Last Week Of Pregnancy: How To Prepare For Child Birth

Blow the horn! Roll out the red carpet! A new rising star is about to touch ground for the first time. That is…your newborn baby! If you are on your last week of pregnancy truth is, you and your family may be now just sitting tight waiting for the final call. Or…maybe you are running around taking care of all the final touches before the new inhouse celebrity decides to show up!

Table Of Contents

Here’s What Happens When You Are 39 Weeks Pregnant
Have Your Postpartum Recovery Kit Ready
Go Through Your Baby’s Kit
Preparing Food On Your Last Week Of Pregnancy
Go Through Your Birth Plan
Make Sure You Have Chosen A Doctor For Your Baby
Should You Take A Childbirth Class During The Last Week Of Pregnancy
Benefits Of Napping During The Last Week Of Pregnancy
Sex During The Last Week Of Pregnancy
Pamper Yourself As Much As You Can
How To Know If You Are Going Into Labor
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All the prepping for your child’s birth peaks about 1 or 2 weeks before your due date! So, which better way to be ready than having a handy guide to all the things to finish up during the last week of pregnancy?

Here’s What Happens When You Are 39 Weeks Pregnant

Let’s take a quick look at what’s going on inside your lovely womb during week 39 of your pregnancy. By now, you are already on month 9 and your due date may be just 1 or 2 weeks away. Your bub has now reached its birth weight and length, typically around 20 inches and from 6 to 9 pounds, and will start getting ready to meet you face to face very soon. When it comes to changes in your body, you’ll likely feel like every little thing is about to send you into labor! From cramps and contractions to pelvic pressure and the so-called bloody show -when your mucus plug begins to loosen up causing a vaginal discharge- every hour is seemingly announcing the time has come!

Have Your Postpartum Recovery Kit Ready

Have you got your postpartum recovery kit?

Having your postpartum care package ready to go will give you a great edge on anticipating your needs right after childbirth! Disposable underwear, cold packs, a postpartum girdle, and many other items that will ease you into your postpartum recovery, all included in this guide to the 10 Essentials of your Postpartum Recovery Kit.

Make sure you have your kit packed and organized inside your baby bag!

Go Through Your Baby’s Kit

What is in Welcome Baby Kit? — Get ready with your baby’s kit

Now that you know what you need to cater to your new mom’s needs, let’s focus on your baby. Many women, during their last week of pregnancy, go through what’s known as ‘nesting.’ This may feel like an urge to have everything planned to the tee! So to put that to great use here’s a roundup of productive things you can do to satisfy your nesting urges.

To take it a step further, we’ve selected the top items that should be included in your ‘Welcome Baby Kit!’ You may have these already -who said baby shower presents?!- but it’s still worth to confirm your bub’s care package is all done and dusted!

Diapers – heaps of diapers.
Car seat -you need one to take the baby home!
Toiletries and hygiene products -baby soap, baby towels, wipes, diaper rash cream, cotton balls
Stroller, and/or carrier
Baby Car seat
Bedding and nursery room furniture
Baby bathtub
Changing mat and baby wraps
Baby’s clothing, plus bibs!
Thermometer and any other thing your doctor and midwife would recommend.

Preparing Food On Your Last Week Of Pregnancy

Food habits in your last week of pregnancy — Food prepping during the last week of pregnancy

Once you cross that door with your newborn in your arms, things will start running under a very special schedule. It’s incredible to think how such a tiny cutie can cause such a lovely mess! This is when you’ll thank and appreciate the ‘past you’ who took the time to organize and coordinate meals and healthy snacks. Food prepping during the last week of pregnancy can alleviate the stress and reduce the huge amounts of energy spent trying to figure what to eat next! Try not to go at it alone. Get hold of your partner, family, and friends, and put them to work if you wish. People love to be part of such a special season of life.

Go Through Your Birth Plan

Are you ready with the birth plan? — Map your goals of childbirth experience

As this study explains, a birth plan’s main goal is to map out the childbirth experience you wish to have. It’s also a way for you to wrap your head around the stages of childbirth and how you’d like things -who’s gonna be there, how your doctor will deal with pain, etc. It’s essential to have a flexible birth plan as this will give you and your doctor assurance. Going through it during the last week of pregnancy will help you and your ‘childbirth allies’ stay on the same page!

Make Sure You Have Chosen A Doctor For Your Baby

Have you chosen a doctor for your baby? — Choose a paediatrician well in advance.

It’s recommended to get into choosing a pediatrician for your baby at least 1 or 2 months before delivery. You can do research, read reviews, ask your friends for references, get an appointment to meet him or her. Get clear on what your priorities are. Is the office conveniently located? Will you find staff on call if your baby gets sick? Is the doctor in line with your values? The idea is that by the last week of your pregnancy you would already have this sorted, so you’d just need to re-confirm! If you haven’t made a decision by the time your baby is born, the hospital will assign you a pediatrician. Better stay on top of things!

Should You Take A Childbirth Class During The Last Week Of Pregnancy

Are there any benefits in taking childbirth classes during pregnancy? — Childbirth classes are not mandatory, but beneficial if you attend.

Nowadays, childbirth classes are not mandatory. But there are many benefits associated with addressing childbirth fears, anxiety, learning pain management techniques, and more! Experts recommend starting the classes at the beginning of your third trimester, but of course, not all women can get into these on time, mostly due to costs, and busy pre-baby schedules. If this is you, then try to coordinate maybe 1 or 2 classes during your last week of pregnancy. Even that little can be of use when the big day comes!

Benefits Of Napping During The Last Week Of Pregnancy

What are the benefits of napping during pregnancy? — Napping is good during pregnancy

If everything seems like a perfect excuse to just doze for a couple of minutes, know that’s completely normal! In fact, you should try to nap as much as you can. There’s now scientific evidence supporting the correlation of napping with giving birth to a baby with a healthy weight! Napping is beneficial all throughout your pregnancy, but again, many women’s busy schedules prevent them from proper rest. However, if you are due in 1 or 2 weeks, you may already have stopped working, so there you go…nap time! Better late than never!

Sex During The Last Week Of Pregnancy

Is it safe to have sex during last week of pregnancy? — Having sex or not during pregnancy should be consulted with doctor

In case you were wondering, having sex during pregnancy is safe -and this applies to the last weeks too! It may not be too comfortable, but considering you won’t be able to have sex for a while after childbirth, it may be a great way to stay intimately connected with your partner. Sometimes health professionals may argue against it for reasons specific to your pregnancy, so get clearance from your doctor!

Pamper Yourself As Much As You Can

Pamper yourself during pregnancy and be happy — Pamper yourself the best you can

Get a pedicure, a manicure, finish up your shopping, get your maternity shapewear garment ready, spend some time with adults, journal, practice breathing techniques…just do whatever brings you comfort and makes you happy!

How To Know If You Are Going Into Labor

How to know if you are going into the labor? — Be ready to go into the labor and welcome the new joy

In this article, you’ll learn the 5 signs that will tell you are getting into labor! This is when the show is about to start and you’ll appreciate all the big and little things you did over the last weeks of your pregnancy. It’s been a long wait! Now you’ll reap the rewards by welcoming your beautiful, healthy bundle of joy into this world. Showtime is on!