Your baby is now considered to be fullterm. By now your baby will exist curled into the "fetal" position, filling the whole of your uterus. His range of movements will exist restricted to a kicking and a bit of stretching and maybe attempts at rotating. Your babe will go on to lay down fat deposits nether his skin and will be practicing all the movements you lot'll see afterward he is born, e.g. breathing, suckling, swallowing, blinking, grasping and clasping her hands, head turning, kicking and stretching, maybe even sucking his fist or pollex. Yous may notice a slight reduction in the number of movements you lot feel – your baby is likely to take quite distinct periods of action and longer periods of sleep. (If you do not feel your baby moving regularly and you are concerned, yous tin beverage a glass of iced water and see if this stimulates movements, if not, you should arrange an date for your LMC midwife or doctor to listen to your baby's heartbeat a.south.a.p. ) Your babe will at present probably weigh 3- 4kg and measure out approximately 51cm tall.


Your body: By now, lots of women are feeling completely over beingness pregnant and impatient to meet their babies. Remind yourself and others, that the due date you've been given is only an boilerplate and it is completely normal for a baby to get in later on the estimated due date every bit long every bit female parent and baby are well.

It is usual for you lot to encounter your LMC midwife or doc for a check-up each week during this time.

Postdates or overdue?: The normal length of pregnancy is between 37 and 42+weeks. Your Expected Due Engagement (EDD) is 40weeks right in the middle of this normal range. Despite normally used terminology, your baby is not overdue simply because he has not been built-in on his EDD. In most cases pregnancies that continue past the EDD represent a completely normal variation of the average. Although information technology is difficult not to be disappointed about your babe's "no show" and completely "fed up" with being pregnant, it tin can assist you (and your relations and friends), to be aware that threescore% of babies are built-in subsequently their EDDs.

The best time for your infant to be born is when he is fullterm and this is not necessarily on the EDD yous accept been given. Some babies practice remain in utero (in the womb) past the best fourth dimension for them to be built-in. Your baby's placenta has a limited life span and this is different for every mother and babe. If your pregnancy continues past your placenta's "apply past" date, it will no longer efficiently transfer oxygen and nutrients to your infant and your baby will exhibit symptoms of postmaturity e.g. irksome growth, reduced movements, reduced amniotic fluid book etc. This can happen before or after the EDD and this is one of the reasons why your visits to your LMC go more frequent as you approach your EDD. If your pregnancy lasts more than ane week past your estimated due engagement (or if your LMC midwife or doctor is concerned that your placenta might not be functioning efficiently at whatsoever phase of pregnancy), s/he will probably recommend that you have a test called a Fetal Biophysical Contour. This examination uses ultrasonic technologies to appraise fetal movement, tone, reactivity, breathing movements and amniotic fluid book and gives your infant a score out of 10. If your baby gets a score of viii or more, it indicates that your placenta is still providing adequate nourishment for your baby, i.e. if you accept passed your EDD your baby is probably postdates rather than postmature and, in the absence of whatsoever other problems, you tin can safely and usually remain pregnant till your labour starts spontaneously.

Stop Work: If you are in paid employment you should have started your maternity leave by week 37. Even if you have a really cruisey job/boss and tin come in late, leave early etc, you should reduce your working week down to around 3 function-time days around now. You need plenty of time to ready physically, mentally and emotionally for the huge transition that is ahead. Have time to savor these last days/weeks of pregnancy and if it is your commencement babe, to enjoy doing whatsoever you feel like. If y'all already have a child or children you volition take less cocky fourth dimension and probably less time to balance – endeavour to organize regular childcare and/or playdates for your other child(ren) and so that y'all can focus on yourself and your nearly newborn infant for a few hours and get a daytime nap, or at least some uninterrupted relaxing time.

Pack your bag: If you are planning to requite nascence in a motherhood unit or hospital, around at present you tin can celebrate by packing the non-perishable items you want to have on hand for your labour and will need during the first 12+hours subsequently your baby is built-in. Utilize the list below equally a guideline.

For Labour

Clothing – you can wear your ain wearing apparel during labour or a hospital gown. If you would prefer to vesture your ain clothes pack a couple of comfy tops or T.shirts. You lot may besides want to pack a bikini summit and/or a couple of crop tops to wear in the puddle if y'all don't fancy being totally naked.

