Week 38: The birth space is your space
Image: @rlpweddings
Welcome to week 38 of the Happy Parents Happy Baby guide to pregnancy, birth and beyond.
This week we'll be covering:
We hope you enjoy it!
Creating your birth space
Creating a birth space that makes you feel calm and safe, can transform your birth experience, however you decide to give birth.
When we feel calm and safe our body produces hormones that make birth more comfortable and more efficient.
A calming environment helps us to switch off the neocortex (thinking part) of the brain (where we analyse, question, doubt) and tune in to our primal brain (instinctive part) that we need for birth.
If you're having a Caesarean or abdominal birth, you can still personalise your experience.
We always recommend that you think about how you can make your birthing environment appeal to all five of your senses:
Sight
Dimming the lights can immediately help you to feel calm and safe. Battery operated candles or fairy lights can instantly create an intimate space.
Who you want to see in your birth space? Perhaps you feel reassured with more people in the room or more relaxed with fewer?
Look at things that help promote oxytocin. Maybe this is pictures of your other children or loved ones. It could be something that makes you laugh.
Sound
Pack some speakers and make a couple of playlists that will last at least six hours so you don’t have to listen to things on repeat.
Make a playlist of your favourite guided relaxations, affirmations and calming music.
Compile a couple of music playlists to suit different moods eg upbeat, relaxing etc.
Choose songs that mean something to you. Lots of people like to bring their wedding playlist if they have one.
Taste
Remember to pack lots of your favourite snacks and drinks to give you slow-release energy and hydration throughout the birth.
Nuts and seeds, oat based snacks and flat energy drinks are a good choice if you have not been asked to fast and have no dietary requirements.
Smell
The smell of a hospital or birth centre can trigger anxiety or fear in some people.
You may want to use a room spray or essential oils, check with your midwife first before doing so. You can read more about essential oils below.
Touch
Massage is not only relaxing, but touch helps to release the all-important birth hormone oxytocin.
Other home comforts such as your own nightie, dressing gown, slippers, blanket or pillow can help you feel cosy and calm.
Your baby’s development in week 38
Size of a mini watermelon
Weighs on average just over 3kg
Around 49.8cm long
Your baby’s eyes are now brown, blue or grey but they might change colour once they’re exposed to light. It could take until they are one before you know their true colour.
The lanugo hair which once covered your baby will now almost be gone and your baby’s lungs and vocal cords will be preparing themselves for the first cry when they are born.
Week 38 Checklist
You might like to:
Consider colostrum harvesting. Collecting colostrum can be a positive way to increase confidence about lactation and how to handle lactating breasts. Having a small supply of colostrum before baby arrives also may be helpful for some individuals and reduce the anxieties in the early days about breastfeeding and milk production. Read more about colostrum harvesting here.
Save hospital contact numbers in your phone. Your baby could be born any day now and while we know your hospital notes have all of the key phone numbers, it’s definitely worth also saving them in your phone, just in case you don’t have your notes with you.
Use a birthing ball. A birthing ball can be a great thing to have in the house at this point in your pregnancy. Sitting on it can relieve back, leg and pelvis pain. It will also keep you in an upright, forwarded and open position, encouraging your baby into the most streamlined position to be born.
Spotlight on: Shortness of breath
Each week we'll be delving into the common symptoms of pregnancy and bringing you top tips for managing them from our team of specialists and parent community.
Feeling breathless
Breathlessness is common in pregnancy, especially in the later stages as your growing uterus and position of your baby can make it difficult for your lungs to fully expand.
Extra weight you may be carrying during pregnancy can also make you feel short of breath.
However, there are times when breathlessness can be a sign that you should seek help...
You should see your GP, obstetrician, midwife or emergency department immediately if:
the breathlessness comes on suddenly or is severe
if you have breathlessness with chest pain, dizziness or heart palpitations
Other causes of breathlessness during pregnancy include:
Anaemia: having low iron stores
Pre-eclampsia: common symptoms include a headache, blurred vision, tummy pain, nausea, vomiting, swelling of your hands, feet, ankles, face and/or neck
Pulmonary embolism: this can be a life-threatening condition, caused by a blood clot in the lungs. You may also experience chest pain, particularly when breathing in or coughing and that your heart is beating faster than usual
Always seek help if you are concerned.
Birth story of the week
This week we catch up with Cristina from our Hackney course who shares the positive birth of their baby Eva.
"My pregnancy was very good, I had no symptoms at all. Happy Parents. Happy Baby. helped me by explaining the benefits of perineum massage and hypnobirthing. Also, to get ready for the little one, with things to get before the birth and how to prepare the hospital bag.
“My waters broke at 7.00am while sleeping and they were green, I called the delivery suite and they told me to go to the hospital. I had a shower and went, I was admitted and they put me on the hormone infusion straight away as well as the baby monitoring. I was fully dilated by 7.30pm and started pushing at 7.45pm.
After my baby was born they gave her to my husband first as I was bleeding. Once everything settled, I was amazed by such a big girl (4kg) coming out of me. She was gorgeous!”
Welcome to the world little Eva!
Treat of the week
Capture your baby’s first year in weeks, months and memorable moments with Milestone Original Baby Cards. Add a card and the date to your baby’s pictures to never forget your little one’s memorable moments.
Products are based on suggestions from our specialists and community of parents. We may earn commission from shopping links.
Join our community
Happy Parents Happy Baby is here to support you through every step of your pregnancy, birth and parenting journey.
Connect with other parents-to-be and learn everything you need to know, by joining our award-winning antenatal classes.
That's all for now...
Thank you so much for joining us!
Have a great week.
Team HPHB x
Information you
can trust
Our articles are based on the latest-evidence based guidelines and scientific research and are written by our team of medical experts.
Coming up
next week
How to get things started
Spotlight on: dreams
Check out our Instagram page for extra resources from our team of experts and for free live events, such as pregnancy relaxation sessions
Follow us @happyparents.happybaby
