33rd week of pregnancy: The 33rd week of pregnancy at a glance
Your baby can already collect first memories in the 33rd week of pregnancy and is therefore happy when you sing to him. In its cuddly environment, your child is waiting for the big day of birth.
The big day is fast approaching. So that you don’t forget anything when it finally starts, you should pack your hospital bag in the 33rd week of pregnancy and collect important documents such as the maternity record. So you can concentrate on yourself and your baby on the due date.
Index
ToggleThe development of your baby in the 33rd week of pregnancy
With “awakened” senses, your approximately 42 centimeters tall and about 1,900 grams heavy baby listens to sounds and voices outside the womb in the 33rd week of pregnancy. In this way, it recognizes the familiar voices of the parents after birth. A little tip: If you regularly sing something to him, for example a lullaby, you can calm your child after birth with “familiar”.
Otherwise, your baby is waiting in the cuddly environment for the big day of birth. Since his fatty tissue causes his average body temperature to rise by up to one degree compared to yours, your baby’s heart will be quite warm. Until birth, however, it can well gain another 1.5 kilos. Nine out of ten babies in the 33rd week of pregnancy are already in the best birth position – with their heads down towards the maternal pelvis and their feet upwards towards their mother’s ribs.
Your body in the 33rd week of pregnancy
The so-called preparatory phase begins. The birth and the associated physical separation from the child become more and more important to you in the 33rd week of pregnancy. This can also have a negative impact on your mood and cause insecurities and fears. The more you deal with beautiful things, such as thefurnishing and design of the nursery, or practice practical infant care, for example with a doll or a teddy, the more likely you are to overcome unpleasant, prenatal stress.
Your mobility is now significantly limited and physical and mental stress increases: sleep disorders, circulatory problems, headachesand nausea are not uncommon. Sometimes around the 33rd week of pregnancy, new complaints occur, such as pain in the upper abdomen or in the middle of the back, which should definitely be clarified by the doctor. If you would like to breastfeed your baby, it is advisable to increase the daily calorie intake by an additional 450 calories from now on. In addition to your initial calorie requirement from the first months of pregnancy of about 2,200 calories, a total of 750 calories are added.
What does a baby look like in the 33rd week of pregnancy?
Questions about the 33rd week of pregnancy
Suspected preeclampsia? What to do with upper abdominal pain
For upper abdominal pain, especially on the right side, you should go to the doctor immediately, because such pain can indicatepreeclampsia. Hypertensive pregnancy disease is a pregnancy-related disease associated with high blood pressure, protein excretion in the urine as well as water retention and liver or kidney dysfunction. The collective termgestosis, which has been used for a long time, is used less and less, since the terms hypertensive pregnancy disease, preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome represent the individual clinical pictures much better.
Common to all diseases is high blood pressure, also called hypertension, which occurs for the first time during pregnancy. The exact causes are still unclear. The disease probably has its origin in a maldevelopment of the placenta. Immunological or hereditary factors lead to the fact that the vessels of the placenta are not sufficiently formed. Thus, disturbances occur in the circulation of the mother and the uterus-placenta system. The consequences are maternal high blood pressure and reduced infant growth.
How to divide parental leave?
Have you already talked about which of you is going on parental leave? Have you ever considered that your partner goes on parental leave? You should talk openly about whether this is a possibility for you.
Pack a hospital bag for the birth?
If you already have a packed hospital bag ready, it can provide a certain amount of peace when it comes to waiting for the first real contractions. So you only have to put on shoes and jacket at the decisive moment and off you go. What you should already pack in your bag and what your partner can bring later, you can find outin our article about the clinic bag.
Tips and hints for the 33rd week of pregnancy
Preventive examinations now every two weeks
In general, you should now go tothe check-upevery two weeks. In the 33rd week of pregnancy, according to maternity guidelines, the blood is tested for hepatitis B infection.
Important papers for hospitalization
However, you should definitely pack the following papers, because they are important for the hospital stay: insurance card, maternity record, identity card, family register, birth certificate (if you are not married).