Congrats in advance, dear:)
1. After 36 weeks, your doctor will likely see you every 1-2 weeks
2. They’ll check baby’s size, position, whether the head has gone into the pelvis, the doptone to check baby’s heartbeat. If you are experiencing some labour symptoms, the doctor might do a check of your cervix.
3. There is no prime week per se, but full term is 37 weeks onwards, so it’s best that baby comes out after that. There’s a higher risk of stillbirth if baby isn’t out by 42 weeks. So if you still haven’t given birth after your EDD, your gynae may discuss with you about induction. Very few people deliver on their actual EDDs. It’s usually before/after.
4. It builds up, but at its maximum...Worse than your can’t get out of bed cramps. And you still need to get out of bed to get to the hospital. Heh. It also starts off less frequent, and then gets stronger/more painful and more frequent.
5. Wasn’t a KKH subsidised patient, but the midwives and doctors will take good care of you:)
6. Didn’t do confinement, but remember that your body went through a lot for the pregnancy and delivery, so you need time to heal. Ask for help, don’t expect perfection (it’s a learning journey), and enjoy it:)
7. Mood swings and strong emotions are pretty common.. but I feel like we can still control what we do in spite of those feelings. I chose to try to chill and relax during the later part of my pregnancy, in terms of how I react to others or situations. I felt a lot happier too. Heh.