34 weeks and 3 days pregnant

Your baby will often stick his tongue out, as part of the development of the reflexes needed to suckle. The rooting reflex enables your baby to find the nipple, then the strong suckling reflexes take over to co-ordinate breathing, suckling, and swallowing.

As maternity leave approaches, you might be looking for ways to save money, so here are ways to find baby clothes on a budget.

Dressing your newborn baby doesn’t have to be expensive.Don’t be shy about asking friends and family members for hand-me-downs. Those who aren’t planning any more children will probably be glad to get rid of them. Get together with your antenatal group, and arrange a swap session – many mums may have older children of a different sex to the new baby, and have no need for pink T-shirts, or rugby shirts! While the idea of your baby wearing “used” clothing may take some getting used to, rest assured that most babywear is hardly worn.

Look on the internet for end-of-season sales, and even on some of the auction sites, where you can often pick up designer goodies for a fraction of the original price. Visit your local NCT sales or, even better, sales at the local “twins club”, where there will be double the number of goods on offer! Shop around; you don’t have to pay a lot for items such as babygros and will find cheap prices in the supermarket. Make a purchase with your weekly shop and you won’t notice the cost as much.

Remember, too, that you will probably receive numerous gifts of clothing when your baby is born. If you know exactly what you’d like, you may like to organize a gift list from a favourite shop or ask people for vouchers for that store. When looking for more expensive items of clothing, head for the three- to six-month-old rail, so that your baby will get plenty of use out of them. It can be disappointing if your newborn only gets a couple of weeks’ wear out of an outfit you like.

Knitting your own baby clothes is a great way to save money, and it can be rewarding to see your newborn in your own creations.

It’s quite normal to feel concerned about getting through labour on the day, but focusing on your partner and attending to her needs may help to keep you distracted and reduce your anxiety. If possible, try to develop a good relationship in the coming weeks with your partner’s caregivers. This way you’ll feel more able to express any worries you’re having, and hopefully get the reassurance and information you need.

If you find yourself feeling woozy on the day, try to leave the room as the midwife will be focused on caring for your partner. If you don’t have time to leave the room to seek help when you feel faint, sit down immediately, with your head lower than your hips, or lie down with your feet raised. Try to stop yourself panicking by taking slow, deep breaths. You should find that the feeling passes quite quickly.

A good tip is to ensure that you are not too hot and to eat and drink regularly to prevent you feeling faint due to low blood sugar.