Pregnancy weeks 31 to 40...

If you're fit and healthy late pregnancy can be most enjoyable. People tend to be interested and to look after you when they see a sizable bump. You may feel a new sense of fulfilment, and there's the stimulus of making plans and meeting new friends at antenatal classes.

The final weeks can be uncomfortable, but they can also be amusing. As your bump grows your body tends to slow down and you may misjudge your size, brushing against work surfaces and trying to squeeze through gaps that are really too small. You may need help to cut your toenails or fasten your shoes.

Working, and especially rush hour travel, may become increasingly stressful. When you stop work you'll be able to take life more easily. Leaving can bring mixed feelings, however, if you enjoy your job and will miss your colleagues. Life will never be the same again, there's a new life out there, waiting to be discovered!

Your baby is likely to turn head down and engage (drop into your pelvis) any time after about 32 weeks, depending on her position and when your ligaments soften to let your pelvis expand sufficiently. After this you can usually breathe more easily but pressure on your bladder may send you to the toilet more frequently.

Towards the end of pregnancy your breasts will enlarge and may leak colostrum, a creamy substance that precedes milk production. You may feel Braxton Hicks or practice contractions. They're usually painless in a first pregnancy but in later ones they can strengthen until you wonder whether labour is starting. You may sleep badly and dream more, or feel anxious about the birth, but towards the end this tends to give way to acceptance. A few days before the birth you may lose a little weight or have diarrhoea.

Tips

• Save some treats to make up for the discomforts and try to keep a sense of humour.
• Enjoy putting your feet up and accepting help.
• If you change your mind about where you'd like to have your baby tell your GP or midwife. There's still time to change your booking
• Leaning forwards will help your baby adopt a favourable position for birth. Keep your knees lower than your hips when sitting.
• Lie on your left side in bed, ask your partner to fold a pillow in half lengthwise and tuck it along your back, then put a pillow between your knees and another under your bump.
• Massage your perineum to help avoid needing stitches after the birth.
• Pack your hospital bag about 6 weeks before the birth, write a birthplan and plan to make life easier after the birth.
• Arrange outings for after your due date in case you go overdue.
• Record a message on your answering machine to give callers information and you a respite from phone calls.
• Borrow or hire a TENS machine or a radio pager to contact your partner.