You've almost made it! You've reached the tail end of this pregnancy and the finish line is in sight. Your baby is almost ready to be born and you could go into labour at any time. 

The fine covering of hair on your baby's body (called lanugo) all but disappears now, but their skin is still covered with thick, greasy, white cream called vernix. If your baby is a boy, his testes have now descended from their groin area into his scrotum. Your baby's placenta now covers about one-third of the inner surface of your uterus and processes around 12 litres of blood per hour (or 600 pints every 24 hours). It's working overtime to make sure your baby receives all the nutrients it needs. 


It's almost time... Image: iStock 

Physical changes


Many women experience some form of prelabour for weeks, days or several hours before their labour starts in earnest. Prelabour is essentially feeling some physical signs indicating labour could be starting, such as a 'show', having loose bowel motions, nausea (possibly vomiting), backache, period pain, perhaps the waters breaking or some mild to moderate regular or irregular contractions. During prelabour, the cervix softens and ripens, thins out and starts to open or dilate slightly, up to 1 to 3 centimetres or so.

If you have to ask "Is this it?", then it's generally not. However, each woman's body differs and even the most experienced caregivers can get it wrong! Prelabour contractions vary considerably, but are usually further apart, shorter (or longer) in length, and more erratic, than established labour contractions. They are also not usually strong enough to stop you talking or doing normal tasks.

Many women wonder if an increase in mucous secretions is actually a show.

Emotional reactions

Feeling fed up

Late pregnancy often brings many discomforts and as your baby grows bigger and your belly grows heavier. It's not uncommon - or unreasonable - to feel tired and fed up with being pregnant right now: you've had enough and you just want that baby out.  

Talk about your feelings with your caregiver and/or partner, or with someone else you trust. Sometimes labour does not start until you feel you have resolved your feelings to some degree and are emotionally ready to have your baby.

Make sure your hospital bag is ready. Image: iStock 

Feeling ready

Prelabour is the preparation for the labour. The body and the baby beginning, getting ready, for the woman to say YES to the labour, whatever that may bring.

It's a good idea to check over your hospital bag, make any last-minute additions and keep it handy by the front door or even in the boot of the car. You could be heading there any day and it's important to make sure you have everything you need. 

Other considerations

In the first few days after your baby is born, there will be a lot of different things that you need to think about, including any tests they may need to have. 

The newborn screening blood test is a heel-prick test usually offered routinely to babies at about three-to-five days after birth. It aims to detect selected disorders so that treatment can commence before the baby shows signs of illness.

Hepatitis B vaccinations are routinely offered to newborn babies before they are discharged from the hospital.

Jaundice is a yellowing of the baby's skin and eyes due to a build-up of a substance called bilirubin. Up to 50 percent of newborns become jaundiced, with most just requiring closer observation. A few babies need treatments such as phototherapy.

Boys - care of foreskin. A baby boy's foreskin (or prepuce) is naturally adhered from birth and gradually separates on its own by the time the child is about 2 to 5 years of age. In a few boys, it remains attached until puberty (this is not a problem). Whether you decide to circumcise your baby boy is entirely up to you, but it's something you will need to organise before going to the hospital, as many don't routinely perform the surgery.

There are lots of things to consider shortly after birth. Image: iStock 

Your new baby

Bonding with your baby

There has been a great deal of emphasis placed on the concept of bonding or attachment in recent decades. The media often portrays the image that bonding occurs within minutes after birth as if the parents are suddenly struck by a thunderbolt of emotions for their newborn baby. Here's the reality: many parents don't bond straight away and that is completely fine. It's important to give yourself time and space and remember that bonding is a gradual process that ignites and grows in the following days, weeks or sometimes months after birth.

Feeding your baby

Your caregiver or midwife will ask you about your intention to breastfeed while you are pregnant and most women make the decision about how they wish to feed their baby well before birth. Some find this choice easy, others are unsure and may take a wait and see approach.

Remember, whatever you decide to do is ABSOLUTELY fine. The decision-making process is usually influenced by many factors reflecting the woman's cultural, social and personal beliefs, past experiences, her perception of her body, the society she lives in, her plans to return to work, how her mother fed her babies and sometimes her partner's preferences.

Newborn examinations

Most newborns have several head-to-toe checks performed by various caregivers at different times in the hours, days, weeks and months after birth.

What to expect from your baby's caregivers

As soon as your baby is born the priority of their caregiver is to ensure they have a smooth transition to life. Once this has happened, keeping your baby warm, making sure they have fed and performing expected routine procedures such as weighing, measuring and checking them physically all happen in good time.