Your infant is now considered to be fullterm. By now your babe will be curled into the "fetal" position, filling the whole of your uterus. His range of movements will be restricted to a kicking and a bit of stretching and maybe attempts at rotating. Your babe will keep to lay down fat deposits under his skin and will be practicing all the movements yous'll encounter later on he is born, e.g. breathing, suckling, swallowing, blinking, grasping and clasping her easily, head turning, boot and stretching, maybe even sucking his fist or pollex. Y'all may notice a slight reduction in the number of movements you lot experience – your baby is probable to have quite distinct periods of activity and longer periods of slumber. (If you do not feel your infant moving regularly and you are concerned, you can drink a glass of iced h2o and encounter if this stimulates movements, if non, you should arrange an appointment for your LMC midwife or doctor to listen to your baby's heartbeat a.s.a.p. ) Your baby will now probably weigh 3- 4kg and measure approximately 51cm tall.


Your body: Past now, lots of women are feeling completely over beingness pregnant and impatient to encounter their babies. Remind yourself and others, that the due appointment you've been given is only an average and it is completely normal for a infant to arrive subsequently the estimated due engagement as long as mother and babe are well.

Information technology is usual for you to come across your LMC midwife or md for a cheque-up each calendar week during this time.

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

The all-time time for your infant to be built-in is when he is fullterm and this is non necessarily on the EDD you accept been given. Some babies exercise remain in utero (in the womb) by the all-time time for them to be born. Your babe'due south placenta has a limited life span and this is dissimilar for every mother and baby. If your pregnancy continues past your placenta's "apply by" date, it will no longer efficiently transfer oxygen and nutrients to your baby and your baby volition exhibit symptoms of postmaturity e.g. deadening growth, reduced movements, reduced amniotic fluid book etc. This tin can happen earlier or after the EDD and this is one of the reasons why your visits to your LMC get more frequent as yous approach your EDD. If your pregnancy lasts more than than 1 week past your estimated due date (or if your LMC midwife or medico is concerned that your placenta might not be operation efficiently at whatever stage of pregnancy), s/he will probably recommend that you take a test called a Fetal Biophysical Profile. This test uses ultrasonic technologies to appraise fetal movement, tone, reactivity, animate movements and amniotic fluid volume and gives your babe a score out of 10. If your baby gets a score of 8 or more, it indicates that your placenta is notwithstanding providing adequate nourishment for your baby, i.e. if yous have passed your EDD your baby is probably postdates rather than postmature and, in the absenteeism of whatever other issues, you can safely and normally remain pregnant till your labour starts spontaneously.

Stop Work: If you are in paid employment y'all should have started your maternity get out past week 37. Even if you take a actually cruisey chore/boss and can come up in late, leave early etc, you should reduce your working calendar week down to around 3 function-time days around now. Yous need plenty of time to prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for the huge transition that is alee. Take time to enjoy these final days/weeks of pregnancy and if it is your showtime baby, to enjoy doing any you lot feel like. If you already accept a child or children yous will have less self time and probably less time to rest – endeavor to organize regular childcare and/or playdates for your other child(ren) so that you lot can focus on yourself and your nearly newborn babe for a few hours and get a daytime nap, or at least some uninterrupted relaxing fourth dimension.

Pack your bag: If you are planning to give birth in a motherhood unit of measurement or hospital, effectually at present you lot 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 after your baby is born. Use the list below as a guideline.

For Labour

Clothing – you can habiliment your own clothes during labour or a hospital gown. If yous would prefer to wear your ain apparel pack a couple of comfy tops or T.shirts. Y'all may besides 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 then you remember to take them dwelling
  • Hotpacks (Wheat/rice pack or gel pad) and cold packs (a bottle of frozen water wrapped in flannel makes a passable cold pack)
  • Drinks including bottled h2o
  • Lip Balm or moisturizer
  • Camera – fully charged
  • Music – CD role player or Ipod and dock etc

After Labour

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

Signs of Labour: A number of things tin happen that volition indicate that yous volition soon be in labour, just yous are not in labour until you are having regular contractions.

