You are 38 weeks exactly

If you haven't found out your baby's sex, the excitement will be building; if you have, you can get very organized!

14 days until your due date

Knowing the sex lets you choose a name, buy specific outfits, and even decorate the nursery a certain way. But remember the scan may have been wrong; the only way to be completely certain is if you found out through a diagnostic test such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.

If you know, you won't have the incentive of a surprise at the end of labor, but you may feel you can bond more closely during pregnancy and picture your baby as a newborn. If you don't know, you'll have a well-earned surprise after all your hard work. Some women who don't know have a strong instinct about the sex, but are quite surprised when the baby turns out to be the opposite. Keep an open mind and don't set your heart on one sex; the odds are slightly in favor of a boy.

The lowdown

Boys and girls

Still wondering what you're having? Here are a few more old wives' tales to help you guess:

Soft hands mean a girl; rough hands mean a boy.
If the father-to-be is nervous, it's a girl; if he's relaxed, it's a boy.
If the mother picks up her coffee cup with two hands, it's a girl; by the handle, it's a boy.
A sensitive belly button means a girl; cold feet almost certainly mean a boy!

As a matter of fact

Your body is designed to handle labor pain

Nobody likes pain, but your endorphin levels rise during labor to help you cope. It's reassuring to know that as contractions become more intense, so does your ability to handle them.

Ask a Doctor

My baby is in a posterior position. How will this affect my labor?

In the posterior position the baby faces your belly instead of your spine. This can make labor longer and more tiring and cause more backache. You can try the same methods used to encourage a breech baby to turn, to help your baby move into an anterior position. Sometimes the baby turns with the help of contractions once labor is fully established. If she doesn't, intervention such as forceps or vacuum may be needed.

Explainer

To know or not to know

Knowing your baby's sex helps with decisions like whether to buy pink or blue, while not knowing gives you a greater sense of anticipation.

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.