Your baby

Your baby weighs around three pounds and measures 27cm from head to toe. Your baby will be spending about 80% of his sleeping time in REM (rapid eye movement) dreams, during which his brain activity is heightened. However, he will also be opening his eyes wide open and practising “looking” movements. He will be very aware of his surroundings, already distinguishing light from dark.

Lots of rapid brain development is going on at this stage. Your baby's swallowing and sucking skills are developing and his immune system continues to strengthen. By now, most of the lanugo, the fine hair on your baby’s skin, has disappeared except for patches on the back and shoulders.

As there is still enough room to move about, your baby is still very active and may seem to sleep while you are awake - and vice versa! Although, your baby notices your Braxton Hicks contractions (the painless contractions of your uterus practicing for birth) he is not adversely affected by them.

Your progress

You only have 10 more weeks of pregnancy to go – but the going probably feels tougher every week! As your uterus pushes up even further, it puts increased pressure on your bladder and spine, making you prone to backache.

You may find that your ankles and legs become swollen, especially on hot days or if you've been on your feet a lot. Mild swelling is normal – up to 75% of pregnant women may get it - but don’t hesitate to call your doctor or midwife if your face and hands begin to swell, or if the swelling lasts more than 24 hours. When accompanied by a rapid weight gain or a rise in your blood pressure, this swelling could be a possible sign of pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition that affects approximately five to 10% of pregnant women.

While checking your feet and legs for signs of swelling, you may also notice varicose veins developing around this time. These are fine bluish, reddish, or purplish lines under the skin, which may surface for the first time or worsen during late pregnancy, as the uterus exerts greater pressure on the veins in the legs. Again the solution is to avoid standing for long periods and put your feet up whenever you can.

What to think about

Now’s a good time to make a list of the products you'd most like to have on hand before your baby arrives. The truth is that you really don't need much for a baby, besides nappies, something to wrap your baby with and a car seat if you have a car. It may be hard to not get caught up in a pre-baby spending frenzy, but remember you have your whole life to spend on your baby…

So here's our checklist of the basic essentials to have on hand before your baby arrives:

Newborn nappies (expect to use 6 - 8 per day)

Nappy bucket

Baby wipes

Nappy rash cream

Cotton balls

Blankets for swaddling and protecting your clothes from baby sick

Crib

Crib mattress

Fitted crib sheets

Crib bumper

Rear facing, stage 1 car seat

Pram or buggy with a fully reclining seatback

Chest of drawers, open shelf or some other way to store and organise baby clothes and supplies

Baby nail clippers

Forehead thermometer

Petroleum jelly for chapped skin

Baby soap and tearless baby shampoo

An outfit for the baby to wear home from the hospital

Babygros - expect to use two to three a day

Socks or booties

Baby sweaters and an all-in-one pramsuit for winter

Hats (to protect against sun in warm weather, or to keep warm in cold weather)

If Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding pillow

Electric or manual breast pump

Milk storage bottles

Nipple cream

Nursing shirts

If bottle feeding

Bottle brush

Three or four bottles in different styles

Several slow-flow silicone nipples

A small container of formula

Steriliser for bottles and nipples