37 weeks pregnant: what to expect in Québec

Your baby

Full term

From thirty-seven weeks the pregnancy is at term. The due date is calculated at 280 days from the first day of the last period, but according to the Mieux vivre guide most babies are born between 39 and 41 weeks. The baby keeps gaining weight and moving every day until birth.

You

Late-pregnancy discomforts

Heartburn, back pain, heavy legs, broken sleep, frequent urination: third-trimester discomforts are common. Irregular, painless contractions, called Braxton Hicks, may appear. Regular contractions that get closer, leaking fluid or bleeding should be reported right away to the place of birth.

Feeling the baby move every day

From the third trimester you know your baby’s rhythm. If the baby moves clearly less than usual, do not wait until tomorrow: call the place of birth or 811, any time. It is always better to check for nothing.

Mood matters too

Anxiety and depression can begin during pregnancy, not only after. According to the INSPQ they are treatable, and the sooner the better. If worry or sadness has taken over for more than two weeks, talk to your professional, the CLSC or 811, where Info-Social also answers.

In Québec

The group B strep swab

Between 35 and 37 weeks a vaginal and rectal swab looks for group B streptococcus, a common bacterium without symptoms. If present, antibiotics during labour protect the baby. The result goes in your file for the big day.

A visit every week

From thirty-seven weeks, follow-up is weekly. After 41 weeks your professional discusses inducing labour and monitoring the baby with you. Signs that lead to the place of birth: regular contractions getting closer, waters breaking, bleeding, or a baby moving less.

The car seat, installed and checked

In Québec the baby must ride in a rear-facing car seat from the trip home from the hospital. Install it a few weeks ahead and have it checked: CAA-Québec, police services and pharmacies offer inspection clinics.

The bag, ready around 36 weeks

Papers (RAMQ card, follow-up booklet, birth plan), clothes for you and the baby, car seat in the car: the hospital bag is ready by the thirty-sixth week, just in case. Our hospital bag checklist can be ticked and printed.

What comes after the birth

Within 30 days of the birth: the Declaration of Birth to the Directeur de l’état civil, which triggers the baby’s RAMQ registration and the Family Allowance. Then registration on the childcare portal (only after the birth), the Canada Child Benefit and the social insurance number. Our “newborn at X days” pages detail each step.

First names, up to four

In Québec a child can receive up to four given names, usual name included, entered on the Declaration of Birth to be filed within 30 days of the birth. For inspiration, our baby-name pages show the 250 girl and boy names most given in Québec, with their curve since 1980.

QPIP: choosing the plan and planning the dates

QPIP maternity benefits can start as early as the 16th week before the expected week of delivery. Basic plan (more weeks, lower rate) or special plan (fewer weeks, at 75%): the choice of the first parent to apply applies to both. Apply online, at the earliest on the Sunday of the week you want payments to start. Our QPIP calculator estimates the amounts.

With Maliah

The contraction timer, when the day comes

When contractions start, Maliah’s timer logs their length and the interval between them, by voice if you prefer, and the other parent sees the table live. That table is what the place of birth will ask for on the phone. It also exists as a free tool on this site.

If gestational diabetes is diagnosed

Maliah offers blood sugar tracking only if you indicate gestational diabetes: readings are logged with the time and the meal, and the table is shared with the clinic. The app calculates no dose and sets no target: those come from your team.

Your symptoms and questions, ready for the visit

Nausea, sleep, blood pressure taken at the pharmacy, the baby’s movements, questions that come at 3 a.m.: everything is logged in Maliah, by voice or in two taps, and is there at the next appointment. Nothing is interpreted: the app keeps the facts, your professional reads them.

Pregnancy week by week, in the app

In Maliah the pregnancy is followed at its own stage: the current week, appointments, preparation reminders (bag, car seat, birth plan) and your notes, shared with the other parent. The due date calculator gives the starting point.

Related free tools

Sources : INSPQ : Mieux vivre avec notre enfant de la grossesse à deux ans (guide 2026) · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Suivi de grossesse · INSPQ, Information périnatale : Rencontres prénatales · INSPQ, Information périnatale : Santé mentale en contexte périnatal · Québec.ca : RQAP, choix du régime et types de prestations · Québec.ca : Programme québécois d’immunisation · Directeur de l’état civil : Déclaration de naissance · Québec.ca : Trouver un service de garde et inscrire mon enfant (Portail d’inscription)

This article is for information; it does not replace advice from a health professional. In Québec, call Info-Santé 811 when in doubt (elsewhere in Canada, your provincial health line). In an emergency, call 911. Updated on October 27, 2026.