31 Weeks, 3 Days - The 32nd Week

My Symptoms
I'm feeling much more pregnant this week. Not that I wasn't pregnant before, but the little things are getting to me. I've noticed more heartburn than before. Nothing too major, but I have to be sure to stay upright after eating and even then, sometimes I feel like I need a Tums. I'm assuming that's a small price to pay since I don't have a whole lot of room for my stomach in there. On and off I've gotten leg cramps at night. This week it's happened several times. It's my calves that get tight. Luckily they go away if I flex my foot and I haven't been in any real pain. My back tends to hurt more too. It starts to ache after about 15 minutes of sitting on the couch. I also notice that it has started to ache a bit when I'm on my feet for a while too. I don't notice it at work though, so I must have a really good chair or am up and down enough to stay loose. It's hard to find a good way to stretch it. I don't bend like I used to. Probably my most annoying current symptom is the frequent urination thing. I didn't realize how bad it was until I spent the weekend with my girlfriends. Apparently not everyone has to go every hour or two. I think most of it is the baby's weight. I don't always produce much when I'm in there, but I definately have the urge. Luckily, I'm still only getting up once or sometimes twice a night. It seems like I've been complaining, but overall, I still feel really good. I don't have the dark line on my belly, I'm still an innie (barely), I haven't noticed my hands or feet swelling, I sleep well, Grace kicks me lots, but doesn't keep me up at night, etc. One thing is that I haven't noticed any Braxton Hicks contractions. Most of the updates mention them, but unless I'm clueless I haven't noticed any. Maybe I'll ask the doctor about that. Just 8 more weeks to go.

The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs almost 4 pounds. Crown-to-rump length is over 11.6 inches, and total length is 18.9 inches.

The fetus should now be head down. Ninety-six percent of all babies present head first by the time labor begins. If your fetus is breech, your provider might consider turning it manually. A baby born now would have an excellent chance of survival, with the right care. He has grown to about 16 inches in length and weighs approximately 3 and a half pounds.

By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.

Your baby's movements will peak this week. From now on the will change in quantity and quality. Remember to do your Fetal Kick Counts. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby's face, and there may be a lot of hair on their head! The weight gain has been fairly incredible recently. Your baby has put on about 2 pounds of weight, mostly fat and muscle tissue, since last month, bringing the total to about three pounds eleven ounces (1.7 kilograms), and measurements to 40 cms or 15.8 inches! Babies who are born at a younger gestation than this will most likely having difficulties sucking or nursing. This also applies to babies who weigh less than 1500 grams at birth. A good sucking pattern is a sign of neuromuscular maturity.

The Mom
Measurement to the top of the uterus from the pubic symphysis is about 12.8 inches (32 cm). Measuring from your bellybutton to the top of the uterus now measures almost 5 inches. Until this week, your visits to the doctor have probably been on a monthly basis, unless you've had complications or problems. At week , most doctors begin seeing a pregnant woman every 2 weeks. This will continue until you reach your last month of pregnancy; at this time, you'll probably switch to weekly visits.

You may find increased discharge called leukorrha. Your expanding uterus is pressing against your diaphragm, and you may find it more difficult to catch your breath. This will get better once the baby "drops" (usually about 2-3 weeks before delivery). Try sitting up straight, and try sleeping in a propped up position. Swelling of the feet is normal in advanced pregnancy, but if you experience facial swelling, severe headaches, abdominal pain or nausea, contact your doctor immediately. You may be suffering from pre-eclampsia.

Your blood volume (the plasma plus red blood cells) is now about 40 to 50 percent greater than before you became pregnant to accommodate the needs of you and your baby. (This extra amount also helps make up for any blood you'll lose when giving birth.) You're also gaining a pound a week now, and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and adding pressure on your abdomen, you may be dealing with heartburn more often or feeling a little short of breath. To help with shortness of breath, try eating smaller quantities more often (rather than three daily feasts) and sleeping propped up. Those smaller meals should help with the heartburn, too.As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs.

As you begin to have more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions you may begin to wonder more about labor and what it will entail for you, your family and your baby. You aren't alone in having these thoughts. Most women have questions about labor and birth, for example:
Is this really labor? When should I go to the birth place? How do I time contractions? Who should come with me? (Partner, doula, parents, siblings, etc.) What should I pack? Will labor be really painful? I want to address the last question specifically. About 10% of women will tell you that labor is extremely painful, while 10% of the women will tell you that they experienced no pain. The rest, 80%, will fall someplace in the middle of the two extremes. You really need to look at the sources of pain in labor and birth. We do know that women who have taken childbirth classes tend to report less painful experiences and have fewer complications than women who have not taken classes.