Contractions: You know yous are having a labour wrinkle when your uterus (and abdomen) become hard (like a tightly pumped up ball) and y'all feel some sort of low abdominal sensation 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) have to be happening at the same time for you to be having a labour wrinkle. These sensations tin can be very mild to kickoff with – a twinge or feeling of pressure, or period-like hurting – just they volition grow to become a pulling, stretching or tightening awareness that gets stronger equally time goes by. Contractions are intermittent not continuous i.e. they come and get. Equally your contractions become more than established y'all will probably notice that they accept a wave-like design i.e. they start fairly mildly build to a meridian of intensity and then slowly fade away giving you lot a period of minutes when your body feels equally relaxed as usual.

Prelabour contractions can feel the same but they are more 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 ofttimes come and go depending on what you're doing e.1000. if you might be up and moving and notice that y'all are having contractions then yous lie down and they disappear or vice versa. Or, you are having contractions then you get into a warm bathroom and they disappear. Or, you discover them later on in the day when yous are tired only if you have a sleep they disappear etc etc.

Agile labour contractions become longer, stronger and closer together over a period of time. Active labour contractions require all your attention – they will cease yous mid-sentence or mid stride. You volition demand to focus to continue your breathing regular and you will probably be needing to use some labour coping techniques to help you to stay relaxed and permit these contractions to do their work. You lot are not considered to be in active labour until your contractions final for at least one infinitesimal and are 5 minutes or less apart and have been at this frequency for at to the lowest degree one hr. This is called the 1 – 5 – ane dominion. When your contractions are coming at this level of frequency your LMC midwife or doctor will normally advise you to go the infirmary or volition come to your home if you are planning a homebirth.

Waters breaking: For about 10% of women the first 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 fourth dimension, and the amount and colour of the amniotic fluid that is leaking out. Wear a germ-free pad and keep any sanitary pads for your LMC to encounter. If the fluid loss is articulate, contact your LMC during regular working hours. If the fluid loss is dingy-looking, greenish or brown, contact your LMC immediately. The time betwixt waters breaking and the onset of contractions is enormously variable. Some women's waters will pause and inside 5 minutes they volition take had their first labour contraction, while other women will wait hours before they take their first contraction.

Alert Signs: You lot should call your LMC midwife or doctor immediately

if you experience whatever of the following:

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

Eat well: Your uterus is a muscle that will function more than efficiently if it is well nourished and well hydrated. Labour (first labour especially) is a flake like a marathon, you need to be physically and mentally well-prepared and you need to accept a proficient amount of energy on lath so that you last the distance. Eat small meals approximately every four or five hours so that your energy levels are high but y'all are not "weighed down with nutrient or using excessive amounts of energy to digest big/heavy meals. You also need to potable regularly. Effort to remember to potable at least one cup of fluid every 2 hours between meals. Your labour volition found (and progress) more than efficiently if your muscles are well-hydrated.

Exercise: Proceed with regular gentle exercise. This will assist you lot to maintain strength and stamina and reduce the intensity of the common discomforts of late pregnancy. Do some stretching exercises each day at habitation also equally continuing to attend a pregnancy exercise class if you're however able. Go for short, leisurely walks once or twice each 24-hour interval if your pelvis allows. Swim or water walk regularly, specially if you are unable to do whatever other course of do.

Rest: Your night-time sleep is probable to be quite interrupted by now so you lot demand to brand sure that you lot take a nap or at least a substantial rest at some point each mean solar day. Your labour could first at any time, day or night. You will be better able to cope if you are likewise rested as possible.

