33weeks
pregnant

Written by Megan Rive

IN THIS ARTICLE

Highlights this week

Take it easy! Why you should avoid carrying heavy objects.

Baby development at 33 weeks

By now, your baby is probably head down in your uterus (womb). Most babies are head-down at this point, though some continue to change position.

Your baby's skull bones are still pliable and aren't completely joined. This makes it easier for you to give birth to them, as the bones in their skull can overlap slightly as they move down your vagina.

Read more about your baby's development this week.
See for yourself how your baby is growing in our 3D video.
See other BabyCenter mums' baby bumps at 31 to 33 weeks of pregnancy.

baby with skin that is less red and see-through

Your baby's brain will triple in weight this trimester
The bones in your baby's skull can move and slightly overlap
Your baby's skin is smoothing out
The skin is less red and see-through

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Your baby weighs as much as a pineapple

length

43.7

head to toe

weight

1.9

Pregnancy symptoms at 33 weeks

You may notice that your feet, hands, face and ankles have become a bit swollen. This water retention is known as oedema. It is often worse in warm weather and later in the day.

Surprisingly, drinking more water, not less, will help. So, drink up! But if the swelling's severe, and you have headaches, call your midwife or doctor straight away, because these are sometimes symptoms of pre-eclampsia.

baby in womb at 33 weeks pressing on bladder

With a baby pressing on your bladder, you probably have to pee more often

How your life's changing

Make life easier for yourself now. Stock up on basics, everything from tins to toilet paper, before shopping becomes too much of a chore. Cook up extra portions to freeze ahead for the early weeks. You'll be glad you did when your baby's arrived.

Make sure you and your partner have all the important numbers on your phone - your midwife, doctor and the labour ward. If you have pets and older children, arrange for someone to take care of them when you go into labour. Then you'll be able to focus on just yourself and your baby when the time comes.

If you're worrying about money, try not to spoil your maternity leave fretting. Work out if you're budgeting enough for your baby. There may also be benefits and payments that you can apply for to help you manage.

What you need to know

It makes sense to start planning if you're having a homebirth. Work out which room you'll use and see if anything needs moving, particularly if you're using a birth pool.
Is it true that epidurals don't work as well on plus size women? Find out.
Have you started to produce milk already? How to cope with leaky breasts in pregnancy.
If you're buying baby equipment on a budget, read our tips for keeping costs down.

Pregnancy tip: bored with pregnancy? Try this!

"Every time I start to get bored with being pregnant, I lie down and rub my belly. Sure enough, my baby starts to respond, and I think about how wonderful it will be when I'm able to hold him." -- Carrie

Megan Rive

Megan Rive is a communication, content strategy and project delivery specialist. She was Babycenter editor for six years.

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