Community33 Weeks Pregnant
Your Pregnancy Week by Week
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Your Baby at 33 Weeks
Size: 17.20 inches (43.7 cm) - crown to heelWeight: 4.23 pounds (1918 grams)
Calcification has allowed baby's bones to harden, and key minerals and nutrients are helping your baby grow and develop quickly. Continue to take your prenatal vitamins to help baby get everything he or she needs in the coming weeks. How big is your baby this week? Pick up a pineapple for a close comparison.
Your baby is also taking in your maternal antibodies - which will protect him or her from germs after delivery. Your baby will develop their own immune system in the coming months, but during the earliest weeks, your baby's body will be protected by what you pass on in utero.
Your baby's lungs are almost mature now. If born now, he or she could survive in an incubator - and probably with a bit of help from modern medicine. If you are expecting more than one baby, they may be born this week - though a longer stay in your belly is certainly better. Your baby should be in a head-down position (where they may have been for many weeks) but if not, don't panic. There's still a bit of time for a flip, but that margin will be narrowing quickly.
Mom at 33 Weeks Pregnant
By now the uterus is more than 5 inches from the belly button - and it may feel like it can't get
any bigger. The average weight gain at this week in pregnancy is between 22 and 28 pounds
(though some people gain much more, or less).Sleep may be elusive this month and pregnancy insomnia may be in your future too. With all of the nighttime bathroom breaks, your racing mind and crazy dreams, getting comfortable and sleeping for any significant length of time can be a challenge. One bright spot in your sleepless future - it will prepare you for your sleepless nights after baby comes.
In week thirty-three you can expect still more trouble walking, sitting, and just moving around. As your uterus expands upward and presses on your diaphragm, even breathing can be a challenge. As the weeks progress and you get closer to delivery though, your baby will drop lower into your pelvis and take some of that pressure away - allowing you to take a better breath.
If the bathroom doesn't feel like your second home yet, just hang on. Urinary frequency should have been back for several weeks by now, but if not, baby's weight will soon keep your bladder from expanding fully - meaning more trips to the ladies room.
Forgetfulness and lightheadedness with movement may also start this week. If so, you can pin it all on hormones and try to take it with a grain of salt. These weeks will pass quickly and you will be back to your normal self after delivery.
As your amniotic fluid levels begin to slow down, your baby's movements may begin to feel more sharp this week as the fluid padding you had before is reduced.
Weight Gain:
Now that you have entered into the last trimester of pregnancy, you will have gained about 25 to 30 pounds. Some women will gain about a pound a week until the end of the pregnancy. But half of that pound will go to the baby in the final weeks, as the rest is distributed to the growing placenta, blood, and breast tissue (and maybe a bit for the hips too). Over the last 6 to 7 weeks, your baby will gain about half of their birth weight, as he or she prepares for life outside of the womb.
Tips/Advice:
Your growing belly may make for some sexual intimacy struggles around this time. A little creativity may be needed so that you can find a comfortable position. Don't worry though - sex is generally safe as long as you have no preterm labor symptoms, and can be continued until your water breaks or labor starts. Be aware that orgasms may also trigger minor contractions, and a fragile cervix may cause some mild bleeding after intercourse too.
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