The Playbook

31 Weeks Pregnant: Plan the Route to the Hospital

By the Guide to Fatherhood editorial team. Last reviewed . 2 min read.

Checked against guidance from organizations like the AAP, CDC, ACOG and NHS (linked below). This is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

Trimester3
Sizea coconut
Length / weightabout 16.2 in (41.1 cm), about 3.3 lb (1.5 kg)

All five senses are working. The baby can turn its head from side to side and is processing more information as the brain makes billions of connections.

Your to-do list this week

  • Do a dry run to the hospital at rush hour and at night. Find parking and the after-hours entrance.
  • Line up a backup driver in case you're far away when labor starts.
  • Arrange care for pets and any older kids, with a backup for a 3 a.m. call.
  • Save the labor and delivery phone number in both your phones.
A conversation to have this week

"Who do you want in the room, and who should wait outside or at home?" It's her call, and your job is to make it happen kindly.

The baby this week

At over three pounds, the baby’s senses are all working, and the baby can turn its head from side to side (NHS). The brain is making connections at an incredible pace, and the baby is taking in sounds, light and movement (Mayo Clinic).

How she may be feeling

Practice contractions may be more frequent. Some people leak colostrum, the early milk, from their breasts. It’s normal, and so is not leaking. Backache and bathroom trips are constant companions.

Logistics week: plan the drive

This is your department. Make birth day boring in the best way.

  1. Know when to go. Ask her provider now what pattern of contractions means “call” or “come in,” and what situations mean “call right away” (ACOG). Write it on a note in your phone.
  2. Dry-run the drive at rush hour and at night. Note how long it takes and any road closures.
  3. Know the parking and the door. Many hospitals use a separate entrance after hours. Find out where triage is.
  4. Have a backup driver. If you travel for work or commute far, line up someone local.
  5. Keep the gas tank above half from 36 weeks on. Seriously.

The people plan

  • Pets: who feeds and walks them if you’re gone two or three days? Leave a key.
  • Older kids: who comes at 3 a.m.? Who’s the backup?
  • The birth room: who she wants there, and who she doesn’t. If she says “just you,” your job is to make sure that’s what happens, without drama. Give relatives a clear update plan instead: “We’ll text when there’s news.”

Next week: hospital paperwork and the postpartum plan.

Frequently asked questions

How do we know when to go to the hospital?

Ask her provider now and write it down. Many give guidance based on contraction timing (such as the 5-1-1 rule for first babies), plus reasons to call immediately, like the water breaking, bleeding, or reduced movement.

Sources

  1. Fetal development: The 3rd trimester, Mayo Clinic
  2. How to Tell When Labor Begins, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  3. Week 31: Your baby and your body, NHS

We link to the original source for every medical and safety claim. Guidance changes; if a source has been updated since our last review, the source wins. How we research.