Your baby is now considered to be fullterm. Past now your baby will be curled into the "fetal" position, filling the whole of your uterus. His range of movements will be restricted to a boot and a bit of stretching and possibly attempts at rotating. Your baby will continue to lay downwards fatty deposits under his peel and will be practicing all the movements you'll see after he is born, e.yard. breathing, suckling, swallowing, blinking, grasping and clasping her hands, head turning, kicking and stretching, maybe even sucking his fist or thumb. You may notice a slight reduction in the number of movements you feel – your baby is likely to have quite distinct periods of activity and longer periods of sleep. (If you lot do not feel your baby moving regularly and yous are concerned, yous tin drink a glass of iced water and run into if this stimulates movements, if not, you should arrange an date for your LMC midwife or dr. to listen to your babe's heartbeat a.s.a.p. ) Your infant will now probably weigh three- 4kg and measure out approximately 51cm alpine.


Your body: By now, lots of women are feeling completely over being pregnant and impatient to encounter 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 infant to go far later on the estimated due date as long as female parent and infant are well.

It is usual for you to see your LMC midwife or medico for a bank check-up each week during this fourth dimension.

Postdates or overdue?: The normal length of pregnancy is between 37 and 42+weeks. Your Expected Due Appointment (EDD) is 40weeks correct in the eye of this normal range. Despite commonly used terminology, your infant is non overdue just because he has not been born on his EDD. In near cases pregnancies that go on by the EDD represent a completely normal variation of the average. Although it is difficult non to exist disappointed nigh your baby's "no show" and completely "fed upward" with beingness pregnant, it can help y'all (and your relations and friends), to be enlightened that 60% of babies are built-in after their EDDs.

The best fourth dimension for your baby to be born is when he is fullterm and this is non necessarily on the EDD yous take been given. Some babies do remain in utero (in the womb) past the best fourth dimension for them to be born. Your baby's placenta has a limited life span and this is dissimilar for every female parent and baby. If your pregnancy continues by your placenta'southward "use by" date, it will no longer efficiently transfer oxygen and nutrients to your baby and your baby will exhibit symptoms of postmaturity e.one thousand. slow growth, reduced movements, reduced amniotic fluid volume etc. This can happen before or afterward the EDD and this is one of the reasons why your visits to your LMC become more frequent as you approach your EDD. If your pregnancy lasts more than one week by your estimated due appointment (or if your LMC midwife or medico is concerned that your placenta might not be functioning efficiently at any stage of pregnancy), s/he will probably recommend that yous have a test chosen a Fetal Biophysical Profile. This test uses ultrasonic technologies to assess fetal movement, tone, reactivity, breathing movements and amniotic fluid book and gives your baby a score out of 10. If your baby gets a score of 8 or more, it indicates that your placenta is even so providing adequate nourishment for your baby, i.e. if you take passed your EDD your infant is probably postdates rather than postmature and, in the absence of any other problems, you can safely and unremarkably remain significant till your labour starts spontaneously.

Stop Work: If yous are in paid employment yous should take started your maternity leave by week 37. Even if you take a really cruisey task/dominate and tin come in late, go out early etc, you should reduce your working calendar week down to effectually 3 function-fourth dimension days around now. You need plenty of fourth dimension to prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for the huge transition that is ahead. Accept time to savor these final days/weeks of pregnancy and if it is your starting time baby, to savor doing whatever you feel similar. If yous already have a child or children you will take less self time and probably less time to residual – endeavour to organize regular childcare and/or playdates for your other child(ren) so that yous tin focus on yourself and your nearly newborn baby for a few hours and get a daytime nap, or at to the lowest degree some uninterrupted relaxing time.

Pack your handbag: If yous are planning to give birth in a motherhood unit or infirmary, around now yous can celebrate by packing the non-perishable items you desire to have on manus for your labour and will need during the outset 12+hours after your infant is born. Use the list beneath equally a guideline.

For Labour

Clothing – you tin wear your own clothes during labour or a infirmary gown. If yous would prefer to wear your own clothes pack a couple of comfy tops or T.shirts. You may likewise desire to pack a bikini top and/or a couple of crop tops to wear in the pool if you don't fancy being totally naked.

