MIA
Your baby in the last weeks
From week 28 your baby gains weight quickly, builds fat and gets ready to breathe and feed. Most babies settle head down by week 36.
Babies keep moving right up to and during labour. Movements may feel different as space gets tight, more rolls and pushes than kicks, but they should not slow down.
How your body feels
You may feel heavier, short of breath, and need to pee often. Heartburn, swollen ankles, back ache and poor sleep are all common.
Rest with your feet up, eat smaller meals and sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. Ask for help with lifting and long days.
Why side sleeping matters
Research has linked going to sleep on your back after 28 weeks with a higher risk of stillbirth. Going to sleep on your side, either side, is safer.
If you wake up on your back, do not worry. Just turn onto your side and go back to sleep.
Getting ready for birth
Finish your birth plan and talk it through with your midwife. Pack your hospital bag by week 36, and plan how you will get to your birth place.
Learn the signs of labour, and know who to call and when. Practise your breathing and positions so they feel familiar.
If your baby is late
Many first babies arrive after their due date. Your midwife may offer a membrane sweep from around 39 to 41 weeks.
If labour has not started by around 41 weeks, you will be offered induction. You can also choose to wait with extra monitoring. Ask about the risks and benefits of each.
Baby movements
Eating in pregnancy
Exercise in pregnancy