The following information -- and much more -- can also be found in the free weekly email Lamaze Pregnancy Week by Week. Sign up now to receive helpful information for your stage of pregnancy. Subscribers will be given the opportunity to complete a Lamaze Parent Satisfaction Survey after their pregnancy and receive a Lamaze Toys coupon. We want to hear about your birth experience and the impact that childbirth education may have had so that we can continue to make sure parents have the information they need for the safest, healthiest birth possible.
You're in week 35 of your pregnancy!
These final weeks before birth are like the finishing touches for a big dance. The dance floor is ready--the past nine months of eating well, exercising, and resting have been a time of preparation. The musicians are practiced and gathered--mother and baby have been warming up for months, learning how to make the best music together. And at just the right time, when things are completely ready, the dance of labor and birth will begin, and the players who have been rehearsing for all these weeks will delight in seeing each other's faces. Find out more about preparing for the big dance.
What's New with Baby
Can you see a little arm or leg moving about when baby stretches? He now weighs about 5 1/4 pounds and is more than 18 inches about the size of a honeydew melon. Your baby continues to grow well and is increasing his energy stores and weight with each passing day. Chances are your little one is in head-down position, which happens to be the easiest position for giving birth. If your baby is in a breech position, you may discuss some options for turning him with your care provider.
What's New with You
If you haven't done so already, consider packing your bag for birth. Filled with little things that will make for a more comfortable birth experience, the quintessential birth bag contains clothes, personal items and other things that will help you feel at ease. Lists of must-have items abound on the internet, in pregnancy magazines and in childbirth books. What do you really need to pack, and what can you leave behind? Read more about packing your birth bag.
Story from a Mama who has been there
'From about seven months on, I practiced relaxation. This enabled me to release all fear I had around labor. It also forced me to take time every day to sit quietly, meditate deeply and really be still to listen and connect with Lucy. I also worried about failure - that I wouldn't be able to live up to my own expectations during labor. I started to use drawing to materialize my image of what labor would be like. After this, I was ready to birth my baby. Whether I was loud or quiet, whether labor was 'uncomfortable' or plain painful it was going to be okay because I would do it.'
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Birth Birth plans Pregnancy Lamaze Pregnancy Week by Week Third Trimester Birth Bag Labor Bag Packing for Labor Packing Your Hospital Bag