Day 278 of 280, third trimester
You are 39 weeks and 5 days
You'll be in labor very soon, and it's normal to be anxious about what lies ahead before you meet your baby.
2 days until your due date
You're bound to have mixed feelings about labor. You want your baby to be born, but you may be apprehensive about childbirth. Most women are understandably worried about the pain, and about their own and the baby's health. Remember that most deliveries are normal and without complications, and most babies are fit and healthy.
Even after nine months of preparation, you may feel you're not ready for the baby and won't cope. Some of this is fear of the unknown: you haven't met your baby yet, and it's impossible to predict what labor, and the weeks after, will be like.
You may not feel fully prepared, but be confident that you'll know how to care for your newborn. You've probably already started becoming a mother, wanting to nurture and protect your baby before she's even born, and that instinct will carry on.
Good to know
MRSA: is it a risk?
There's a lot of media coverage of "superbugs" such as MRSA, a bacterium that can live harmlessly on healthy people's skin but can cause infection in vulnerable people. Good hygiene, especially hand-washing, is an effective way to prevent it, and your chance of picking it up in hospital is low.
Washing cutlery and plates in hot water with detergent removes MRSA, and the risk from curtains, sheets, and pillows is very low. Health-care workers use antiseptics such as alcohol hand rubs, and many hospitals have introduced measures to stop it spreading. As well as general hygiene, hospitals treat infected patients with antibiotics and detect cases early so they can be isolated in a private room or with others who have MRSA.
Ask a Doctor
What's the difference between an emergency and an elective cesarean?
An elective cesarean is planned during pregnancy, to deliver the baby before labor starts. It's usually for medical reasons, although some women choose one for practical reasons or to avoid labor. An emergency cesarean is when a situation arises, usually during labor, that makes a cesarean the safest way to deliver.
Explainer
Ready for the world
The final details of your baby's appearance, including eyebrows, eyelashes, and nails, are now in place, and all her internal organs are developed enough for life outside the uterus.
Appointments and key dates around now
- RSV vaccineFrom 28 weeks
Read the full 39 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.