Thirty-second week of pregnancy
By the 32nd week, digestive problems and the feeling of shortness of breath increase. If your child hasn’t rolled over to the correct position yet, they could do so at any time.
Weight and length at 32 weeks
Month | 8th month |
---|---|
Gestational age | from 31+0 to 31+6 |
Length of the fetus (*) | 41.1cm |
Weight of the fetus (*) | 1707 grams |
Weight gain (**) | +11.5kg |
Moms group | May 2023 |
How many months is 32 weeks pregnant?
At 32 weeks you are in the first half of the eighth month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy you can use our conversion table .
32 a week: frequent symptoms
- Acidity and heartburn
- Constipation
- Shortness of breath
- Tiredness
- Clumsiness in movements
How your body changes
Increasing annoyances
The fundus of the uterus is about 12 cm above the navel and presses on the stomach, causing symptoms such as heartburn and digestive problems . The lungs and diaphragm also have less room to expand, making you feel short of breath . Try to be patient: soon the baby will move downwards, engaging his head in the pelvis in preparation for delivery, and this will finally give you some relief .
A few more obstacles
Tiredness increases and the belly begins to feel bulky , to the point that some daily gestures may have become more difficult, such as simply tying your shoes . He tries to wear comfortable , laceless shoes that can be slipped on without bending over. Also, when scheduling appointments, keep in mind that you may need more time to prepare or travel.
A pelvic floor in shape!
Even this week you may continue to feel the annoying but not painful Braxton-Hicks contractions : it means that the uterus is training to face the fatigue of labor.
In the meantime, you too can strengthen your pelvic muscles with special exercises: ask your midwife to teach you. A more toned pelvic floor will help you reduce the risk of lacerations and episiotomies at the time of delivery and prevent annoying consequences such as hemorrhoids and urinary leakage .
How the child grows
It is about 41 centimeters long , the size of a cucumber , and weighs about 1.7 kilograms .
Almost like a baby
Your baby continues to grow and looks more and more like a newborn: he plays, kicks and often has the hiccups . Her skin is thicker and pinker than his, and is losing its wrinkled appearance, while the vernix and lanugo are gradually disappearing.
The hair has now taken on the appearance it will have at birth and is becoming longer and thicker. The lungs continue to mature and the breathing movements are becoming more regular.
If it’s a boy
At 32 weeks , the testicles should have descended into the scrotum. Sometimes, however, it may happen that one or both testicles do not reach this position before birth: then we speak of undescended testicles. Fortunately, in two-thirds of all newborns, this condition corrects itself within the first year of life.
Breech baby: what to do?
If at 32 weeks your little one is still in the breech position ( ie with his head up) don’t be alarmed: most babies are oriented in the correct position by 36 weeks .
In the meantime, the midwife may suggest that you practice postural exercises to help the future baby turn around or that you undergo moxibustion sessions . This last technique, taken from traditional Chinese medicine, is usually performed between the 28th and 37th week
Do you know that…
The fluff and vernix residues that are dispersed in the amniotic fluid are ingested by the baby and transformed into his first poop: meconium . This sterile, almost odorless substance is usually shed within 24 hours after birth and has a dark, sticky appearance . Once you start breastfeeding, however, your baby’s stools will change their appearance and become yellow-ochre in color .
For the dad
Have you already chosen the car seat together with the future mother ? Remember that the safest device for infant travel is the baby carrier , which must be placed on the back seat facing away from the direction of travel .
Alternatively, for the first few months, it is possible to use an approved carrycot , while it is absolutely forbidden to travel by car with the newborn in your arms or in a sling.
Checks and exams to do
The guidelines of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) recommend performing an ultrasound at the 32nd week , in case the morphology performed in the second trimester has shown that the placenta partially or completely covers the uterine cervix ( placenta prior ).
Click here to see the tests you can take for free between the 29th and 33rd week of gestation
The advice of the 32nd week of pregnancy
- To reduce heartburn , wait at least two hours after meals before going to bed, and add an extra pillow under your head.
- Among the techniques to strengthen the pelvic muscles, there are the so-called Kegel exercises . To perform them, learn to recognize your pelvic floor by imagining that you are interrupting the flow of urine : the muscles that contract are the ones to be used in the exercises. Now that you’ve located them, contract them for 5-10 seconds and then relax them for another 5-10 seconds , in repeating sets of about five minutes.
- A warm bath can be a great way to ease the discomfort caused by Braxton-Hicks contractions. Now that the baby bump is bulkier, however, it’s better to ask the future dad for help getting in or out of the tub.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.