33 Weeks Pregnant : What To Expect
Reviewed by Dr. Jacques S. Abramowicz, OB/GYN
Being 33 weeks pregnant and well into your 3rd trimester, you might be experiencing various new symptoms. Women who are having their first pregnancy should take extra caution, as they have not experienced the last few weeks and are unfamiliar with any new symptoms that may develop. Health care providers may want to start seeing women more regularly after the 33rd week of pregnancy, especially if there is an issue of a high-risk pregnancy or various complications up until this point.
Symptoms and Body Changes at 33 Weeks
Women 33 weeks pregnant should have bellies close to the size of an NBA basketball but of course everyone is unique and bellies could be bigger or slightly smaller. Your waistline is still growing as you gain up to one pound per week. Experts say your weight gain should be between 25-28 lbs, however every woman and pregnancy varies. It can be a little more if you started low and a little less if your pre-pregnancy weight was higher than average. You may be gaining about a pound a week but at least half of that goes to your baby and placenta. Your doctor will have a more accurate weight gain chart available for you. As you get closer to your due date, you may be experiencing endless thoughts. Insomnia is very common at this point, as you and your baby struggle to find common ground in the resting department. Don’t worry; this is great practice for what’s to come once your baby is born and home. If you’ve been charting kicks for the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed a difference. Before you may have been feeling about 10 kicks per hour, and now it’s more like 10 kicks every 2 hours. At 33 weeks pregnant, you are learning new ways to walk, sit, stand, and lay. Back pain, leg pain, and foot pain are 33 week pregnancy symptoms likely ever-present as you try to live your life as normally as possible. Try to stay off your feet and relax, or soak them in warm water to ease discomfort.
Baby’s Development
Your baby should weigh between 4 ½ and 5 lbs by this 33rd week and be almost 17 inches in length. As the fatty layers continue to build under the skin, all of the bones (except for the skull) continue to harden. The reason the skull doesn’t harden is that it needs to remain flexible and soft for traveling through the birthing canal. In addition, the sutures between the bones of the skull are not completely closed, which allows for some “play” during birth. He or she should be in a head down position by this time, but if not there is no need to worry, as there is still plenty of time left. Some experts say certain exercises such as yoga can help your baby to move into the correct position and even alleviate some pregnancy aches and pains. However, consult with your healthcare provider first before taking on any new activities in the 3rd trimester. As the lungs continue to mature, your baby is continuing to practice his or her breathing patterns for life outside the womb. You may notice that your baby is sleeping more often (though still not enough to let you relax), and those kicks, turns, and hits feel a bit more sharp and painful. This is due to your baby’s growth and less room inside the womb. He or she isn’t moving any more or less than they did in earlier weeks, there’s just a little less room now.
Pregnancy Week 33 Tips
As you take time to relax, try to avoid lying on your back since this reduces blood circulation to your uterus. Also, you may have noticed that lying on your back may cause you to become light-headed. This is because the heavy uterus compresses your blood vessels (in particular one called the Inferior Vena Cava) so that less blood returns to your heart and from there to your brain and other organs. This causes your blood pressure to drop a little, hence the light-headedness which is one of the symptoms during pregnancy at 33 weeks and beyond. Lying on your left side is best. This promotes better blood flow to your uterus. But don’t worry if during your sleep or rest you turn to the other side! If you don’t have a pregnancy pillow, use your own pillow and place it in between your knees while you lay on your side to ease discomfort. Eating and exercising are very important for women 33 weeks pregnant, since some women experience tingling and numbness in their limbs. This could be due to the fact that you’re not as mobile anymore. Talk with your healthcare provider and find out which exercises are okay for you at this point. Next is pregnancy at 34 weeks
