Day 254 of 280, third trimester
You are 36 weeks and 2 days
Have you started nesting? The need to provide a safe, comfortable space for your new baby is a primitive urge.
26 days until your due date
The nesting instinct usually starts in the final weeks, with a surge of energy and an uncontrollable urge to get your home shipshape. Give in to it: cook, clean, organize, and declutter, but take it easy. If you spend hours scrubbing on your hands and knees, you may find yourself in labor sooner than you expected.
Some men develop a nesting instinct too, but it tends to focus on cars and garden sheds. If this happens to your partner, at least you can look forward to a sparkling car, a spruced-up patio, and a manicured lawn.
Nesting not happening for you? Pay professionals to do a spring clean, or forget it: your baby won't care whether the cupboards are clean.
The lowdown
Plaster casts!
Preserve your belly for posterity with a plaster belly cast. You can buy a kit or, far more cheaply, buy the plaster separately online.
You'll need:
- Plaster of Paris bandages, cut into strips
- A large tub of petroleum jelly
- A bucket of warm water
- An assistant or two (not essential, but useful for speeding things up and bringing refreshments)
How to do it:
- Strip down to some old underwear (the smaller the better).
- Apply petroleum jelly generously to your belly and breasts.
- Get into a comfortable pose.
- One by one, dip the plaster strips in the water and apply them, overlapping layers until you have a thick coating.
- Sit and wait for it to dry, which is a good excuse for a rest.
- Slip it off once it's rock hard, and paint it if you like.
Explainer
The cleaning bug
Once the nesting urge hits, every nook and cranny of your home is likely to get your attention.
Appointments and key dates around now
- RSV vaccineFrom 28 weeks
Read the full 36 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.