Weeks 27 to 29

You

You may get heartburn, and it’s probably becoming hard to eat large meals as your baby grows and takes up some of the space where your stomach normally is.

You may have swollen face, hands or feet. It might be caused by water retention, which is normal (try resting, and lifting up swollen feet to ease it). But mention any swelling to your midwife or GP so that they can take your blood pressure and rule out a condition called pre-eclampsia.

Baby

Your baby's eyes open for the first time around now. The baby sleeps and wakes.

Weeks 30 to 33

You

As your bump pushes up against your lungs and you have extra weight to carry around, you may get breathless.

Leg cramps at night are common at this stage, and you may find it hard to sleep because you can’t get comfortable. You might need to wee a lot as well. Try lying curled on your side with a pillow between your legs and a cushion under the bump.

Your baby

The baby is getting plumper. The skin, which was quite wrinkled before, is now smoother. Your antibodies are moving into the baby’s bloodstream to give them immunity during their first few months of life until they develop their own antibodies.

Week 34 to birth

You

You need to slow down because the extra weight will make you tired, and you may get backache. Your baby could be born any time now. You may feel slight contractions. These are practice contractions, known as Braxton Hicks contractions, and are a normal part of pregnancy. It's only when they become painful or frequent that you need to contact your midwife or hospital. Only 5% of babies arrive on the due date.

At around 37 weeks, if it’s your first pregnancy, you may feel more comfortable as your baby moves down (engages), ready to be born, although you’ll feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen. If it's not your first pregnancy, the baby might not move down until just before labour.

Baby

The baby is in a tighter space now, so you may not feel them kicking in the same way, but they should be moving as often as before. If the movements are fewer, tell your midwife or doctor. Your baby is getting ready for birth and moving into position. Most babies settle head down, but about 3% come out in a breech position (bottom down, rather than head down).

Tip

If your baby is late, you can try to get things going by having sex. Semen contains substances (prostaglandins) that can encourage womb contractions.

Tip

If your baby is breech, your doctor or midwife must offer you the chance to have him or her turned by hand. This is called external cephalic version (ECV), and a consultant does this with their hands on the outside of your bump. It's done after 37 weeks, and is successful half the time. If the baby doesn't turn around, you'll probably be offered a caesarean section. For more information on breech delivery, see Breech birth in Useful links.