Starting week 39!

My Baby
By now your baby has likely reached her birth weight (typically between 6 and 9 pounds) and length (18 to 22 inches from head to toe). She's accumulated enough body fat to stay cozy after she's born, and your placenta continues to supply her with nutrients and antibodies that will help fend off illnesses. If you're planning to breastfeed, your milk will supply additional immune-boosting benefits.
Only about five percent of women give birth on their actual due dates, which means your baby could come a few hours from now or not for another two weeks. But you're probably so attuned to the possibility of labor that every little twinge makes you think: Is this "It"??? Labor may begin in several ways: mild cramps (the most common scenario), your water breaking -- or it may even begin in the hospital, with a scheduled induction or c-section.
If your delivery is scheduled, you'll check into the hospital and either be prepped for a c-section or, if you're going to deliver vaginally, given something to induce labor, like a prostaglandin gel to soften your cervix or an IV drip of pitocin (a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin) to start up contractions. If you go into labor on your own (your water has broken or you're having contractions that are growing steadily more painful) call your doctor or midwife for instructions. She'll probably tell you to wait until the contractions are five to eight minutes apart before heading to the hospital or birthing center. This can take hours, especially for a first birth, so try to get some sleep, take a walk, or curl up on the couch to watch a movie until it's really time to go. You may be itching to get to the hospital ASAP, but you'll be a lot more comfy in your own home (and truth is, many delivery wards don't have the room or staff to deal with you until your labor's further along).