Characteristics of the Unborn Child

34 – 36 Weeks Post-LMP
32 – 34 Weeks Post-Conception

The 36-week fetus weighs about 5¾ pounds and measures about 18½ inches.

36 – 38 Weeks Post-LMP
34 – 36 Weeks Post-Conception

By 37 weeks the fetus has a firm hand grip and the heart has beat more than 50 million times.

The 38-week fetus weighs about 6¾ pounds and measures about 19 inches.

38 – 40 Weeks Post-LMP
36 – 38 Weeks Post-Conception

At term, the umbilical cord is typically 20 to 24 inches long.

Labor is initiated by the fetus, ideally around 40 weeks, leading to childbirth.

At full-term birth, newborn babies typically weigh between 6 and 9 pounds and measure between 18 and 21 inches.