Week 37 of Pregnancy

The nesting instinct usually begins in the final weeks of pregnancy, accompanied by a surge of energy and an uncontrollable urge to get your home in ship shape.

Give in to your inner domestic goddess: cook, clean, organize, and de-clutter, but take it easy. If you spend hours on your hands and knees scrubbing, you may find yourself in labor sooner than you'd expected. Some men develop a nesting instinct, but unfortunately this tends to be associated with cars and garden sheds. If this happens to your partner, at least you can look forward to a sparkling-clean car, spruced-up patio, and manicured lawn.

Nesting not happening for you? Pay the professionals to do a spring cleaning. Or forget it: your baby won't care whether the cupboards are clean.

Preserve your belly for posterity by making a plaster belly cast. You can either buy a kit or (far cheaper) purchase the plaster separately; it's all available online.

You will need:

• Plaster of Paris bandages, cut into several strips
• Large tub of petroleum jelly
• Bucket of warm water
• An assistant or two (not essential, but can be useful for speeding up the process and bringing refreshments).

Here's how to do it:

1. Strip down except for some old underwear (the smaller, the better)
2. Apply petroleum jelly liberally to your belly and breasts
3. Assume a comfortable pose
4. One by one, dip the plaster of Paris strips into the water, then apply, overlapping the layers until you have a thick coating
5. Sit and wait for it to dry – it's a good excuse to take a rest
6. Slip it off, when it's rock hard and paint it if you'd like.