WHAT’S GOING ON WITH BABY?
Your Baby at 32 Weeks Pregnant
Baby’s growth and size
Your baby is somewhere between 16-17 inches long and weighs between 3.5-4 pounds.
What’s new developmentally?
Baby is spending the next 8 weeks practicing all the skills they need to live outside of your womb. Aside from baby’s lungs, all the major organs are developed and working.
Baby inhales and swallows amniotic fluid every day to give the lungs practice. By next month, baby’s lungs will be fully formed. The fat accumulating under baby’s skin is giving the skin a more opaque look instead of the see-through, transparent look.
Fun facts about your week 32 baby
- Baby has regular sleep and wake cycles
- Baby is storing important minerals such as iron, calcium, and phosphorus
- If you are having a baby girl, her ovaries are in place with all the eggs she’ll have
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH MAMA?
Week 32 of Pregnancy
Week 32 pregnancy symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Leaking breasts
- Frequent urination
- Round ligament pain
- General discomfort
- Sciatica
- Varicose veins
- Stretch marks and itchy belly
- Anemia
- Constipation
- Belly button changes
- Braxton Hicks contractions
- Fatigue & trouble sleeping
- Moderate swelling in feet/ ankles
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Low back pain
- Leg cramps
- Hemorrhoids
How should I be feeling at 32 weeks pregnant?
There’s a good chance you have started experiencing some Braxton Hicks contraction at this point. Typically, Braxton Hicks feel like hardening or tightening of the belly that’s more uncomfortable than painful.
It can be hard to differentiate between what’s the real deal and what’s not. Hopefully you don’t have to worry about “true labor” for several more weeks, but now is a good time to familiarize yourself with some signs of preterm labor, just in case!
Some signs of preterm labor to be aware of include pelvic or lower abdominal pressure, constant dull backpain, change in type of vaginal discharge, mild abdominal cramps, with or without diarrhea, regular or frequent contractions, water breaking.
Like I said, hopefully this isn’t something you have to think about for several more weeks but it’s better to have the knowledge and not need it, at least in my opinion!
You might also be feeling round ligament pain and lightning crotch. Surrounding your belly and uterus are lots of muscles and ligaments. As your uterus expands during pregnancy, it’s very common for the ligaments around your belly to get stretched as they work harder to try and hold the added weight. This can create discomfort and pain.
A belly support band might help with the discomfort, but otherwise, just trying to get off your feet every now and then, taking warm baths, and using Tylenol as needed are other options.
Lightning crotch on the other hand is a sudden, sharp pain in your vagina, rectum, or pelvis that many women report feeling towards the end of their pregnancy.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
More Week 32 Info
32 weeks pregnant symptoms not to ignore
There are a few things you should notify your OB provider about if they happen. I know I mentioned that mild swelling of your feet and ankles is normal in pregnancy but there are times that swelling can be a cause for concern. One thing you might be at risk for at 32 weeks, and really any point during pregnancy, is preeclampsia.
If your swelling is severe or if it is accompanied by a headache that won’t go away, vision changes, sudden weight gain, stomach, shoulder, or lower back pain, sudden nausea, or shortness of breath or chest pain, it could be something more serious going on and you need to be evaluated.
Other symptoms not to ignore include a decrease or change in fetal movement, any kind of vaginal bleeding, if you think your water might have broken, or an intuition that something might be off.
The last thing we want you to do is sit around your house and worry when you can easily be evaluated and have a peace of mind.
32 weeks pregnant baby born
32 weeks is considered preterm. According to ACOG, the governing body of obstetricians and gynecologists, term is actually broken down into three different categories early, full, and late.
You won’t be considered early term until you reach 37 weeks. Delivering a baby at term doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything in the way of health or complications, but we do know that giving birth to a preterm baby increases the potential for complications.
Sometimes preterm labor happens without any reason or warning. Some risk factors that can increase the risk of preterm labor include preterm birth in a previous pregnancy, having a short cervix early in pregnancy, previous gynecologic surgeries, certain lifestyle factors, or other complications in pregnancy.
Again, there are no guarantees as to how a baby born at 32 weeks will do but if they are delivered in a hospital where they can receive the specialized care, they need from NICU staff, there generally do pretty well, long-term.
As far as how long you can expect your baby to stay in the NICU, that will be individualized and depend on how well they can regulate their temperature, their ability to suck and swallow, and their weight gain.
You can expect baby to remain in the NICU until their due date, or close to their due date.
32 weeks pregnant ultrasound
While it’s not common to have an ultrasound done at 32 weeks, there are a few reasons why your provider might schedule one.
If you are experiencing any kind of complications or any conditions that make your pregnancy “high risk”, you might have an ultrasound this week. These high-risk conditions include but are not limited to carrying multiples, gestational diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), being over age 35 at the time of delivery, and other medical conditions.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOUR BUMP?
32 Weeks Pregnant Belly
TIPS & RESOURCES FOR WEEK 32
Tips for 32 Weeks Pregnant
- Start stocking up on postpartum essentials
- Start preparing older kids for a new baby
- Prepare your dog for a new baby
- Continue working on your baby registry and nursery
- Wear your belly support band – my personal favorite
- Research and purchase car seats – I recommend installing between 35-37 weeks
- Look into childcare options – trust me on this one, mama, preschools and daycares fill up fast
- Treat yourself to a prenatal massage or pedicure this week – you and your mental health deserve it!
- Talk to your manager or HR department about maternity leave
- Contact your insurance company about maternity leave and FMLA
- Start thinking about whether a doula might be right for you
- Sign up for a birth class – there are SO MANY out there but I actually have online natural, epidural, and C-section courses that you can take all from the comfort of your own home, so check them out here
- Sign up for my free second trimester prep pack to receive my second trimester checklist, baby registry checklist, and old wives’ tales checklist!
- Sign up for MLN weekly pregnancy updates to stay up to date on everything going on with your pregnancy. So much good information and it’s all free!
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