The last week of pregnancy is equal parts waiting game and final preparation. Your body is already doing much of the work, but there’s plenty you can do to stay comfortable, get ready for labor, and make sure the practical details are handled before your baby arrives.
Help Your Body Get Ready
Gentle movement in the final week can encourage your baby to settle deeper into your pelvis, a process called “lightening” or engagement. When this happens, you may notice your belly looks lower, breathing feels easier, and you need to pee constantly. This shift can happen anywhere from a few weeks to a few hours before labor starts.
A few exercises can help things along. Sitting and doing hip circles on a birthing ball encourages the baby to move downward and eases pelvic tension. Squats and lunges open the pelvis and help engage the baby’s head. Curb walking, where you walk with one foot on the curb and one on the street, creates an asymmetrical movement in the pelvis that may increase pressure on the cervix and encourage dilation. Start with about 10 minutes and stop if you feel discomfort or fatigue. None of these will force labor to start, but if your body is already heading in that direction, they can give it a gentle push.
Start Perineal Massage
If you haven’t started perineal massage yet, the last week is not too late. Research shows that massaging the perineum (the tissue between the vagina and rectum) two to three times per week starting at 36 weeks can reduce tearing during delivery. Each session takes about 8 to 10 minutes. The technique involves using lubricated fingers to gently stretch the tissue laterally and downward in a U-shaped motion, applying as much pressure as you can comfortably tolerate. Accumulating at least seven sessions total appears to meaningfully improve perineal elasticity and shorten labor. A partner or professional midwife can help, since consistent technique matters.
Learn to Tell Real Contractions From False Ones
In the final week, you’ll likely feel contractions that seem convincing but don’t lead anywhere. These are called prodromal labor, and they can be surprisingly realistic: mildly painful, coming every five minutes, and lasting up to 60 seconds each. The key difference is that they never get stronger or closer together, and they don’t dilate your cervix.
True labor contractions follow a pattern of escalation. You’re likely in real labor when contractions come less than five minutes apart, last longer than one minute each, and this pattern continues for over an hour straight. That progression, getting longer, stronger, and closer together, is the signal that distinguishes the real thing from a rehearsal. If you’re unsure, time them for an hour. Prodromal contractions will plateau or fade. True labor won’t.
Know What a Membrane Sweep Involves
Your provider may offer a membrane sweep at your final appointment, especially if you’re at or past your due date. During a vaginal exam, they’ll use a finger to separate the amniotic membranes from the lower wall of your uterus in a circular motion. This releases natural hormones that soften the cervix and can trigger contractions.
The success rate is high. In one study of postdate women, 86% went into labor after a sweep. About 42% delivered within 24 hours, and another 54% delivered within a week. The average time from sweep to delivery was roughly 37 hours. The procedure is uncomfortable, similar to an intense cervical check, and some women experience light vaginal bleeding afterward. Serious complications are rare, with over 93% of women in studies reporting no issues at all.
Prepare Your Comfort Toolkit for Early Labor
Early labor can last hours at home before contractions become intense enough to head to the hospital. Having a plan for this phase makes a real difference. Evidence-based comfort measures include taking a warm bath or shower, using a birthing ball, changing positions frequently, deep breathing exercises, massage (especially for lower back pressure), and listening to music. Some women find relief from acupressure or applying warmth to the lower back.
Having a support person with you during this time matters more than any single technique. Continuous labor support from someone offering reassurance and physical comfort is consistently linked to better outcomes and reduced pain perception. This could be your partner, a friend, a family member, or a doula.
Pack Your Hospital Bag
Most hospitals provide the basics for postpartum recovery: disposable underwear, ice packs, heavy-duty pads, a perineal spray bottle, nipple cream, witch hazel cooling pads, and even a breast pump if needed. So your bag should focus on personal comfort rather than medical supplies.
Pack what the hospital won’t provide: your own pillow, a long phone charger, comfortable clothes to labor in, a going-home outfit for you and baby, toiletries you prefer over hospital-issue ones, snacks, and any paperwork like your insurance card and birth plan. Slip-on shoes are worth remembering since bending over will be difficult. If you have a specific nursing bra or robe you like, bring it. Keep the bag by the door.
Handle the Practical Details Now
The last week is the time to cross logistical items off your list, because once labor starts, you won’t be thinking about any of them.
- Car seat: Install it rear-facing in the back seat, never in front of an active airbag. It should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back. You can use either the LATCH system or the vehicle’s seat belt to secure it. Check both your car seat manual and vehicle manual for weight limits. If you want a professional to verify the installation, search for a certified car seat technician through your local fire department or the NHTSA’s online locator.
- Freezer meals: Cook and freeze several easy meals now. You won’t want to think about dinner during the first week postpartum.
- Drive the route: Do a practice run to the hospital or birth center at the time of day you’re most likely to go, so traffic patterns and parking don’t catch you off guard.
- Pet and childcare plans: Confirm who’s covering pet care or watching older children, and make sure they know the plan could activate at any hour.
- Phone list: Decide who you want notified when labor starts versus after the birth, and let your support person handle the communication so you don’t have to.
Rest While You Can
This advice sounds obvious, but it’s genuinely strategic. Labor is physically demanding, and the early postpartum days involve broken sleep around the clock. Nap during the day if you can. Go to bed early. Don’t feel guilty about canceling plans. Your body is carrying significant extra weight, your joints are loosened by hormones, and your sleep is already disrupted by bathroom trips and discomfort. Prioritizing rest now isn’t laziness. It’s preparation for the most physically intense experience most people go through.
If anxiety about labor is keeping you up, write down your questions for your next provider visit. Having a clear birth plan, even a simple one covering your preferences for pain management, who you want in the room, and what matters most to you, can reduce the mental churn that makes the final days feel so long.