33 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby responds to your pokes. Learn what's going on with you and your baby-to-be while 33 weeks pregnant.

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• Your Baby
• You
• 9th Month of Pregnancy Video
• Diary of a Daughter

Your Baby

Each baby is individual and unique, but during this busy growth week your little one will measure approximately 4.5 pounds and may even be over 12 inches in length. This may not seem very large, but it can be enough to make you get up every few hours to go to the bathroom during the night. This is now the time where your little one will pack on the pounds to gain that extra birth weight they need in order to keep warm outside the womb.

If you could peer into your uterus you would see your newest family member functioning more or less as as a newborn should. They are sucking their thumb, have bouts of waking and sleeping, can distinguish between night and day and are able to hear everything going on around them.

Many little ones when prompted will respond with kicks and punches, so feel free to poke at your baby if you notice a foot or arm extending out of your side.

If your baby will be born with hair, very often it is noticeable now during this week, and those millions of neurons that make up your baby's brain connections are busy learning to help with everything they must take in when they are born.

You

When 33 weeks pregnant your uterus has grown over 500 times while preparing your baby for life outside the womb.

Your red blood cell production is now equal to the plasma production, and some women notice a reduction in the swelling of their hands and feet.

If you have an 'innie' belly button it may pop out this week, if it hasn't already. But don't worry about how it looks now, it will return to its natural shape after you have delivered your baby.

Vivid dreams are quite common during these last few weeks. Some will say it's due to your extreme tiredness and hormone production while others may blame it on your own personal anxieties as the delivery date draws near. Do not try to read into your dreams too much during this time, as they may just be due to that extra snack you had before bed.

Many women use these last few weeks to prepare for the labor and delivery of their new baby. Pain relief options can be very confusing, especially for those first-time parents who have not had any experience with the different methods of coping with the laboring process.

No matter if you are looking into natural methods or more medicinal ones, be sure to explore all of the options available so that you are well prepared when the time comes to make the decision for your coping strategies.

You may also want to decide who will be in attendance with you during the labor and delivery, as many hospitals allow for more birthing coaches besides just the other parent. For some women it can be helpful to have a sister, mother or doula in the delivery room as well to help provide assistance, while others may only want to share this special moment with their partner.

To start learning about the birth process, visit our section about giving birth here.

If you are at all considering natural childbirth, I can really recommend these online birth classes.

9th Month of Pregnancy Video

Instructions: When watching the video clips, start the videos by clicking the small arrow down to the left, not the large one in the middle of the screen. If you're using Internet Explorer as your browser and the video doesn't start, try clicking twice on the small arrow.

Diary of a Daughter

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