June 4, 2012 | Alinka Rutkowska | 0 Comments

Pregnancy Week 33 – She’s On Her Way

32 weeks pregnant belly

She seems more and more real to me with the hiccups and the stretching in my belly and even reminding me to be happy – when I once got sad and started crying she was obviously disturbed and made me throw up – that definitely stopped the crying! She’s clearly on her way (it’s only 35 days until she is considered full term!) and watching one little cartoon with a small and big bear made me weep with joy – I think I’m really starting to understand what unconditional love really means – I thought I knew before but now I realize that I only really understand it now. No matter how much she pushes all my organs on the inside – the result being all kinds of icky physical symptoms imaginable – I love her and it’s an incredibly power feeling.

Facts: baby weighs 1.6 kg and is long and slender like her daddy 🙂 Mommy is + 9kg.

What’s happening this week?

Baby’s crown to rump length is 30 cm or 11.8 inches. Baby weighs about 1.9-2 kg or 4.2-4.4 pounds.
Baby appears less red and wrinkled now.
Babies born at this time have a good chance of survival but will require extra care (in fact the youngest baby to have survived was 21 weeks and 6 days old).
Baby’s kidneys are fully developed.
Calcium from mom’s diet is crossing the placenta and being used to help the hardening of baby’s bones.
Baby’s fingernails have grown long enough to reach the tips of the fingers.
The amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby passes through its stomach and intestines in the same way as food travels through a mature digestive system. Waste is stored in the baby’s colon to be excreted after birth.
Moms may experience increased shortness of breath.
Headaches, blurred vision and excessive swelling are signs of preeclampsia.
In the next few weeks, as you await your baby’s arrival, you may experience one or two false alarms, especially if it’s your first baby. A false alarm can come at any time of the day or night.
With bottom up, head down, and chin tucked into its chest, the baby is in an ideal position for the beginning of labor. However not all babies are this compliant. You might want to try to reposition your baby.

REPOSITION YOUR BABY BY (according to my favorite pregnancy book Pregnancy Day By Day)

Spending time on all fours, wiggling your hips from side to side; or arch your back, then drop your spine down. I recommend the Perfect Pregnancy Workout Vol. 1 for this.
Sitting with your knees lower than your pelvis, and your body slightly tilted forward.
Kneeling on the floor, leaning over a beanbag, cushions, or birth ball.
Sitting on a birth ball, with your legs positions slightly apart and knees lower than your hips, then rocking your pelvis.
Assuming the tailor pose: sit on the floor with your back straight and the soles of your feet together. Let your knees fall to the side and res your elbows on your inner thighs.
Swimming: breaststroke helps to open the pelvis.
Belly dancing – from what I’ve heard that can also be helpful and I recommend The Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 3:The Ancient Art of Belly Dance for Labor