  • Socks
  • Hairbands/clips
  • Massage oil or massage wax
  • Actress pillows in coloured pillowcases and then yous remember to have them home
  • Hotpacks (Wheat/rice pack or gel pad) and common cold packs (a bottle of frozen water wrapped in flannel makes a passable common cold pack)
  • Drinks including bottled water
  • Lip Balm or moisturizer
  • Camera – fully charged
  • Music – CD thespian or Ipod and dock etc

After Labour

  • Soap, shampoo & conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Sleepwear
  • Maternity/nursing bra
  • Actress knickers
  • Dressing gown or robe or coat
  • Shawl or cardigan
  • Slippers and shoes
  • Infant clothes – most hospitals provide nappies and possibly some kind of shirt for the elapsing of your post nascence stay but at the very least, you will need a total set up of dress for your baby for coming home. i.e.
  • Vest or singlet
  • Grosuit/all-in-ane
  • Socks or booties
  • Cardigan or jacket
  • Hat that covers your baby's ears
  • Rug or blanket to put over your infant in her carseat
  • Babe carseat

Signs of Labour: A number of things tin happen that will indicate that you will soon be in labour, only you lot are non in labour until you are having regular contractions.

Contractions: You know you are having a labour contraction when your uterus (and belly) go difficult (like a tightly pumped up ball) and y'all experience some sort of depression abdominal sensation usually at the level of your pubic os in the front and occasionally in your lower dorsum instead or as well. Both of these things (uterine tightenings and pelvic twinges/pains) accept to exist happening at the same time for you to be having a labour wrinkle. These sensations can exist very balmy to start with – a twinge or feeling of pressure level, or menstruation-similar pain – just they volition grow to go a pulling, stretching or tightening sensation that gets stronger equally time goes past. Contractions are intermittent not continuous i.e. they come up and get. As your contractions become more established yous volition probably notice that they have a wave-like pattern i.due east. they commencement fairly mildly build to a peak of intensity then slowly fade abroad giving yous a period of minutes when your trunk feels as relaxed as usual.

Prelabour contractions can feel the same simply they are more random in terms of their intensity and frequency and disappear before establishing into a pattern of existence longer and stronger and closer together . Prelabour contractions often come up and get depending on what you're doing e.chiliad. if you might be up and moving and discover that yous are having contractions then you lot lie downwardly and they disappear or vice versa. Or, you are having contractions then y'all get into a warm bath and they disappear. Or, you notice them later in the solar day when y'all are tired only if yous take a sleep they disappear etc etc.

Active labour contractions get longer, stronger and closer together over a period of time. Active labour contractions crave all your attending – they will stop you mid-sentence or mid pace. You will need to focus to keep your breathing regular and you will probably be needing to utilise some labour coping techniques to help you lot to stay relaxed and permit these contractions to practise their work. Yous are not considered to be in active labour until your contractions concluding for at least one infinitesimal and are five minutes or less autonomously and have been at this frequency for at least 1 hr. This is chosen the 1 – v – 1 rule. When your contractions are coming at this level of frequency your LMC midwife or doctor will normally advise you to go the hospital or will come to your home if you are planning a homebirth.

Waters breaking: For virtually 10% of women the first sign of labour is sudden loss of fluid from the vagina – this normally ways that the amniotic sac has torn and amniotic fluid is draining out. Annotation the fourth dimension, and the amount and colour of the amniotic fluid that is leaking out. Wear a sanitary pad and continue any sanitary pads for your LMC to see. If the fluid loss is clear, contact your LMC during regular working hours. If the fluid loss is dirty-looking, dark-green or brownish, contact your LMC immediately. The time between waters breaking and the onset of contractions is enormously variable. Some women's waters will break and within 5 minutes they will have had their first labour wrinkle, while other women volition expect hours before they take their first contraction.

Warning Signs: You should call your LMC midwife or md immediately

if you experience any of the following:

  • Any vaginal haemorrhage (not the "show" which is often blood stained mucus). Wear a sanitary pad (keep any sanitary pads for your LMC to run into)
  • Sharp tummy pain or astringent cramping
  • Persistent or severe headache.
  • Dizziness or visual disturbances (fuzzy vision, seeing spots or flashes)
  • Persistent vomiting (cannot proceed h2o down)
  • Pain or burning awareness while urinating or inability to urinate.

Swallow well: Your uterus is a musculus that will part more efficiently if it is well nourished and well hydrated. Labour (commencement labour particularly) is a bit like a marathon, you demand to exist physically and mentally well-prepared and yous need to have a good amount of energy on board and then that you last the distance. Eat small meals approximately every four or five hours so that your free energy levels are high merely yous are not "weighed downwardly with food or using excessive amounts of energy to digest large/heavy meals. You also demand to potable regularly. Try to call back to potable at least one cup of fluid every ii hours between meals. Your labour volition plant (and progress) more efficiently if your muscles are well-hydrated.

Practice: Proceed with regular gentle exercise. This will help you to maintain strength and stamina and reduce the intensity of the common discomforts of late pregnancy. Do some stretching exercises each twenty-four hours at home besides as continuing to attend a pregnancy practise class if you're still able. Become for short, leisurely walks one time or twice each day if your pelvis allows. Swim or water walk regularly, particularly if you are unable to do any other course of do.

