Pregnancy week 40

You

You might notice less movement from your baby because there's little room for her to move about. If you have varicose veins, they might become more pronounced as the pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes the blood vessels, and because there's more weight on your legs and more blood circulating around your body.

Your baby's head will 'engage', meaning it drops down into your pelvis. It usually happens two to four weeks before delivery in first pregnancies and just before labour in subsequent ones. Once your baby's head has engaged you will feel less breathless because your lungs have less pressure on them.

You may need the toilet more often as your baby is now pushing against your bladder. By now you're probably feeling impatient and are keen to get the birth over. Signs of labour are the mucus plug coming away, contractions and waters breaking.

Your baby

Your baby is now fully mature, with fingers and toenails fully grown. Your baby's eyes will be blue, although they can change in the months after the birth. Over the past few weeks your baby's weight has increased swiftly, rising up to 8oz a week. Your baby has developed a thick layer of subcutaneous fat that makes her look plump and gives her reserves to draw on during the first few days after the birth.

Only around five per cent of babies arrive on their due date, 80 per cent come within two weeks either side. The average baby weighs about 7lb 7oz/3.5kg at birth and is about 50cm long.