Your baby
Your child can now barely move either way and is most likely already lying in the position in which he or she will be born. The chance of turning grows smaller and smaller. By far the most babies now lie with the back of the head down — a perfect position for the birth, because the head can then adapt to the shape of the pelvis during labour.
Your child may also lie brow-first or face-first. That position is rather less favourable, because the pelvis is often too small to give the head room that way, and such a position often means a caesarean is needed. Your baby may also lie in a complete or an incomplete breech position.
In a complete breech the feet are downwards; in an incomplete breech the bottom comes first. Finally, your child may lie sideways. In that position a natural birth is impossible and a caesarean is always needed.
You
Your maternity leave is coming up — a pleasant prospect. But that can make things extra busy at work just now. Perhaps you want to finish a few jobs quickly because you will be away for sixteen weeks or more. And perhaps you are busier still because you have to show someone the ropes.
Tension and stress are of course the last things you need now. However hard it sometimes is, look after yourself. If you are tired in the evening, do not make any evening arrangements. Be honest with your colleagues about what you can and cannot manage, and do not feel guilty about having to say no now and then.
Stress is not good for your child. If you are very stressed, your blood vessels — including those of the womb — can tighten and carry less blood. So less stress. If you will not do it for yourself, do it for your child.
Writing a birth plan
Before you give birth you can write a birth plan. Working from a list of questions, you set out what you would and would not want during the birth. Useful for you and for the midwife looking after you, because during labour you are sometimes not in a position to say what you want. You can think about where you want to give birth — at home or in hospital — and how: sitting, lying, in water, on the bed. Who may be there, whether you want pain relief and in what form, what you want your partner to do, who will cut the cord, what will happen to the placenta, and so on.
It simply gives you a better picture of how a birth can go and what choices you and your partner can make. Of course a birth sometimes goes differently from what you set down in your plan, but when it is clear why it is going differently, women usually do not mind.
Announcing the birth
Once your baby is born you may want to share it with everyone. You could put a sign in the front garden, for instance, or hang out a home-made flag. Or you could go for cheerful bunting.
Third trimester
