Use our pregnancy calendar to see what’s happening in your pregnancy each week.

Have you packed your hospital bag yet? Here’s what you can expect from week thirty six of your pregnancy.

Your Baby:

Keeps on piling on the pounds – roughly 0.5lbs per week now

Should be head down by this point

Will start to shed the fine hairs that coat their body ready for birth

You:

Should pack your hospital bag! What are you waiting for?!

Also piling on the pounds – roughly 0.5 tonnes a day

May find discharge levels pick up. Delightful

 

Week Thirty Six

If you haven’t done so already, this week is the time to be thinking about packing your hospital bag or bags – don’t panic, there’s an easy to follow list here! The reality is that by the time you’ve pulled together everything that you’ll need, the baby will need and your birth partner may need, your hospital bag pile could resemble something of a small mountain. You can find our essential hospital bag list here, one that’s cobbled together from extensive list reading and experience from plenty of other mums. It’s a good idea to get your bags packed early just in case something should happen. After all, you want to be able to relax when you go into labour, not be panicking about how little charge the camera has and whether or not you’ve remembered to pick up maternity pads. Once they’re packed, keep them somewhere that’s easy to access – by the door, in the nursery or even in the back of the car if you like to be prepared!

Speaking of being prepared, there are a few other things that you may wish to get in. If your car has fabric seating, I’d recommend finding a towel or waterproof covering to put over the seat for your journey to the hospital. It may sound stupid but incontinence pads (the mat style ones) can be perfect for protecting your car or sofa from any amniotic spills. Likewise, I placed a couple of these under the throws on our sofa for the first few days after birth, just in case there were any pad leaks! Secondly, a waterproof sheet on the bed can go some way to alleviate fears. We found it was more useful again post birth, from protecting the mattress from baby sick through to breast milk leaks. By putting it on a few weeks prior to birth, I was less terrified that I’d wake up with a mattress permanently scented with eau de birth…

This week you’ll have another check with your midwife. They’ll be checking you (as ever) for signs that the baby continues to be healthy and that you’re not suffering from something like pre-eclampsia. It’s also at this point that they’ll be checking how the baby is presenting; primarily if they’re head down yet. Most babies will have turned into the correct position by now, especially if it’s your first baby. If they’re unsure or think your baby is transverse (sideways) or breech (head up), you’ll have a presentation scan just to double check and then your options will be discussed, whether that’s ways to turn the baby naturally, getting a doctor to perform a procedure called a ‘version’ designed to rotate your baby or suggest a c-section. Don’t automatically assume that your baby is breech though if you feel the majority of movements towards your pelvis; your baby may be stretched out in a V-position, something that is particularly common in first time mothers.

Other fun things this week: Increased discharge. Can we say that on a family site? It feels a bit wrong but ladies, welcome to the excitement of the last few weeks. You’ll spend the majority of your time now wondering exactly what that fluid is, if it’s normal and if it means labour is imminent. It’s a fun time designed to keep you on your toes, especially first thing in the morning when you’re still half asleep.

Missed a week? Catch up on week thirty five

Fancy sneaking ahead? Here’s week thirty seven