Your week 37 guide

Weight gain continues every day. Your baby is putting on roughly an ounce a day at this stage, mostly as fat under the skin. Those reserves are what will get them through the first days while feeding is being established and milk volumes are still small.

Your baby usually stays curled with the chin, arms and knees tucked in. This position, with the chin tucked toward the chest, is also the most efficient one for birth, because it presents the smallest part of the head to the pelvis. Your midwife may talk about your baby's position in these terms as labour approaches.

Movement feels more like wriggling and rolling in the confined space. Sharp kicks give way to pressure and shifting, and you may feel movements much lower than before. The type of movement changing is expected; the amount reducing is not, and remains a reason to call immediately.

Weekly appointments may now check your baby's position, growth and wellbeing. Your midwife will feel your abdomen to assess position and how far the head has descended, and will check your blood pressure and urine every time. These appointments become more frequent for good reason, so it is worth attending them all.

Pelvic pressure, frequent urination, difficulty sleeping and tightenings can all increase. Sleep at this stage is broken by discomfort, the need for the toilet, and often by a mind that will not settle. Resting without sleeping still has value, and daytime naps are entirely reasonable.

Labour can begin now, but many pregnancies continue for several more weeks. Only a small proportion of babies arrive on their due date, and first babies are commonly late. Preparing for a longer wait than you expect is often kinder to yourself than counting down.

Keep transport, identification, contact numbers and your bag ready. Also make sure whoever is supporting you knows where everything is, since you may not be in a position to explain. If you have other children or pets, confirm who is covering them at short notice, including overnight.

Check exactly when your team wants you to ring about contractions or waters breaking. Instructions differ, and the guidance for waters breaking without contractions is particularly worth knowing, since it usually means being assessed within a set time. Write the number and the instructions somewhere visible.

Make room for rest without feeling you have to finish every task first. Labour takes energy, but arriving tired is not a failure, and sleep is not always something you can control this late in pregnancy. If you can, share the remaining jobs and take small opportunities to put your feet up. You deserve support whether or not the checklist is finished. InshaAllah, even a small pause can give the unfinished jobs a little less weight.

Make nourishing choices easier: Tiredness, fullness or heartburn can make cooking feel like a mountain. Simple, familiar foods from your own kitchen are just as nourishing as complicated meals.

Keep a selection of safe foods from the main food groups within reach and accept practical help if it is offered. There is no need to buy specialist pregnancy foods, and batch-cooking or accepting a delivered meal is a perfectly good strategy now.