Week 32
Baby updates
Your baby is the size of a Napa cabbage.
She is taking up a far amount of space in your uterus and from now till she comes into the world, she’ll be gaining the last third of her weight. She now has toenails, fingernails and hair.
Mummy updates
The blood volume in your body will have increased by up to 50 per cent with everything that’s going on in your body. Breathlessness and heartburn might be more frequent, so sleep with propped pillows and eat smaller meals.
Week 33
Baby updates
Your baby is the size of a pineapple.
The skeleton is hardening but the bones in the skull overlap with one another, allowing him to pass through the birth canal more easily. The bones here only fuse entirely during adulthood.
Mummy updates
Numbness in the fingers, wrists and hands is not uncommon. The tissue in your wrist can retain fluid and cause an increase in the pressure in your carpal tunnel. Stabilise or prop up your hand and take multiple breaks to stretch your hands.
Week 34
Baby updates
Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe.
This is the safety point for your baby, as even if your baby is born now, though she may be a preterm baby, she will generally be free of additional health issues, other than perhaps being a little smaller in size when delivered.
Her central nervous system is more developed now and her lungs are continuing to mature at this time.
Mummy updates
Be careful when getting up from a seated position. You may be dizzy as there is a drop a blood pressure due to blood pooling in your legs when you are seated.
You may spot itchy red bumps on your belly and thighs, which is caused by pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). They are generally harmless but uncomfortable.
Week 35
Baby updates
Your baby is the size of a honeydew melon.
He is probably filled up most of your uterus by now, which means the somersaults would have stopped, but he’ll still be kicking you. His kidneys are fully developed now and liver can process some waste products. Most of the physical development is more or less completed.
Mummy updates
Your uterus will be rather big now and it’s pressing on your other internal organs. You’ll be visiting the toilet more often as a result.
At this stage, you’ll have to visit the doctor every week till you deliver. A Group B streptococci bacteria test will also be administered as having it may cause complications for your baby.
Week 36
Baby updates
Your baby is the size of a canary melon.
The downy hair covering her body and the waxy substance, vernix caseosa, surrounding her will be shed. Your baby should also be in a head-down position to prepare for a smooth delivery. If she’s not, your doctor will try to coax her into the right position.
Mummy updates
Though you may be hungry, smaller meals will be easier to handle. Your baby will also ‘drop’ down into your pelvis. The good news is that you’ll find it easier to breathe but you’ll also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen and visit the toilet more often. The Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent but if you have any worries, check in with your doctor.
The above information is courtesy of NUH Women’s Centre. For more information on your growing baby, click here. Do note that every baby develops differently and this is a general guide to your baby’s growth. If you have any concerns, please speak more to your doctor.
