Take a moment from your aches and pains to celebrate that your baby is officially considered early term and that all the pregnancy symptoms suddenly seem worth it. That means your little cherub has developed all their vital organs and functions, and is completely ready to enter the big world. Of course, with each day that passes, they’ll just get stronger and healthier.
Your Baby
Your healthy button is about the size of a winter melon weighing a healthy 2.8kg and measuring around 48cm head to heel. Movement has been restricted considerably, so your baby will be taking this time to practice breathing, sucking, gripping and blinking.
Your Body
You may start to notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are occurring more frequently, and you may have an increase in vaginal discharge. You may also experience a bloody-show. This is a pink or brown tinged mucous discharge, which means that the blood vessels in the cervix are rupturing as the cervix begins to prep for labour. That is a sure sign that labour is imminent.
Sensible Tips
- Keep your car filled with petrol so that you’re ready to rush off to hospital at a moments notice.
- Now would be a good time to download a contraction app so that your partner can help monitor the contractions when they begin.
- Your hospital and baby bag should be packed and ready at the front door, labour could happen at any moment so make sure you’re prepared.