33,34,35,36 weeks of pregnancy: what happens, development of pregnancy and fetus

Possible problems

Pain at 33 weeks of pregnancy

At 33 weeks of pregnancy, painful sensations are associated with the rapid increase in the size of the uterus and with the body’s preparation for childbirth. If you feel unwell, you need to be able to recognize normal and pathological conditions. Here are the most common sensations characteristic of this period:

• pain in the sacrum and pubis (muscle tissue relaxes and the pelvic bones separate);
• pain in the lumbar region and legs (a consequence of the heavy load given by an enlarged uterus);
• pain in the anus (appears due to frequent constipation and hemorrhoids);
• pain in the hypochondrium (occurs due to sudden movements of the child and passes quickly).

Fever and colds

You should know that a temperature of up to 37 degrees is considered normal for pregnant women, which means there is no need to bring it down. Danger appears only when the thermometer shows 38 degrees or higher. Fever carries the threat of miscarriage, so you need to treat the disease at the initial stage, without taking it to extremes.

For colds, the expectant mother can use the following treatment methods:

• drink plenty of warm liquids: milk, tea, berry infusions, water;
• the use of traditional methods of treatment: rinsing the throat and nose with herbal infusions (chamomile, eucalyptus, sage), rubbing with cool water, etc.;
• antipyretic based on paracetamol at high temperatures.

Under no circumstances should you use mustard plasters or steam your feet. When the first signs of a cold appear, you should consult a therapist.

Discharge at the 33rd obstetric week of pregnancy

A woman should regularly monitor her vaginal discharge. Normally, they should be in small quantities, colorless and odorless.

If the calendar shows the 33rd week of pregnancy, and the expectant mother detects the discharge of a large amount of transparent mucus, this can only mean one thing - the mucus plug has passed and labor will soon begin. You need to act calmly: call an ambulance and wait for admission to the maternity hospital. Premature birth does not pose a great danger to the baby's life. If doctors provide him with proper care, he will survive and be healthy.

Intimate life

At 33 weeks of pregnancy, intimate life is not prohibited. Despite the impressive period and voluminous belly of the expectant mother, if there is mutual desire, the couple can go for intimacy, provided that there is no threat of early labor. If a woman has any doubts, she should definitely consult her doctor. There should be no embarrassment in this matter. A gynecologist will be able to clearly answer whether intimate relationships will harm you. If the doctor deems it necessary, he will prescribe sexual rest until childbirth.

Interesting Facts

Your baby is the size of

Mexican turnip

440 mm Size

1900 g Weight

You are probably finding it increasingly difficult to feel comfortable right now. You may get tired quickly, suffer from insomnia, and experience frequent pain in your legs and lower back. Be patient! There is very little time left to wait. Very soon you will have a beautiful baby, and unpleasant symptoms will be a thing of the past. Now you can help yourself by tuning into positive emotions and listening to the sensations in your body. Let's find out what happens to the mother and fetus during this period, but let's start with the “arithmetic”.

Recommendations for expectant mothers

• Monitor blood pressure and swelling. If there is an accumulation of fluid in the body, blood pressure jumps, and you often feel sick, then go to an appointment with a gynecologist. Ignoring problems can lead to the development of late toxicosis.
• Prepare things for the maternity hospital and an exchange card. They should always be at hand, because when labor begins, there will be no time to get ready.
• Find time for walks in the fresh air, it is good for you and your baby. A sedentary lifestyle can aggravate an already serious condition in late pregnancy.
• When the first signs of a cold appear, contact your doctor. Every week counts; by the time of birth, the mother must be healthy.
• Spend more time with your family, especially with the child's father. Heart-to-heart conversations and close communication with your baby will help stabilize an unstable emotional state and relieve stress.

Stick to a proper daily routine, including time for rest, exercise and walks. Try to get enough sleep by sleeping at least 8-9 hours.

Recommendations for nutrition and vitamins

Dear future mothers of BabyBlog.ru! A gynecologist should be the main adviser to a pregnant woman on nutritional issues. Based on test results, he identifies the lack of certain nutrients in a woman’s body (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, calcium, etc.). Then he gives nutritional recommendations to make up for the existing deficiency.

