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Preparing the nursery
Most areas have regular nearly-new sales for baby and child equipment , often run by the National Childbirth Trust. Visit www.nct.org.uk to find details of sales near you.
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Your baby
Your baby’s eyelids are open and can even respond to light outside the uterus.
Your baby's fingernails can start growing in the womb. If your baby is born late you may find they are quite long.
You
Your belly button may stick out a bit as your bump grows. This will go back to its usual shape after the birth.
You may feel breathless. You're breathing more quickly (this is normal in pregnancy), and your growing bump may leave less room for your lungs.
You might be keen to decide how and where you would like to have your baby. Talk through your birth options with your midwife and those closest to you. Read through our labour and birth pages to help you think about what you might want, for example, what kind of pain relief you would prefer.
Don’t assume you have to have the dad with you at the birth – you could take your mum, sister or other close friend into the labour ward as your birth partner.
Things to do
You might notice more frequent bouts of indigestion and heartburn. Try eating smaller meals or sipping milk. Some indigestion medicines aren’t suitable for pregnant women so make sure you check with the pharmacist which ones you can take.
Start thinking about writing your birth plan. This includes things like who you want with you at the birth, what pain relief you think you might need and if you want an injection to help you deliver the placenta. Your midwife can go through your options with you and help you write the plan if you wish and always check your birth plan is realistic with your midwife – if your pregnancy is high-risk for some reason, you're unlikely to be able to have a home birth, for example.
Give your partner or family a list of emergency contacts, in case of an emergency. Keep your maternity notes with you when you are out and about. Put the labour ward phone number in your mobile phone.
More information
References
- C Henderson, S Macdonald (2009) Myles Midwifery: A Textbook for Midwives, 15th edition, Churchill Livingstone, London
- Department of Health (2009) The Pregnancy Book, NHS, London (downloadable version)
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