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Third trimester

36 weeks pregnant

At 36 weeks 0 days to 36 weeks 6 days, your baby is still putting on fat and their lungs are probably close to ready for breathing outside the womb. Many babies have moved head down by now, but labor could still be weeks away. Term starts at 37 weeks 0 days, which ACOG calls early term.

This page covers 36 weeks 0 days to 36 weeks 6 days (36+0 to 36+6), counted from the first day of the last period. Check how far along you are

Enter it to see the calendar dates of your week 36.

Botanical illustration of a sugar pumpkin

About the size of a sugar pumpkin

Typical estimated weight 2.81 kg (6 lb 3 oz) at 36+0, about 3.0 kg (6 lb 10 oz) by 36+6. This is the 50th centile; healthy babies commonly vary by about 12.7% either way.1

A reference value, not a measurement of your baby.

How your baby is developing

  • By around now, your baby's lungs are probably mature enough to breathe outside the womb without help.2
  • By now, your baby is ready to suck and to digest breast milk once they are born.2
  • Between about 35 and 37 weeks, your baby keeps gaining weight but probably won't get much longer. Fat forming under the skin makes it look less wrinkled.3
  • The heart and blood vessels are complete, and muscles and bones are fully developed. Your baby also has definite sleeping patterns.3
  • Your baby may already have moved head down into your pelvis, which is called being engaged. This is a good position for labor, but it doesn't mean labor is about to start.2

Changes you may notice

Everyone’s experience is different. You may notice some of these, or none.

  • Some people leak a little urine when they laugh, cough or sneeze, as the pelvic floor muscles around the bladder relax. Pelvic floor exercises may help, and maternity pads can be useful now and after the birth.2
  • Painless tightenings around your bump, called Braxton Hicks contractions, are common. They tend not to last long, don't come often and don't build up, unlike labor contractions.2,4
  • Backache, heartburn, sleep problems, swollen hands and feet, and leg cramps are all common late in pregnancy, though not everyone has them.2
  • You should keep feeling your baby move right up to and during labor. If the movements slow down, stop, or change from their usual pattern, call your midwife or maternity unit straight away. Do not wait until the next day or your next appointment.5

Care around this week

  • US: group B strep (GBS) screening is offered to everyone between 36 weeks 0 days and 37 weeks 6 days. UK: GBS is not routinely tested for on the NHS, but if it is found you may be offered antibiotics during labor.6,7
  • Your baby's position is usually checked around now. If your baby is not head down, you may be offered external cephalic version (ECV), where a doctor or midwife gently presses on your bump to help the baby turn. NHS information says it works around half the time. In the UK, a 36-week antenatal appointment is part of the routine schedule.2,8
  • US: the Tdap window runs through 36 weeks, and the maternal RSV vaccine is given at 32 to 36 weeks during September to January in most of the US. UK: the RSV vaccine can still be given later if needed, right up until labor starts.2,9,10

Questions to ask your provider

  • Is my baby head down, and what are my options if not?
  • When will I have my group B strep test, and how will I get the result?
  • When should I call you or go to the hospital once labor starts?
  • Am I up to date on Tdap and the RSV vaccine?
When to contact your provider straight away

Call 911 (US) or 999 (UK) in an emergency, such as heavy bleeding or bleeding with severe pain, a seizure, chest pain, or severe trouble breathing.12,13,14,15

These symptoms are not always serious, but each one needs prompt advice from your provider, midwife or maternity unit (or NHS 111 in the UK if you cannot reach them) rather than waiting for your next appointment, and it helps to tell them you are pregnant.

  • Vaginal bleeding or spotting at any stage of pregnancy. Call 911 or 999 if the bleeding is heavy or comes with severe belly pain, shoulder pain, or feeling faint or dizzy.14,16
  • Fluid leaking or gushing from your vagina, or discharge that is unusual for you. Get checked straight away if the fluid is greenish, colored or smells bad.4,14,15,17
  • Your baby moving less than usual, not moving, or a change in their usual pattern of movements. Call immediately, even in the middle of the night, and do not use a home Doppler to check yourself.5,14
  • A severe headache that does not go away with simple painkillers or gets worse, or sudden changes in your vision such as blurring or seeing flashing lights.12,14,15
  • Sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, or swelling, redness or pain in a leg.12,14,15
  • Belly pain that is severe or does not go away after resting, or pain just below the ribs.12,14,18
  • Regular tightenings or contractions, period-type pains, or backache that is unusual for you before 37 weeks, which can be signs of preterm labor.17,18
  • A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or feeling hot, cold or shivery.14,15,17
  • Shortness of breath that comes on suddenly or happens when you lie flat, chest pain, a racing or pounding heart, or dizziness or fainting.14,15
  • Very itchy skin, especially on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, or itching that is worse at night.19
  • Being sick so often that you cannot keep food or drink down, or signs of dehydration such as dark urine, peeing very little, or feeling dizzy.14,20
  • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Get help right away, and call 911 or 999 if you think you might act on them.14,21

Questions about 36 weeks

What if my baby is breech at 36 weeks?

You may be offered ECV, where a doctor or midwife gently helps the baby turn by pressing on your bump. NHS information says it works around half the time, and some babies don't turn until labor starts.2,11

What is the group B strep test at 36 weeks?

In the US, everyone is offered GBS screening between 36 weeks 0 days and 37 weeks 6 days. In the UK it is not routinely offered, but if GBS is found, antibiotics through a vein during labor can significantly lower the chance of your baby getting ill.6,7

Is my baby engaged at 36 weeks?

Some babies are already engaged, meaning head down in the pelvis, by 36 weeks. Even then, labor could still be weeks away.2

Sources

  1. In utero analysis of fetal growth: a sonographic weight standardRadiology 181(1):129–133, 1991
  2. Week 36NHS Best Start in Life
  3. Fetal developmentUS National Library of Medicine
  4. Signs of going into labourNHS Best Start in Life
  5. Your baby's movementsNHS (England)
  6. Committee Opinion No. 797: Prevention of Group B Streptococcal Early-Onset Disease in NewbornsAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2020
  7. Group B strepNHS (England)
  8. Your antenatal appointmentsNHS (England)
  9. Tdap Vaccination for Pregnant WomenUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  10. Protecting Infants from RSVUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  11. Week 37NHS Best Start in Life
  12. Pre-eclampsiaNHS (England)
  13. Epilepsy and pregnancyNHS (England)
  14. Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms (Hear Her campaign)US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  15. Pregnancy symptoms you need to get help forNHS (England)
  16. Vaginal bleeding in pregnancyNHS (England)
  17. Premature labour and birthNHS (England)
  18. Stomach pain in pregnancyNHS (England)
  19. Itching in pregnancyNHS (England)
  20. Severe vomiting in pregnancyNHS (England)
  21. Depression in pregnancyNHS (England)

Links checked November 12, 2026. Citing a source does not mean it endorses this site.

Written from the sources above and checked against them on 2026-11-12. Not reviewed by a clinician. Our editorial policy