33-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips

Baby development

Your little resident is running out of space inside you. Good thing they’re getting ready to come out soon! Seriously soon – they’re starting to get into position by placing their head in the narrowest part of your uterus. 95% of babies are born with their heads down. By now, your baby has swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid. Their intestine will gradually fill with meconium, a thick, viscous greenish or blackish material made from solid particles and various bits and bobs suspended in the amniotic liquid (things like cell debris and fat vernix). This meconium will make up your baby’s first bowel movement at birth. Just in case you were wondering!

Your body

Have you got a dark, vertical line going down the front of your belly? During the last trimester a dark line may form down the middle of your belly, seeming to divide it into two halves. This is known as the line a nigra, or pregnancy line, and may become darker as your pregnancy develops.  The pregnancy line is a normal part of pregnancy and usually lessens and fades away soon after your baby is born. 

A further change is that, because the uterus needs all the room it can get, it might press the navel gently outwards. It can be unpleasant for many women: the soft skin of the navel can chafe on clothing. One small consolation is that, after the birth, your navel should return back to its old position.

Nutrition

Weight gain should remain steady and gradual during your third trimester. It is important for you and your child to take enough weight in the last trimester, as throughout your pregnancy, and  your weight when you first became pregnant will determine your weight gain recommendation. Speak to your doctor if you are concerned about the amount of weight you are gaining in your third trimester. 

Tips

Around the 8-month mark, some women report what feels like contractions.  It could be Braxton-Hicks contractions, or “false labour”,  your body’s smart way to "exercise" the uterus to get it ready for the big day.   Braxton Hicks contractions usually disappear during exercise or activity and are more noticeable when you’re resting. True labour pains, when it’s time, will continue and increase when you move around. If you have any doubt about whether you are experiencing Braxton Hicks or true labour, consult your doctor or midwife