You are 39 weeks exactly

Use the run-up to labor to get your partner fully up to speed on how he can help on the big day.

7 days until your due date

Prepare your partner in advance and work out what might help once labor begins. If you're planning to listen to music, labor in a tub, or walk around, tell him ahead of time what you'd like from him.

Practice some massage strokes and teach him how to do them. Some women can't bear to be touched in labor, while others find it helps to have their back, or just their hands and feet, massaged. You won't know what works until you're in labor, but practicing now won't hurt.

If he's been to prenatal classes with you, he'll know the breathing and relaxation techniques, so practice them together and ask your doctor for advice if needed. It may also help him to talk to male friends or relatives who've recently become fathers, to hear their experiences and pick up some dos and don'ts of being a birth partner.

As a matter of fact

Newborn length

Whatever their weight, most babies at 40 weeks are roughly the same length: 95 percent are between 17.7 in (45 cm) and 21.6 in (55 cm). Newborn length is remarkably consistent because it reflects skeletal growth, whereas birth weight varies considerably.

Good to know

Final preparations

It's amazing that even after 40 weeks there's still a scramble to get organized when labor starts. To avoid last-minute panic:

Make sure your bag is packed, and pin up a list of any extras to add at the last minute.
Keep a small bag of change in your hospital bag for parking and vending machines.
Decide who will do what; for example, your partner could prepare snacks.
Do a trial run to the hospital, noting likely traffic spots, shortcuts, and where you're most likely to find parking. Time the trip at different points in the day to avoid school-run and commuter traffic, and find out how to get into the maternity unit at night.
Above all, don't panic. Most parents-to-be get to the hospital in plenty of time.

Explainer

Foot massage in labor

You may find it relaxing to have your feet massaged in early labor, even if you don't want your back or shoulders touched. Massage helps relieve tension.

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.

Newborn length

Final preparations

Foot massage in labor

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