged." Plenty of babies haven't yet, and being engaged doesn't mean labour is close, it can still be weeks away.¹

Painless tightenings across the bump are also common this far along. These are known as Braxton Hicks contractions, and many people notice more of them in the final weeks.¹

One thing to set up this week: the car seat

The infant car seat is one of those jobs that's far easier to do now than in the newborn fog. Installing the base, reading the manual, and getting the angle right takes a calm afternoon you still have. Most hospitals won't discharge you without one fitted in the car.

This is also a good week to set up nappi if you haven't yet. The baby profile you create now, with the due date and your partner invited, becomes the baby's tracker the day they're born. Same record, same app, no starting over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal if my baby isn't head-down at 36 weeks?

Yes. Plenty of babies are still turning at 36 weeks, and some move into position later. If a baby stays bottom-down, a midwife or doctor is the right person to talk through what that means for you.¹

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?

They're the painless, irregular tightenings many people feel across the bump in later pregnancy, often described as the body's practice runs. They come and go without a steady pattern, unlike labour contractions.¹