Third trimester

As you get closer to your due date, fears about labour and delivery are common. Will you be in pain? Will the labour go on for days? Or will you be one of the luckier ones? Actually, the ideal length of labour, for both mum and baby, is between 11 and 15 hours. The average length of first time labour falls into this ideal by lasting approximately 12 to 14 hours. Usually, the longest part of labour, getting to three centimetres dilated, occurs during the first nine hours when contractions aren’t closely spaced together or very intense.

By your due date, levels of amniotic fluid begin to decrease. Your baby weighs about seven and a half pounds, although some babies can weigh as much as three pounds more or three pounds less. Your baby is likely to measure 20 or 21 inches from head to toe.

At last you are prepared for the birth. You mark off the calendar as your due date approaches ... and passes you by. For the vast majority of women, labour occurs naturally before the 42nd week. More common in first pregnancies, overdue babies need to be monitored closely. If the womb environment becomes inadequate, the mother may be induced or a caesarean may be recommended.

The final trimester is an exciting time. Despite the aches and pains of a normal third trimester, you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a glorious moment when, after nine long months, your newborn is handed over to you. The baby opens his or her eyes to be welcomed by a very tired, but exhilarated, new mummy.