Newsletter from Essential Baby - Week 33

Your Baby.

Fetal size: crown-rump 30cm (12 inches), crown-toe 43cm (19.4 inches). Fetal weight: 2 kg (4.4 pounds).
Until Week 20, your baby spent most of its time in a wakeful state. Between Weeks 20 and 28, he/she started to have periods of activity and quiet. After Week 28 your baby started to experience active sleep (eyes and body moving, heart rate speeding up then slowing down, facial expressions changing, and changing breathing patterns). From Week 28 onwards, it is likely that your baby starts to develop a pattern of deep sleep and active sleep. During the active sleep periods, your baby's brain undergoes stimulation, which probably helps it to mature.
Your Pregnancy.

Up to and including Week 33, your weight gain should be between 10 and 12.5 kilos (22-28 pounds). You may start to gain weight faster from this week on, as your baby also grows very rapidly at this time.
It's important to keep eating well, and to ensure that you don't skip any meals. You will probably need to eat smaller meals more frequently due to the lack of space in your abdomen and the incidence of heartburn.
At this stage of your pregnancy, you may find that your vaginal discharge has increased. You may also leak small amounts of urine due to increased pressure on your bladder. If you are concerned that you are leaking more fluid than you should be, or if you have had a gush of water, visit your health care professional to ensure that your membranes haven't ruptured.
As you become more uncomfortable, it's only natural to wonder about the comfort of your baby. Your baby will let you know if it is uncomfortable in the womb, probably by moving about and elbowing and kicking you! Other than a lack of space, your baby is probably quite comfortable in the womb, enjoying the warmth and muffled sounds in utero.