  • Socks
  • Hairbands/clips
  • Massage oil or massage wax
  • Extra pillows in coloured pillowcases so you recollect to accept them home
  • Hotpacks (Wheat/rice pack or gel pad) and cold packs (a canteen of frozen water wrapped in flannel makes a passable cold pack)
  • Drinks including bottled water
  • Lip Balm or moisturizer
  • Camera – fully charged
  • Music – CD player or Ipod and dock etc

Afterwards Labour

  • Soap, shampoo & conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Sleepwear
  • Motherhood/nursing bra
  • Extra knickers
  • Dressing gown or robe or coat
  • Shawl or cardigan
  • Slippers and shoes
  • Baby clothes – most hospitals provide nappies and possibly some kind of shirt for the duration of your post nativity stay merely at the very to the lowest degree, you volition need a full fix of clothes for your baby for coming home. i.eastward.
  • Vest or singlet
  • Grosuit/all-in-one
  • Socks or booties
  • Cardigan or jacket
  • Hat that covers your baby's ears
  • Rug or blanket to put over your baby in her carseat
  • Baby carseat

Signs of Labour: A number of things tin can happen that will betoken that you will shortly be in labour, just you are non in labour until you are having regular contractions.

Contractions: You know you are having a labour contraction when your uterus (and abdomen) go hard (like a tightly pumped up ball) and you feel some sort of low abdominal awareness usually at the level of your pubic bone in the front and occasionally in your lower back instead or as well. Both of these things (uterine tightenings and pelvic twinges/pains) accept to exist happening at the aforementioned time for yous to exist having a labour contraction. These sensations can be very mild to start with – a twinge or feeling of pressure, or flow-like pain – but they will grow to become a pulling, stretching or tightening sensation that gets stronger as time goes by. Contractions are intermittent not continuous i.e. they come and go. As your contractions go more established y'all will probably notice that they have a wave-like pattern i.e. they get-go fairly mildly build to a peak of intensity then slowly fade away giving you a menses of minutes when your body feels as relaxed equally usual.

Prelabour contractions tin can experience the aforementioned but they are more than random in terms of their intensity and frequency and disappear before establishing into a blueprint of being longer and stronger and closer together . Prelabour contractions often come up and go depending on what you lot're doing e.g. if you lot might be up and moving and notice that you are having contractions then you prevarication down and they disappear or vice versa. Or, yous are having contractions and so you get into a warm bath and they disappear. Or, you notice them afterward in the day when yous are tired simply if y'all accept a sleep they disappear etc etc.

Active labour contractions go longer, stronger and closer together over a menstruum of time. Agile labour contractions require all your attention – they will stop you mid-sentence or mid stride. You will demand to focus to keep your breathing regular and you will probably be needing to use some labour coping techniques to help you lot to stay relaxed and allow these contractions to exercise their piece of work. You are non considered to exist in active labour until your contractions last for at least i minute and are 5 minutes or less autonomously and have been at this frequency for at least one 60 minutes. This is called the 1 – v – ane dominion. When your contractions are coming at this level of frequency your LMC midwife or doctor volition unremarkably propose y'all to go the hospital or will come up to your abode if yous are planning a homebirth.

Waters breaking: For about 10% of women the beginning sign of labour is sudden loss of fluid from the vagina – this usually means that the amniotic sac has torn and amniotic fluid is draining out. Note the time, and the amount and colour of the amniotic fluid that is leaking out. Wear a sanitary pad and keep 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, greenish or dark-brown, contact your LMC immediately. The fourth dimension between waters breaking and the onset of contractions is enormously variable. Some women'due south waters volition suspension and within 5 minutes they will have had their first labour wrinkle, while other women volition expect hours before they have their kickoff contraction.

Alarm Signs: Yous should call your LMC midwife or physician immediately

if you experience whatsoever of the following:

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

Eat well: Your uterus is a musculus that will function more efficiently if it is well nourished and well hydrated. Labour (first labour especially) is a fleck like a marathon, yous need to be physically and mentally well-prepared and you need to have a good amount of energy on board so that you lot last the distance. Eat small meals approximately every iv or five hours then that your energy levels are high but you are not "weighed downwardly with food or using excessive amounts of energy to digest large/heavy meals. You besides need to drink regularly. Try to remember to drink at least one cup of fluid every two hours betwixt meals. Your labour will institute (and progress) more efficiently if your muscles are well-hydrated.

Practice: Continue with regular gentle exercise. This will help you to maintain forcefulness and stamina and reduce the intensity of the common discomforts of late pregnancy. Do some stretching exercises each 24-hour interval at home every bit well equally continuing to nourish a pregnancy exercise class if you're still able. Go for brusque, leisurely walks once or twice each mean solar day if your pelvis allows. Swim or water walk regularly, especially if you are unable to do any other form of exercise.

