33 Weeks Pregnant - Trimester 3

BABY DEVELOPMENT

As your little resident starts to run out of space inside you, they’ll start to get into position by placing their head in the narrowest part of your uterus. 95% of babies are born with their heads down. By now, your baby has swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid. Their intestine will gradually fill with meconium, a thick, viscous greenish or blackish material made from solid particles and various bits and bobs suspended in the amniotic liquid (things like cell debris and fat vernix). This meconium will make up your baby’s first bowel movement at birth. Just in case you were wondering!

At 33 weeks, your baby is around the size of a pineapple and continues to swallow their amniotic fluid, this makes their first bowel movement at birth called meconium.

YOUR BODY

Have you got that funny line going down the front of your belly? During the last trimester a line may form down the middle of your belly, seeming to divide it into two halves. This is known as the linea nigra, which becomes darker as pigmentation increases. It can be seen most clearly right after the birth, and will disappear eventually. A further change is that, because the uterus needs all the room it can get, it presses the belly button gently outwards. It can be unpleasant for many women as this soft skin can chafe on clothing. One small consolation is that, after the birth, the belly button returns back to its old position.

NUTRITION

If you are concerned that you have gained too much weight, remember it’s important for you and your baby to put on enough weight in the last trimester. Your weight gain recommendation is based off your weight when you first became pregnant. Gaining more weight than recommended is not healthy for you or your baby. Excessive weight gain during the last weeks of pregnancy may be linked to a problem with hypertension. Dieting to lose weight while pregnant is never a good idea, if you’re worried about your weight gain, talk to your healthcare professional.    

TIPS

Around the 8 month mark, some women report what feels like contractions.  It could be Braxton-Hicks contractions. It is not labour starting early. These contractions are your body’s smart way to "exercise" the uterus to get it ready for the big day. Having said that, always report contractions to your obstetrician or midwife, if only to get some reassurance that everything’s fine.