Baby development

• Just 6 weeks after conception, eyes and ears are developing fast, as is the tiny beating heart
• By the end of the 8th week, your baby will be about 3cm and weight about 3g (that’s less than a teaspoonful of sugar!). The brain will be alert and active.
• At 12 weeks, he or she weighs about 15g and is around 6cm long (babies in the womb are usually measured from the top of the head - the ‘crown’ - to the rump - not from head to toe).

• By 16 weeks your baby is already almost completely developed. He or she can sense light and tell the difference between bitter and sweet substances in the amniotic fluid.
• At the end of 20 weeks, despite being only 16cm long and weighing only about 340g, your baby would stand a chance of surviving outside the womb. The following four weeks will see a doubling in weight. The baby’s eyes will open and close and the first teeth have formed in the gums.

• A time of rapid growth, your baby at 29 weeks is likely to be around 26cm long and weigh 1.1kg. Limbs are starting to fill out, the lungs are maturing quickly. Your baby can recognize your voice and has developed a sleeping and waking pattern.
• Coming up to 40 weeks and this little baby is ready to meet the world! Even the tiny finger and toenails are fully formed. The baby will be practicing sucking and swallowing, blinking, grasping and breathing. He or she puts on weight fast, with fat stores being laid down under the skin.
• Growth stops in the last two weeks or so and the baby becomes much less active. The baby’s head becomes ‘engaged’ during this time. You’re almost there!
  

The first signs of labour

• Going into labour isn’t usually dramatic! Common warning signs:
  • Low backache
  • Period-type pains
  • Reddish, jelly-like discharge (known as a ‘show’)
  • Mild, irregular contractions

Bags packed? These extras will help you during labour:

• Face wipes
• Cooling water/facial spray
• Mini fan
• Personal music player
• Bedsocks to avoid chilly feet
• Drinks and a snack for you after the birth
• Sandwiches/drinks/snacks for your birthing partner
• Books/magazines
• Camera/video
• Lip salve