Week 36

BABY DEVELOPMENT

Already quite plump, your baby could technically dispense with her umbilical cord right now. The continuous, automatic nutrition it supplies? From the moment she’s born, she’ll be getting her nutrition from regularly paced feedings. She’s going to have to get used holding on between meals! Similarly, at birth the placenta ceases to act as a lung. From that first cry, the amniotic fluid that was in her airway will subside and everything will kick in the way it’s supposed to as she takes her first breaths independently.

YOUR BODY

With your baby bump now so prominent that it’s hard to bend down to do up your shoes, you might want to wear shoes you can slip in and out of easily. Don’t be afraid to ask your partner for help in getting dressed. It’s always nice to be able to help out when you’re simply the observer a lot of the time. Generally speaking, a bit of extra rest will do you good around now. Even easy tasks are quite tiring when carrying a large belly, and they can hurt your back. Maybe parents or friends can help a bit with the housework, doing the shopping or even cooking once in a while. If you feel uncomfortable, you could always ask for a bit of help and support as a present for the baby’s birth. 

NUTRITION

Think about the way you eat as a way to be more Zen, anti-stressed. Take care to consume lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh fish and good carbs. Remember that some foods are more nutrient-dense than others. Magnesium is in some mineral waters (it will be labelled), dark chocolate, and sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and helps keep a lid on daily stress. Vitamin B6 can be found in soybeans, brewer's yeast, bananas, nuts, and whole grains and is important for healthy functioning of the nervous system. Amino acid Tyrosine, in dairy products and white meat, is a precursor to many stress-limiting hormones and substances in the body, meaning that it starts off a healthy chain reaction. And finally, remember that the pleasure we get from eating food we love causes endorphins to be released, resulting in feelings of wellbeing and euphoria. Nothing wrong with that!

TIPS

From some couple, naming the baby is a breeze. For others, it can be a source of friction. It doesn’t have to be! You can find inspiration everywhere – naming books (which often have mythical and exotic names as well as more traditional ones), family records, characters or performers from favourite films. One possibility is to approach the selection process slowly by using lists, for example. You make one and your partner makes one. If there are names that are on both lists…well, that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?! A little tip: Don’t get too many friends or relatives involved in the hunt for a name. Nothing gets more tiresome than hearing a variation of “Oh, I used to have a three-legged Chihuahua called that!” every time you mention a name you like!