Rest: Your night-fourth dimension sleep is probable to be quite interrupted past at present so yous need to make sure that yous have a nap or at least a substantial rest at some point each day. Your labour could showtime at whatever time, day or night. You will be better able to cope if you are besides rested as possible.

Relax: Labour is a series of big muscle stretches. During labour the neck (cervix) of your uterus, then your pelvic muscles and vagina stretch open to let your babe out. Your muscles volition not stretch if you are not able to relax. Practising relaxation during your pregnancy will assistance "train" your subconscious mind to instigate a relaxation response to whatsoever stimuli (a discussion or phrase, an thought, a visualization, a slice of music, a certain type of impact) you have practiced relaxing to. You need to be able relax actively (e.grand. 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 so that you feel equally soft and flopsy every bit a rag doll. All relaxation requires even breathing and so you demand to continue to practise breathing gently and evenly, focusing on lengthening your exhalations. Relaxing to the aforementioned music each day will have the added do good that this music is heard by your babe and the hormones and he will become accustomed to the hormonal state that you lot induce when you relax. After he is born information technology is likely that this same music will help your baby to relax.

Baby movements: Your baby is now very tightly packed in your trunk and has less and less infinite for movement, then you may detect a modify in both the quality and frequency of her movements. You could make a fetal kick /move chart so that you become consciously aware of your baby's active times. You can download a fetal kicking nautical chart at www.babypartner.com/tools/charts/pregnancy/fetal-kicking-nautical chart.pdf Although you may feel less frequent movements now that your baby has entered your pelvis you should be feeling some vigorous kicks and movements each day (your placenta is attached to the forepart of your uterus). If y'all are concerned that you haven't felt any stiff movements for 12 – 24 hours, drinkable a glass of iced water. The awareness of cold will commonly get your infant moving. You can also effort lying quietly on your left side for i hour then rolling over onto your right side, if y'all however don't feel whatsoever movements. If neither of these tests result in obvious infant movements, you lot should contact your LMC midwife or doctor.

Breastfeeding: If this is your commencement baby and you lot take attended a birth preparation course, you should have got some basic information to assist you establish successful breastfeeding. Nonetheless, since breastfeeding volition exist the equivalent of a full-time job it can exist a skilful idea to go every bit much information every bit possible and take a refresher now that your birth is imminent. Attending a La Leche League "meeting" will give you a chance to observe and chat with breastfeeding mothers. Cheque out your local group for information and support with breastfeeding before and after your baby is born on www.lalecheleague.org.nz Many hospitals and maternity units besides offer a one-off breastfeeding course for women booked to give birth in their facilities – ask your LMC for information near these sessions or contact your local maternity unit of measurement for times and bookings.

Baby apparel and bedding: All the clothes and bedding you accept bought or gathered for your infant needs to exist done before your babe is born. Choose natural fibre clothes and bedding east.g. cotton, wool (including merino), linen, bamboo etc. Your baby's pare is her biggest organ so it needs to be wrapped in breathable fabrics. Also your baby's ability to regulate her own temperature is very immature, natural fibre clothes and bedding will aid ensure that she stays comfortably warm and that wet is wicked abroad from her skin and evaporates instead of staying on her skin and making her common cold. Click here to check out the natural fibre wearable and bedding available from MAMA. Wash your babe's clothes and bedding in a mild, biodegradable laundry powder/detergent and rinse well. Your baby's dress and bedding should be well plenty rinsed that they not smell of the laundry powder you lot have used. Have advantage of whatsoever fine days to line dry your baby's washing, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are a natural germicide.

Making Love: Retrieve it was loving that got your infant in so loving will assistance become your infant too. The hormones released during lovemaking help soften your cervix getting it ready to stretch open up during labour and the hormones that cause orgasm besides cause uterine contractions. (Nipple stimulation also encourages your body to release the hormone oxytocin that causes your uterus to contract.) If you're not feeling like total-on, orgasmic lovemaking, just hanging out with your partner, kissing, cuddling, having massages, enjoying your baby's movements, speculating about what your baby is going to be like, what its going to be like to have this new and absorbing focus in your relationship, sharing your excitement about condign parents or enlarging your family. Taking the time to be together feeling loved and loving and bonded with your partner and your infant will aid instigate the onset of your labour.

  • Week 1
  • Weeks two – three
  • Calendar week 4
  • Weeks 5-8
  • Weeks 9 – ten
  • Weeks eleven – 13
  • Weeks 14 – 17
  • Weeks eighteen – xx
  • Weeks 21 – 24
  • Weeks 24 – 28
  • Weeks 28 – 32
  • Weeks 32 – 36
  • Weeks 37 – 40