Your baby

Your baby is really starting to pile on the ounces and pounds now and will probably weigh about four pounds 11 ounces (2 kilograms), measuring 30cm from crown to rump. From now on, your baby is mature enough to live outside the womb, if born prematurely.

As well as the immunities you have provided to your baby, he is beginning to develop his own immune reaction to mild infections. Your baby continues to urinate nearly a pint a day. This and other fluids from the baby help to make up the amniotic fluid, which replenishes itself every three hours.

Your progress

You’re now into your last six weeks of pregnancy – the countdown has truly begun! The hormones from the placenta are starting to activate the milk in your breasts and, as your body gets ready for labour, you may notice that you have more and more contractions that seem less like practice. With labour looming, you may be getting a bit nervous by now, but try to relax and be positive, because this may help you to have an easier labour.

As nervous and excited as you may be, you’re probably longing for pregnancy to be over, as your bump seems to take over entirely. Increased pregnancy hormones are softening up the connective tissue in your body. This causes the joints between the bones of your pelvis to become more relaxed, which can cause chronic hip pain. Along with the lower back pain and a heavy uterus of late pregnancy, this is not a comfortable time for most women!

What to think about

Creating a Birth Plan

Now is a good time to start thinking about your birth plan. This is a written outline of your wishes regarding how you would like to be treated during birth. Although it’s not a legal document that your midwife is required to follow, it’s a good starting point for communication between you, your partner and your midwife – both before labour and when you are admitted.

A birth plan can be used to communicate your wishes about procedures such as induction, epidurals, pain relief, episiotomy, monitoring, forceps and ventouse delivery, as well as whether you would like to be free to move around the room and labour or give birth in water.

A birth plan can also specify what's to happen to the baby during and immediately after birth. For example, it may say that your partner wishes to catch the baby or cut the cord, or express your intentions regarding tests, vaccines and whether or not you plan to breastfeed or bottle-feed.

It’s worth remembering though that birth plans which are too long and detailed can become rigid and unrealistic, as you’ll need to be flexible and listen to advice as your labour progresses. In truth, having a good midwife by your side is the best birth plan you could possibly have.

However, having a plan can help your birth partner to communicate your wishes when you’re vulnerable and foggy in the midst of your labour. Thinking about what you want (and don't want) can also help you to get a better sense about the realities of birth in a hospital. But don’t be surprised if labour is rather different to your perfectly outlined plan – it’s a wish list, not an end of term report!