Your baby
Your baby really is completely finished now, and you are probably ready too. You very likely think countless times a day: come on, what are you waiting for? Yet only one baby in twenty is born on the due date.
So do not be too disappointed if nothing happens. Besides, some women really are pregnant for 42 weeks. That probably has to do with the size of the placenta: a large placenta produces a lot of progesterone, a hormone that holds contractions back.
It is in fact your baby who decides when labour starts. He or she releases the stress hormone cortisol, which reaches you through the placenta. Under the influence of cortisol your own hormone factory swings into action, contractions begin and the birth gets under way.
You
Your due date falls this week. That day always has something magical about it, and you tend to be extra alert to every twinge. From this day on you can carry on with what you were doing; there is no need to stay at home. As long as you stay somewhere nearby, you will have plenty of time to get home once contractions start.
From this week on you can also expect regular calls from family and friends, and the first question is probably: anything yet? All that attention is lovely, but now and then it is irritating and tiring too. Not in the mood? Then put your phone on silent for a while.
Registering the birth
Once your baby is born, the birth must be registered within three days with the municipality where your baby was born; weekends and public holidays count. Usually your partner does this, but someone else who was present at the birth may do it too. Bring a valid identity document and, if applicable, your marriage booklet or proof of the acknowledgement. When registering you set your child's name — check carefully that the registrar spells the names correctly, because a misspelled name is hard to change. Addresses and opening hours of the municipalities are listed under Registering the birth.