The mother's daily menu should include vegetables and fruits - sources of vitamins and fiber. They should be consumed fresh or steamed. For the first course you can eat soup cooked in low-fat broth, for the second - grain porridge, beef, fish. You should eat in minimal quantities the delicacies that are so difficult to refuse: baked goods, sausages, as well as smoked, salty, fried, fatty and sweet foods. During pregnancy, you need to forget about alcohol and strong coffee.

And another important tip is not to overeat. It is a mistaken belief that an expectant mother should eat for two. If you follow it, you can soon develop obesity, as well as a whole bunch of digestive diseases.

Physical activity

At 33 weeks of pregnancy, it becomes increasingly difficult for a woman to keep herself in good physical shape. Many mothers believe that now is the time to switch to a sedentary or recumbent lifestyle, which they do with joy. However, it should be noted that this approach can play a cruel joke, because without movement it is very difficult to keep the body in good shape and activate the body’s defenses. An already weakened immune system may fail.

Responsible mothers take seriously the issue of maintaining health and preparing for childbirth by engaging in light physical exercise:

• aerobics in the pool;
• yoga for pregnant women;
• breathing exercises;
• Kegel exercises;
• walking.

It is better to carry out a cycle of exercises regularly, that is, daily, so that it becomes a habit. Physical activity gives a new boost of energy and strength, allows you to burn calories and cope with many troubles - edema, hypertension, obesity, hemorrhoids.

What's happening to the baby?

The baby's size continues to increase. At the 33rd week of pregnancy, he already weighs about 2 kg, and his height reaches almost 45 cm. Of course, if you are expecting twins, then the parameters of each child will be smaller. But the fetus has not yet gained enough subcutaneous fat, so it looks very small.

Important! At the 33rd week of pregnancy, the endocrine, digestive, nervous, immune, and urinary systems are formed and actively functioning. The respiratory organs, body thermoregulation, and blood circulation continue to develop.

During this period, the baby is already in the position preceding childbirth, but it can still change. Nevertheless, the doctor gives recommendations on special exercises or sets the mother up for a natural birth or cesarean section. There will now be no significant changes in the development of the fetus, but the processes continue:

• The nails on the tiny fingers have grown and taken their rightful place.
• The baby's face has acquired individuality. Some mothers even think that they can determine who their son or daughter, or several children, will be like.
• The child distinguishes sounds, some he likes, others he doesn’t.
• Also, the baby is able to smell and taste, so everything that the mother eats is analyzed and evaluated by the child.
• The fetus reacts to the level of light - it understands when it becomes darker or lighter.
• The respiratory system is already ready for the first breath.

The child’s skin almost acquires a natural flesh tone, and there are now not so many wrinkles and folds.

Interesting! The intensity of the movements of each fetus is different, because the babies already acquire character in the mother’s belly. Some are very active, while others are a little more lazy. On average, a child should move or push up to 10 times in 2 hours. If the number of tremors is significantly less or there are none at all, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Necessary studies and analyzes

The 33rd obstetric week of pregnancy is the period at which both the doctor and the expectant mother herself have a detailed understanding of how the fetus develops. Monitoring of his condition begins from the moment the mother registers with the antenatal clinic. The doctor calculates the obstetric period, which is determined not from the moment of conception (release of an egg as a result of ovulation, fusion with sperm and formation of an embryo-blastocyst), but from the first day of the last menstruation.

After this, the gynecologist prescribes regular tests, the most important of which is a triple test for genetic abnormalities in the embryo. Studies on the level of hCG hormone and free estriol, AFP protein are carried out at 11-13 weeks. If the test does not reveal any abnormalities, then by week 33 the expectant mother should visit the doctor twice a week. At her appointment she will undergo the following procedures:

• interpretation of urine and blood tests;
• taking a smear if there are complaints;
• measuring blood pressure, body weight, abdominal volume and uterine size;
• monitoring the fetal heartbeat using a stethoscope.

If pregnancy occurs with complications, the doctor will prescribe additional studies and tests, and the frequency of appointments may increase. If there is a threat to the life and health of the child, the expectant mother may be sent to the hospital.

How to prevent stretch marks from appearing

It is difficult to predict their appearance: neither heredity nor the absence of stretch marks in previous pregnancies guarantees that this time too you will manage without them. It is extremely difficult to get rid of stretch marks that have already appeared. Therefore, the best option is prevention. It includes:

• daily systematic body skin care using moisturizers or special creams against stretch marks;
• proper nutrition high in vitamins and minerals, polyunsaturated acids, fiber;
• weight control - do not allow sudden gain;
• wearing a bandage and support underwear;
• light massage of problem areas.

