Pregnancy Week 36: Your 36-Week Check and Baby Getting Into Position

Quick answer: At 36 weeks your baby measures about 47.4cm and weighs around 2.6kg, and your midwife appointment this week focuses on checking their position by feeling your bump. Head-down is ideal for a vaginal birth; breech or transverse means a referral for further assessment, and an ECV may be offered. Your midwife will also discuss Group B Strep, and your hospital bag should now be packed.

What parents need to know

At 36 weeks, you're considered late preterm, and if your baby were born now, they would need very little medical support in most cases. You have an important midwife appointment this week that focuses on checking your baby's position ahead of birth. With just four weeks to go, it's time to ensure everything is in place.

How big is your baby at 36 weeks?

Your baby now measures approximately 47.4cm from crown to heel and weighs around 2.6 kilograms — roughly the weight of a large papaya. They're continuing to put on weight, gaining around 200–250g each week in preparation for birth.

What's happening with your baby?

Your baby is almost fully developed. Most of the lanugo (fine body hair) has now been shed, and the vernix caseosa (white waxy coating) is beginning to diminish too. Your baby's gums are firm — even though teeth won't appear until around 6 months of age, the tooth buds are fully formed beneath the gums. The digestive system is ready for life outside the womb, though it won't be fully mature until your baby has had several months of feeding. Meconium — your baby's first bowel movement — is accumulating in the intestines. It's dark green or black and is made up of materials swallowed during pregnancy.

Your 36-week appointment

At your 36-week appointment, your midwife will check your baby's position by feeling your bump. If your baby is head-down (cephalic presentation), this is ideal for a vaginal birth. If your baby is in a breech position (bottom or feet first) or in a transverse lie (lying across the womb), your midwife will refer you for further assessment. An External Cephalic Version (ECV) may be offered to attempt to turn a breech baby. If this is not possible or not desired, your care team will discuss the options for a planned caesarean section.

Your midwife will also discuss Group B Streptococcus (GBS) with you. GBS is a bacterium carried by approximately 20–25% of pregnant women and is usually harmless to the mother. However, it can occasionally be passed to the baby during birth and cause serious infection. The UK does not routinely screen for GBS, but if GBS has been detected incidentally during this pregnancy, you'll be offered intravenous antibiotics during labour to protect your baby.

Preparing for the final weeks

By 36 weeks, your hospital bag should be fully packed. Ensure your birth partner knows the route to the hospital, where to park, and how to contact the maternity unit out of hours. Know the signs of labour: regular, painful contractions that become stronger, longer, and closer together; your waters breaking (a gush or trickle of clear or pinkish fluid); or a 'show' (mucus plug, often slightly bloodstained).

Your week 36 checklist

This week:

• Attend your 36-week midwife appointment.
• Confirm your baby's position.
• Discuss GBS with your midwife.
• Ensure your hospital bag is packed.
• Brief your birth partner on the plan.
• Rest as much as possible.