Knowing this could impact your parenting style more than you realise. more
Your Pregnancy Week 32
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Until this week, your visits to the doctor have probably been on a monthly basis, unless you've had complications or problems. At week 32, most doctors begin seeing a pregnant woman every 2 weeks. This will continue until you reach your last month of pregnancy; at the time, you'll probably switch to weekly visits.
By this time, you probably know your doctor fairly well and feel comfortable talking about your concerns. Now is a good time to ask questions and to discuss concerns about labour and delivery. If there are complications or problems later in pregnancy or at delivery, you'll be able to communicate better with your doctor and know what is going on.
What is pre-eclampsia?
Pre eclampsia is the most common complication of pregnancy with 5-10% of pregnancies being affected by the condition. Of these, 1-2% of women suffering from Pre eclampsia will experience symptoms severe enough to threaten the lives of both mother and baby.
Pre eclampsia usually develops in late pregnancy but it is possible to see symptoms after 20 weeks. It needs immediate attention to avoid the possibility of it progressing into Eclampsia, an even more serious and life-threatening condition that can cause seizures, coma and possible death.
Pre eclampsia is responsible for 5-10% of all premature births due to complications involving the transfer of oxygen and nutrients through the placenta to the foetus, which can ultimately compromise the wellbeing of your baby.
- Symptoms of pre eclampsia
- Who is at risk of pre eclampsia
- Diagnosis pre eclampsia
- Treatment of pre eclampsia
Keep taking your pre-natal vitamins. The vitamins and iron in prenatal vitamins are still essential to your well-being and the well-being of your baby or babies. If you're anemic at the time of delivery, a low blood count could have a negative effect on both or all of you. Your chance of needing a blood transfusion could be higher.
Baby is 42.4 cm long and weighs 1.7kg. All five senses within your baby are now working. She can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. While it doesn't seem like there is much to stimulate any of the senses, there certainly is. Your baby can taste what you had for dinner a few hours after you eat. She can hear sounds inside and outside of your body. She can tell the difference between light and dark. Her fingers are coordinated to reach for things to touch in utero. The one thing she hasn't available to her is anything to smell. There is amniotic fluid, but there isn't much scent to it, really. Once your baby is born, she will begin to understand smells.
Your baby has now put on enough weight to make them look a little chubby! The fine hair that covered their entire body (called lanugo) now disappears from their face, but remains on their torso. Most babies sleep about 90% of the time at this stage, in between having shorts bursts of movement when awake (every 1 to 2 hours). Many unborn babies like to be active during the evenings when their mother is trying to sleep, between 9pm and 1am!
Your baby's lungs continue to mature, producing increasing amounts of 'surfactant'. This is a fatty liquid (called phospholipid) that lines their lungs, keeping them moist and helping the sacs within them (called alveoli) to expand efficiently for breathing. Your baby's sucking and swallowing action (required to drink milk) fully coordinates between 32 to 34 weeks. However, if your baby is born during this time they may require fluids and glucose through a drip in their vein and/or be fed with a fine tube inserted through their mouth or nose, because suckling tires them quickly.
Pregnancy checklists and tools
- Check your pregnancy timeline
- Baby Name Finder
- Essential pregnancy and baby equipment
- Connect with other expectant mums through Kidspot Social
- View all pregnancy checklists and tools.
Read next week: Your Pregnancy Week 33