32 Weeks, 2 Days - The 33rd Week

My Symptoms
This week Grace has learned how to put her feet in my ribs. I guess I never really believe half of this pregnancy stuff until it happens. I just don't understand how if you are in a bubble of water, you can actually touch my other organs. But, let me tell you, I certainly feel it when it gets wedged up there. Now that she takes up so much room, I can feel her alot. Not as many real "kicks" as before, but I get the waterbed effect on my stomach sometimes when she moves. It's still hard to get comfortable sitting in one place too long. Standing and walking around usually helps unless I walk too much and get tired. This week I feel like I have the "glow." Not sure why, but I think my skin looks exceptionally good. Still no other yucky symptoms, no swelling, no line on my belly, no belly button popping out. Overall, I still feel really good. I'm happy because the longer I feel good, the less time I may have being miserable. I don't want to be miserable.

The Baby
Your baby weighs about 4.4 pounds by this week. Its crown-to-rump length is about 12 inches and total length is 19.4 inches.

The fetus weighs about 4 pounds 5 ounces and his skin has turned from red to pink. Your baby has started preparing for life outside the womb by storing iron in its liver.

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches from the top of his head to his heels. His skin is becoming less red and wrinkled, and while most of his bones are hardening, his skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. This will help him ease out of your relatively narrow birth canal.

Your baby has surfactant, which helps baby breathe after birth, coating the alveoli in the lungs. After this week, if your baby is born, you have less of a chance of apnea of prematurity. S/he weighs about four pounds (1.8 kilograms). There are almost 2 pints of amniotic fluid in your uterus. You may have been told that you have polyhyrdamnios, or too much amniotic fluid. The opposite of which would be oligohydramnios, often associated with Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR). However, it is important to keep in mind that everyone has varying amounts of amniotic fluid and that simply having too much or too little doesn't not generally indicate a problem.

The Mom
Measuring from the pubic symphysis, it is now about 13.2 inches (33 cm) to the top of the uterus. Measurement from your bellybutton to the top of your uterus is about 5.2 inches. YOur total weight gain should be between 22 and 28 pounds.

Are you gaining too much weight? Just because you’ve gained a lot doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to have a huge baby. Continue to eat a healthy diet and talk with your practitioner. You’ll probably be gaining about a pound a week until the end of the pregnancy now. Remember that there’s a big range of weight gain in pregnancy -- some of it is determined genetically. There’s also a big range of "normal" sized babies. (Come to think of it, there’s a big range in height and weight in all human beings, and vive la difference!)

You may be feeling some aches and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can swell, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" end up pinched, creating numbness, tingling, shooting or burning pain, or a dull ache. Try wearing a brace or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or assembly line, for example), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks.If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try wedging a pillow between your legs and behind your back. If that doesn't help, try sleeping in a semi-upright position, with several pillows behind your head (or sleep in a recliner!). If frequent trips to the bathroom are robbing you of your zz's, cut back on fluids by late afternoon or evening.Still feeling sexy? You may need to make some adjustments, but for most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their water breaks.

You can now probably distinguish the baby's knee from and elbow, even though the movements are smaller. You may also notice small bumps that appear to be rhythmic in your uterus. This is probably caused by the baby having hiccoughs and isn't cause for alarm. Continue learning all you can about labor, birth, postpartum, and newborns!