what happens to the fetus and what the woman feels. Fetal development, height and weight

According to the usual obstetric calendar, the 33rd week of pregnancy corresponds to 31 weeks of your baby’s intrauterine life. There is one lunar month and three weeks before childbirth.

The content of the article:

Feelings in the mother at 33 weeks

At the 33rd week of pregnancy, a woman increasingly feels the approach of childbirth and this greatly worries her. In addition, she experiences some unpleasant sensations that do not give her confidence and calmness.

These feelings include:

• Heartburnwhich often bothers you in the evenings. It is caused by physiological processes that increase the acidity of gastric juice.
• Periodically, the muscles of the legs and arms reduce convulsions, this indicates a lack of calcium in the woman’s body.
• Sometimes in lower back there is a feeling of heaviness, the pain from which can spread to the thigh, right up to the knees. This most often occurs while lying on your back. In this position, the growing uterus presses the femoral nerve, which is located nearby.
• The skin of the abdomen is often itchywhich is reduced after applying a cream for stretch marks or regular moisturizer. If you want your belly to look great after childbirth, wear a bandage, even at home when you get up to make yourself a cup of tea. It supports the uterus so it won’t stretch your lower abdomen.
• The mom-to-be can feel light shortness of breath… This happens because the uterus begins to press on the diaphragm, for this reason, you will spend more time lying down.

Reviews of VKontakte, Instagram and forums:

Diana:

I already have 33 weeks. I feel great. Only sometimes I feel a slight tingling sensation in the lower abdomen.

Alina:

We are also already 33 weeks old. My daughter actively pushes her mother with her legs, this makes her stomach twitch so interesting, as if she is living her own life.

Elena:

At this time, I got a second wind. I can’t wait for my daughter.

Faith:

And we are waiting for the boy. He hiccups very often, and then begins to get nervous and push his mother with his legs. From this, the stomach begins to walk in waves.

Ella:

And we are already 33 weeks old. We hide on ultrasound and do not show who is there. Insomnia worries a little. But nothing is left quite a bit.

What happens in the mother’s body?

At this stage of pregnancy, the following changes occur in a woman’s body:

• Stomach… Previously, it seemed to you that the stomach simply cannot grow even more, but now you are convinced that this is not so. This is the most uncomfortable period, but after a couple of weeks it will become easier;
• Uterus… For this period, the tone of the uterus is not typical. How to determine if you have uterine tone. She is relaxed, there is still a lot of time before the birth and the harbingers have not yet begun. If at 33 weeks your stomach begins to pull, this is a bad sign, there may be a risk of premature birth. Be sure to inform your gynecologist about this;
• Discharge from the genital tract. At this stage of pregnancy, a woman should continue to closely monitor her secretions. If leucorrhoea, mucus, blood or pus develops, action must be taken immediately. After all, these are the first symptoms of an infection of the genital tract, and before childbirth it is imperative to cure them;
• For most women sex is not contraindicated at this stage of pregnancy, but it is better to consult your gynecologist. After all, if you have placenta previa or there is a threat of miscarriage from sexual intercourse, it is better to abstain.

Fetal development at 33 weeks

Your baby already weighs about 2 kg, and his height from head to heel is about 45 cm.Now your baby will begin to rapidly gain weight. This process will pause a little before the very birth.

Let’s take a closer look at the stages of development of your baby’s systems and organs:

• The body of the fetus has become more proportional, the cheeks are rounded, and the skin is more pink than red. Every day your baby becomes more and more like a newborn. More hair appears on the fetus’s head, and the skin gradually begins to lose lanugo.
• Bones get stronger thanks to calcium, which is deposited in them. Only the sutures on the skull remain wide to facilitate labor. The cartilages of the auricles become denser, the nail beds are almost completely covered by the nail plates, and striation of the foot has appeared.
• Your child’s organs are now functioning. The liver and kidneys work, the pancreas produces insulin, and the thyroid gland can perform its functions quite independently.
• The surfactant began to form in the lungs. After giving birth, he will help them open up. Even if your baby is born prematurely, it will be much easier for him to start breathing on his own.
• The genitals are fully formed. In boys, the testicles have already descended into the scrotum.
• The brain develops at an incredible speed, billions of nerve connections are formed here. Despite the fact that the fetus spends most of the time in a dream, he is already dreaming. When light penetrates the anterior abdominal wall, he distinguishes indistinct shadows, and all his senses are already fully formed. The baby to the husband can distinguish between smells and tastes.
• The baby’s heart is almost completely formed and makes approximately 100-150 beats per minute
• The child’s immune system has not yet fully developed. Therefore, it is very vulnerable to infections.
• Due to its size and the limited space of the uterus, the baby becomes less mobile. This contributes to its final location in the uterine cavity. The ideal option is when the baby lies with its head down, but the reverse position is not a disaster, natural childbirth in this case is also quite possible. The indication for a cesarean section is a transverse presenting fetus.

Ultrasound at 33 weeks

• At this stage of pregnancy, a third screening is done. During this research, you can get answers to the following questions:
• Does the maturity and thickness of the placenta correspond to the established date, whether it effectively performs its functions, whether there are calcifications in it;
• Does the development of the fetus correspond to the established gestational age, are all the organs formed and are there any delays in their development. The lungs and their readiness for independent work are examined with special care;
• How is the fetus located, whether there is an umbilical cord entanglement;
• How much amniotic fluid is in the fetal bladder, whether there is oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios;
• Whether the uteroplacental blood flow is disturbed.

Required examinations

• General blood analysis;
• General urine analysis;
• Cardiotocogram and / or cardiotocogram;
• Now, when the baby’s autonomic nervous system has already formed, doctors have the opportunity to get more accurate information about how he feels;
• As a result of this examination, doctors will learn about the child’s motor activity, whether he has hypoxia (lack of oxygen), about the tone of the uterus;
• The pregnant woman lies on her back. Sensors are installed on her stomach, which record fetal heart contractions and uterine contractions;
• The examination can last from 15 to 60 minutes;
• This study must be repeated closer to childbirth;
• If the results of the cardiotocogram show that the baby is not feeling very well, the doctor will prescribe an ultrasound Doppler scan to clarify what caused these disorders.

Photo of the fetus, photo of the abdomen, ultrasound and video about the development of the child

Video: What happens at the 33rd week of pregnancy?

Video: ultrasound at the 33rd week of pregnancy

Recommendations and advice for the expectant mother

• To avoid heartburn, watch your diet. Avoid spicy, fried, fatty, smoked foods. Eat often and fractionally;
• To avoid edema, it is sometimes recommended to drink no more than 1.5 liters of water per day;
• To prevent infections of the genital tract, strengthen hygiene standards, wear cotton underwear;
• At this stage of pregnancy, you can already start looking for a maternity hospital. When choosing it, be sure to pay attention to the specialization, conditions and equipment, qualifications of the medical staff;
• If you are expecting a second child, then it is time to prepare the eldest for the arrival of a new family member. Before giving birth, try to “make friends”. Invite your child to stroke their tummy, talk to a brother or sister. And don’t let him feel redundant;
• Be grateful for everything that is happening, and all future events will start to please you;
• Don’t worry too much about any setbacks or problems today. No matter how difficult it is, remember that there is a reason for everything and nothing in the Universe is left without “payment.”

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