MONTH EIGHT

Week Thirty-two

Your Baby
Your baby now measures around 30cm from crown to rump and their five senses are now fully functional. At around week thirty-two your baby will either be positioned with their head down ready for birth, or they will be moving into position shortly.

You
You bump has moved upwards and now begins to slope from just below your breasts as your uterus takes up nearly all the available space in your abdomen. This may also result in heartburn, indigestion, shortness of breath and/or constipation. Make sure that you are drinking enough water and getting plenty of fibre.

Week Thirty-three

Your Baby
Rapid growth in your baby's brain is increasing the size of their head and their skin will turn from a transparent red in colour to an opaque pink as the fat continues to accumulate below the skin.

You
It is important to monitor how you are feeling from now on - if you are experiencing severe headaches an increase in swelling, particularly of the face, any nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, you should consult your healthcare professional immediately as these may be signs of a complication with the pregnancy. If you have any varicose veins they may become more apparent, however you should expect them to fade or disappear following the birth.

Week Thirty-four

Your Baby
Your baby is now functioning similar to that of a newborn and sleeping with the eyes closed and opening them while they are awake. Fluid will now be passing through their kidneys, although it is not like adult urine and is passed out into the amniotic fluid and is processed by the placenta.

You
Your Braxton Hicks may increase during this period and they should be pain-free. You may be experiencing breathlessness as your lungs continue to be squashed by your unborn baby!

Week Thirty-five

Your Baby
Your baby now weighs about 2.5 kilograms and the fat accumulates to plump up their arms and legs. With only 5 weeks until the birth, there is very little room left in your abdomen for the baby to move around. If you are having a boy, then the testes will now complete their decent into the scrotum.

You
Your health care provider may begin regular checks of your cervix for signs of dilation and to determine what position the baby is in. If your bump is aching you may need to use a support belt and you need to avoid lifting and standing for long periods to avoid straining the ligaments that support the uterus.

Week Thirty-six

Your Baby
Your baby is gaining about 14g of fat per day and it begins to dimple around the elbows and knees and forms creases around the neck. This additional fat will help them cope with the lower temperatures they will experience following the birth. With the birth only 4 weeks away, your baby could drop into the birth canal at any time.

You
If this is your first pregnancy and your baby's head engages into your pelvic cavity during this time, you may experience what is known as 'lightening', when the baby drops into place. In additional pregnancies this usually occurs in week 40, or during labour. If you haven't already, now is a good time to consider buying clothes, nappies, a cot and a pram for your baby.

WHAT TO PACK FOR THE BIRTH DAY

• Comfortable clothes to labour in. Make sure they are easy to get on or off as you may need to move rooms at some stage
• An old bikini is good if you feel self-conscious about being in the shower or bath naked
• Swimmers for your partner so they can assist you in the shower or bath/ labour pool
• Pyjamas (2 pairs)
• Old or disposable underpants - at least half a dozen
• Maternity sanitary pads - the largest ones you can find - 2 boxes
• Warm socks or bed slippers
• Toiletries (including toothbrush for your partner)
• A change of clothes for your partner
• A small box of tissues
• Hair ties or a head band to keep your hair off your face during labour
• Breast pads
• Clothes for your baby
• Check what baby items the hospital supplies such as nappies
• Drinks and snacks - this may include non-acid juices such as pear or apple juice to dilute for labour, pure water (including a water bottle), muesli bars, yoghurt, fruity icy poles, natural colour and flavoured lolly pops on sticks (easy to take out during contractions), food for your support people
• Support tools such as heat packs, massage oil, aromatherapy oil, face washer, relaxation music CDs (make sure your hospital supplies a CD player)
• If you wish to use natural therapies, bring along your homeopathics or herbal medicines - remember to check that this is OK with your hospital
• Camera or video recorder
• Phone card or coins to use the public phone as many mobile phones don't get reception in hospitals or they are required to be switched off
• Baby capsule installed in car
• Antenatal card, Medicare card and any other paperwork you may need

OPTIMAL FOETAL POSITIONING (OFP)

OFP is about making sure that your baby is in the most optimal position for labour. It has been found that the mother's position and movement may influence the way her baby lies in the womb in the final weeks of pregnancy thereby influencing the position for labour. Many difficult labours result from 'malpresentation', where the baby's position makes it hard for the head to move through the pelvis. Changing the way the baby lies could make birth easier for mother and child.

The most ideal position for birth is the 'occiput anterior' position. In this position the baby is lined up to fit through your pelvis as easily as possible. The baby is head down, facing your back, with its back on one side of the front of your tummy. In this position, the baby's chin is tucked onto its chest, so that the smallest part of its head (approximately 9.5 cm) will be applied to the cervix first.

A common alternative to this is the 'occiput posterior' (OP) position. This means the baby is still head down (not fully flexed hence a larger diameter on the cervix of 11.5 cm), but facing your tummy and with their spine on your spine. Mothers of babies in the 'posterior' position are more likely to have long and painful labours as the baby usually has to turn all the way round to facing the back in order to be born.

The rate of posterior presentation has increased drastically in the last few decades, in line with changes in the way women use their bodies. Sitting in car seats and leaning back on comfortable sofas, together with less physical work on our hands and knees, have combined to produce an increase in posterior presentations. Paying attention to your posture in the last few months of pregnancy may be the difference between an anterior or posterior labour.

The baby's back is the heaviest side of its body. This means that the back will naturally gravitate towards the lowest side of the mother's abdomen. So if your tummy is lower than your back (sitting on a chair leaning forward) then the baby's back will tend to swing towards your tummy putting the baby in an anterior position. If your back is lower than your tummy (lying on your back or leaning back in an armchair) then the baby's back may swing towards your back putting the baby in a posterior position.

Avoid positions which encourage your baby to face your tummy. The main culprits are said to be sitting back in comfy armchairs, laying in bed watching TV, sitting in car seats where you are leaning back, or anything where your knees are higher than your pelvis. The best way to do this is to spend lots of time kneeling upright, or sitting upright, or on hands and knees. When you sit on a chair, make sure your knees are lower than your pelvis, and your trunk should be tilted slightly forwards.

You can learn to tell what position your baby is in, by asking your midwife to show you what to look out for, and by feeling for the baby yourself. When the baby is anterior, the back feels hard and smooth and rounded on one side of your tummy, and you will normally feel kicks under your ribs. Your belly button will normally poke out, and the area around it will feel firm. When the baby is posterior, your tummy may look flatter and feel more squashy, and you may feel arms and legs towards the front, and kicks on the front towards the middle of your tummy. The area around your belly button may dip in to a concave, saucer-like shape.

HINTS AND TIPS FOR OPTIMAL FOETAL POSITIONING (OFP)

• Watch TV while kneeling on the floor, over a beanbag or cushions, or sit on a dining chair. Try sitting on a dining chair facing (leaning on) the back as well
• Use yoga positions while resting, reading or watching TV - for example, tailor pose (sitting with your back upright and soles of the feet together, knees out to the sides)
• Don't cross your legs! This reduces the space at the front of the pelvis, and opens it up at the back. For good positioning, the baby needs to have lots of space at the front
• Don't put your feet up unless advised by your doctor! Lying back with your feet up encourages posterior presentation
• Avoid deep squatting, which opens up the pelvis and encourages the baby to move down, until you know he/she is the right way round
• Swimming with your belly downwards is said to be very good for positioning babies - lots of breaststroke and freestyle

Month Nine