How Your Baby Grows During the Thirty-Third Week
Your baby boy is about 19 inches long in total length, and his crown-to-rump length is about 12 inches long. With all the weight he has gained recently, he is probably about 4 pounds now.
He has probably settled into a head down position called Vertex in preparation for his coming birth. Even if he is breech (a bottom down or foot down position) right now, he still has plenty of time to turn around. Some breech babies will even turn during labor, so a health care provider will not usually schedule an early C-section if breech position is the only problem. Most doctors or midwives will allow labor to begin naturally to make sure the baby is full-term and ready to breath on his own.
Your son has begun regular breathing motions in the womb, even though there is no air. He will often have the hiccups as these breathing motions trigger the diaphragm. A mother can tell when her baby has the hiccups because with him so large now, she will probably feel her belly jerk from the force of his movements.
What the Mother Feels During the Thirty-Third Week
An expectant mother will feel regular movements of her baby during his waking and sleeping cycles. She may also be learning to distinguish baby parts by touch, called palpation, and can usually make out the baby's feet, knees or buttocks.
The uterus is expanding now, and if measured from the pubis symphysis, it would reach more than 13 inches high. By now, most women have gained between 22 and 28 pounds although the exact weight gain varies drastically from mother to mother.
The extra blood volume, pressure of the uterus on blood vessels of the body, and overall swelling can cause some women to have varicose veins. Sometimes your health care provider might prescribe support stockings. Using good posture and avoiding crossing the legs can help pregnant women maintain a healthy circulation.
Resources:
The Pregnancy Book: Month-by-Month by Dr. Sears
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
