32nd Week of Pregnancy
What changes are occurring with your body?
The top of your uterus can now be measured about 5 inches above your belly button. Because the top of your uterus is so high, you may begin to have trouble breathing or feel short of breath. This is due to the pressure that your growing uterus is placing on your diaphragm. This same pressure may also cause an increased amount of heartburn.
Most likely you are gaining about a pound per week. Your blood volume has increased by 40% to 50% during the past 32 weeks. This allows your body to accommodate both you and your baby. This increased volume is also important because it makes up for the amount of blood you will lose during delivery.*
How big is your baby?
Your baby is anywhere from 15 to 17 inches long and weighs between 4 and 4 ½ pounds.*
What is happening with your baby?
Your baby is continuing to grow. His/her toenails and fingernails have formed. The lungs are continuing to mature but will not reach full maturity for several more weeks. Your baby’s skeleton has completely formed, but his/her bones are very soft and pliable.*
What should you plan for this week?
If you have had a complication free pregnancy, you most likely have been seeing your healthcare provider on a monthly basis. Around this time though, your healthcare provider will ask you to begin making visits every two weeks. This will continue over the next four weeks, and then you will begin going once a week.
Have you made a decision on whether or not you plan to save your baby's cord blood? You may not even know what cord blood banking entails. Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth, which is usually discarded. Cord blood stem cells have the ability to treat the same diseases that bone marrow can treat; however, there is significantly less rejection. It is important to have a medical history and risk assessment to evaluate whether to store your cord blood.
Tips for making your pregnancy better:
Last week we began talking about Braxton Hicks contractions. If you are experiencing these early contractions, there are several things that you can do to alleviate them:
- Change positions; lie down if you have been standing or go for a walk if you have been sitting or laying
- Take a warm bath for 30 minutes or less
- Drink a couple of glasses of water, because contractions may be brought on by dehydration
- Drink a warm cup of herbal tea or milk
If doing any of these does not alleviate your contractions, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Tips for mom's partner:
The fact that your baby's arrival is around the corner may begin to cause you to question your priorities. Begin to think about what you want your life to look like around the time the baby is born and afterwards. If you plan to be present for the birth of your baby, it may take a little planning, especially if you travel with work.
Once the baby is born, are there some things that you could do to ensure that you have time for both your baby and your partner? Is working from home to some degree a possibility? These are just some things that both you and your partner need to begin to think about.
* The information that the American Pregnancy Association provides is used as a general guide for healthy pregnancy development, although development may vary due to the mother’s health or a miscalculation of ovulation. Each woman and pregnancy is unique and may be experienced differently. Remember that babies develop at different rates, even before they are born. The purpose of this developmental information is to give you a general idea of how your baby is growing, and you must remember that your baby’s growth may vary from that which is outlined.