The last three months of pregnancy

Now you can clearly see, when you look at your partner, that you’re about to become a father. Six months into pregnancy, your baby weighs around one kilo, but over the next three months (also called the third trimester) he or she will grow to around 3800 grams and about 50 cm when stretched out.

You may see or feel your baby turn around, kick and react by moving when you or your partner touch your partner’s tummy. Your child may be less energetic, however.

Your doctor or midwife will have given you a date for the birth (due date), but this does not mean that your baby will be born on that exact day. In fact, a very small percentage of babies are born on their due date. 90 per cent of babies are born within two weeks before or after their due date.

Find answers to questions before labour starts
What is all this about counting contractions, what should you bring to the hospital, and which department of the hospital should you go to? It might be a good idea to go to appointments with the midwife and antenatal classes, where you can get answers to all your questions about labour and birth.

Have a bag packed and ready
It’s a good idea to pack a bag in advance so it’s ready when you go to the hospital. The bag can hold some clothes for the baby, a cloth nappy, wet wipes and nappies. Labour can take many hours, and not all hospitals offer food and drink for you as the father, so remember to pack snacks, food and drinks too.

As a father, you are entitled to two weeks of parental leave after the birth. For two weeks from the time your baby is born, you have time off work so you can be with your newborn baby and your partner. Some dads choose to schedule a little extra holiday or paternity leave after these two weeks to give them even more time together.

Of course, you must inform your employer that you are about to become a father, and the due date. If you choose to take extra holiday or paternity leave, you should also remember to coordinate it with your employer.