Residuum: Your night-time sleep is probable to exist quite interrupted by at present so yous need to brand sure that yous have a nap or at to the lowest degree a substantial rest at some point each twenty-four hour period. Your labour could get-go at any time, twenty-four hours or night. Y'all volition exist better able to cope if you are too rested every bit possible.

Relax: Labour is a serial of big muscle stretches. During labour the neck (cervix) of your uterus, then your pelvic muscles and vagina stretch open to let your baby out. Your muscles will not stretch if you are not able to relax. Practising relaxation during your pregnancy volition aid "train" your subconscious heed to instigate a relaxation response to whatever stimuli (a word or phrase, an idea, a visualization, a piece of music, a sure blazon of touch) you have practiced relaxing to. You need to exist able relax actively (e.g. propped up in a labour enhancing position, perchance rocking or some other repetitive movement), or passively sitting or lying supported in some labour enhancing position and doing nothing except animate and consciously releasing tension from all your muscles and then that yous experience equally soft and flopsy as a rag doll. All relaxation requires even animate and then you lot need to continue to practise breathing gently and evenly, focusing on lengthening your exhalations. Relaxing to the same music each day will have the added benefit that this music is heard by your baby and the hormones and he will become accepted to the hormonal country that yous induce when you relax. After he is born it is likely that this same music will help your baby to relax.

Baby movements: Your infant is now very tightly packed in your trunk and has less and less infinite for movement, and then yous may notice a change in both the quality and frequency of her movements. Y'all could brand a fetal kick /move nautical chart then that you get consciously aware of your infant'southward agile times. You can download a fetal boot chart at www.babypartner.com/tools/charts/pregnancy/fetal-kick-nautical chart.pdf Although you may feel less frequent movements now that your baby has entered your pelvis yous should be feeling some vigorous kicks and movements each day (your placenta is attached to the front of your uterus). If you are concerned that y'all haven't felt any strong movements for 12 – 24 hours, drink a glass of iced water. The sensation of cold will usually get your baby moving. You tin also endeavour lying quietly on your left side for 1 60 minutes then rolling over onto your correct side, if you still don't feel whatever movements. If neither of these tests result in obvious babe movements, yous should contact your LMC midwife or doctor.

Breastfeeding: If this is your first baby and you have attended a nascence preparation course, you should accept got some basic information to assistance you constitute successful breastfeeding. However, since breastfeeding volition be the equivalent of a full-time job it can be a good idea to get equally much information as possible and have a refresher now that your birth is imminent. Attention a La Leche League "coming together" volition give you a chance to observe and chat with breastfeeding mothers. Bank check out your local group for information and back up with breastfeeding earlier and later on your infant is built-in on www.lalecheleague.org.nz Many hospitals and motherhood units besides offer a one-off breastfeeding form for women booked to give birth in their facilities – ask your LMC for information about these sessions or contact your local maternity unit of measurement for times and bookings.

Baby dress and bedding: All the apparel and bedding you have bought or gathered for your baby needs to be washed before your babe is born. Choose natural fibre clothes and bedding e.g. cotton, wool (including merino), linen, bamboo etc. Your babe's skin is her biggest organ so it needs to be wrapped in breathable fabrics. Besides your baby's ability to regulate her ain temperature is very young, natural fibre apparel and bedding will aid ensure that she stays comfortably warm and that moisture is wicked away from her skin and evaporates instead of staying on her peel and making her cold. Click here to check out the natural fibre clothing and bedding available from MAMA. Launder your infant's clothes and bedding in a mild, biodegradable laundry pulverisation/detergent and rinse well. Your baby's clothes and bedding should be well enough rinsed that they not odor of the laundry powder you have used. Accept advantage of whatever fine days to line dry your infant's washing, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are a natural germicide.

Making Love: Remember it was loving that got your baby in so loving volition help get your baby too. The hormones released during lovemaking help soften your cervix getting it gear up to stretch open during labour and the hormones that crusade orgasm also crusade uterine contractions. (Nipple stimulation too encourages your body to release the hormone oxytocin that causes your uterus to contract.) If you're not feeling like full-on, orgasmic lovemaking, simply hanging out with your partner, kissing, cuddling, having massages, enjoying your baby's movements, speculating almost what your baby is going to be like, what its going to be like to take this new and arresting focus in your relationship, sharing your excitement about condign parents or enlarging your family. Taking the fourth dimension to exist together feeling loved and loving and bonded with your partner and your babe will help instigate the onset of your labour.

  • Week ane
  • Weeks two – 3
  • Week 4
  • Weeks 5-viii
  • Weeks 9 – 10
  • Weeks 11 – 13
  • Weeks 14 – 17
  • Weeks 18 – 20
  • Weeks 21 – 24
  • Weeks 24 – 28
  • Weeks 28 – 32
  • Weeks 32 – 36
  • Weeks 37 – forty