A contrast shower promotes blood circulation and makes tissue more elastic. Exercising during pregnancy will not only help keep your body in good shape, but will also improve the condition of your skin.

33rd week of pregnancy: what to look for

• As your due date approaches, learn what positions are available to make labor more comfortable. Find out if things like a vertical birthing chair or exercise ball will be available to you during the birth. Try to find out in as much detail as possible about all the amenities available during childbirth in the maternity hospital you choose.
• Have you already packed your bag for the maternity hospital? Use our checklist of things you need in the maternity hospital so you don’t forget anything.
• If you have older children, consider who will look after them while you are in the hospital. This could be someone from the family who can come to your home as soon as you go into labor and need to go to the hospital, or a nanny.
• If you have a car that you plan to use with your newborn, you will need a newborn car seat. The seat must be installed in the rear seat facing forward.

Good to know

What to do for hemorrhoids in a pregnant woman?

Pregnancy and edema: causes and treatment. What and how much to drink?

How the baby develops inside the belly by week of pregnancy

Pregnancy, swollen legs: what to do? Outdated recommendations and a modern view

Third trimester of pregnancy: how to relieve swelling and prepare for childbirth

Diuretics during pregnancy

All texts for pages about mother and baby were kindly provided by RAMA Publishing - these are chapters from the book by Svetlana Klaas “Your Favorite Little Man from Conception to Birth”, reviewer Irina Nikolaevna Kononova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Ural State Medical Academy (Ekaterinburg).

Weight

You need to monitor your weight carefully. This is important, since a sharp gain in body weight, especially in the third trimester, may indicate gestosis.

It is important to follow a diet, not to overeat, and limit the consumption of sweets. You need to reduce calories through baked goods and confectionery products, fried and fatty foods.

Sometimes a woman gains weight due to edema. To avoid retaining excess fluid in the body, it is necessary to limit salt intake. Sometimes the doctor advises to give it up altogether.

From the moment of pregnancy, a woman’s weight increases by 9-13.5 kg. These are averages that may vary slightly in one direction or another, but should remain within normal limits.

Why sing lullabies to your baby in your belly?

What other actions of mom and dad help communicate with the Baby and have an unconditional developmental effect?

Lullabies. There are two well-known and beloved ones - “Sleep, my joy, go to sleep” and “Tired toys are sleeping.” These melodic, drawn-out songs have a good calming and relaxing effect. Warm, kind, sweet words of lullabies familiar to us from childhood, performed by mom or dad, are filled with tenderness, love and care. And this strong connection - pleasant emotions and daily lullabies - will lead to the fact that the Baby will begin to recognize songs even before birth.

Let us remind you that the presence of hearing (or lack thereof in you or your husband) does not play a role: there are cases when two-year-old children asked their mothers with perfect pitch not to sing, because “you don’t know how.” Of course, the point here is not in performing skills, but in the feeling and attitude with which the songs are sung towards the Kid.

There is another version of lullabies, which is often liked by dads, since it does not require memorizing words. Mothers resort to it after the birth of the Baby, when the above-mentioned lullabies “with words” have already been sung, and the child does not want to calm down. These are lullabies with the beginning “Bay-bye, bye-bye, my son/my daughter go to sleep.” Apart from the line about a top that will bite the side, few people remember anything from this lullaby. But you can insert any words into it according to the principle “what I see is what I sing about.” It was this method that Shurik used when rocking Helen in the famous “Operation Y”. The song turns out to be almost endless, does not require intellectual effort - only calmness and love for the Baby.

Singing any other (non-lullaby) songs to suit your mood, especially when accompanied by any musical instrument: guitar, piano, harmonica, accordion, etc. By singing your favorite songs from the heart, you instill in your child a special relationship with them. And most likely, these songs will eventually end up in the repertoire of your son or daughter.

Reading children's books out loud - in any volume, that is, as far as the parent's passion is enough. Unlike developmental activities, such a pastime can be unsystematic, that is, depending on the mood, and is aimed at dialogue with the Baby, the desire to be together, on the same emotional wavelength.

A visit to the zoo and circus - traditional places that children like so much. Different sounds and voices combined with the emotions of mom and dad and their comments “for the Baby” are a great way to spend time together.