Relax: Labour is a series of big musculus stretches. During labour the neck (cervix) of your uterus, and then your pelvic muscles and vagina stretch open up to let your baby out. Your muscles will not stretch if you are not able to relax. Practising relaxation during your pregnancy will help "train" your subconscious listen to instigate a relaxation response to whatever stimuli (a word or phrase, an idea, a visualization, a slice of music, a sure type of touch) you have skillful relaxing to. You demand to be able relax actively (e.g. propped upward in a labour enhancing position, maybe rocking or some other repetitive motion), or passively sitting or lying supported in some labour enhancing position and doing cipher except breathing and consciously releasing tension from all your muscles so that you feel as soft and flopsy as a rag doll. All relaxation requires even breathing so you need to proceed to do breathing gently and evenly, focusing on lengthening your exhalations. Relaxing to the same music each 24-hour interval volition have the added benefit that this music is heard by your baby and the hormones and he will become accustomed to the hormonal state that yous induce when you relax. Afterwards 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 space for move, and then you may notice a change in both the quality and frequency of her movements. You could brand a fetal kick /movement chart so that y'all get consciously aware of your babe'south active times. You lot can download a fetal boot nautical chart at www.babypartner.com/tools/charts/pregnancy/fetal-kick-nautical chart.pdf Although you may feel less frequent movements now that your babe has entered your pelvis you should be feeling some vigorous kicks and movements each mean solar day (your placenta is fastened to the forepart of your uterus). If you are concerned that you oasis't felt any potent movements for 12 – 24 hours, drinkable a glass of iced water. The sensation of common cold will unremarkably become your baby moving. Yous can besides attempt lying quietly on your left side for 1 hour then rolling over onto your right side, if y'all still don't feel whatsoever movements. If neither of these tests result in obvious infant movements, you should contact your LMC midwife or doctor.

Breastfeeding: If this is your start baby and y'all have attended a birth grooming course, you should have got some basic data to aid you establish successful breastfeeding. However, since breastfeeding will be the equivalent of a full-fourth dimension job it can exist a good thought to get every bit much data as possible and have a refresher now that your nativity is imminent. Attending a La Leche League "meeting" will give you a chance to observe and chat with breastfeeding mothers. Check out your local group for data and support with breastfeeding earlier and later on your babe is born on www.lalecheleague.org.nz Many hospitals and motherhood units also offer a ane-off breastfeeding grade for women booked to requite birth in their facilities – ask your LMC for information about these sessions or contact your local maternity unit for times and bookings.

Baby dress and bedding: All the wearing apparel and bedding yous take bought or gathered for your baby needs to exist washed earlier your baby is built-in. Choose natural fibre dress and bedding e.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. As well your baby's ability to regulate her own temperature is very immature, natural fibre wearing apparel and bedding will assist ensure that she stays comfortably warm and that wet is wicked away from her peel and evaporates instead of staying on her skin and making her common cold. Click hither to check out the natural fibre wearable and bedding available from MAMA. Wash your babe'south apparel and bedding in a balmy, biodegradable laundry powder/detergent and rinse well. Your baby's dress and bedding should be well enough rinsed that they non olfactory property of the laundry powder you have used. Accept advantage of whatever fine days to line dry your baby'due south washing, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are a natural germicide.

Making Love: Remember it was loving that got your babe in so loving volition aid become your infant besides. The hormones released during lovemaking help soften your cervix getting it prepare to stretch open during labour and the hormones that crusade orgasm also cause uterine contractions. (Nipple stimulation besides encourages your body to release the hormone oxytocin that causes your uterus to contract.) If yous're not feeling like full-on, orgasmic lovemaking, but 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 take this new and absorbing focus in your relationship, sharing your excitement about becoming parents or enlarging your family unit. Taking the fourth dimension to exist together feeling loved and loving and bonded with your partner and your baby will assistance instigate the onset of your labour.

  • Week 1
  • Weeks 2 – iii
  • Calendar week 4
  • Weeks 5-8
  • Weeks 9 – ten
  • Weeks 11 – thirteen
  • Weeks 14 – 17
  • Weeks 18 – xx
  • Weeks 21 – 24
  • Weeks 24 – 28
  • Weeks 28 – 32
  • Weeks 32 – 36
  • Weeks 37 – xl