Your baby's development in the 32nd week of pregnancy

Starting position: Your baby may already be getting into the final birth position. With its head down it lies in the womb and sometimes kicks strongly into your diaphragm. The majority of babies remain in this position until birth. If, however, your little miracle changes its mind a few more times, don't worry. It can still turn a few more times before the due date.

Cute hiccups: Your baby continues to practice breathing vigorously in the 32nd week of pregnancy. By inhaling amniotic fluid, it more often gets hiccups. This trains its airways and can be felt by the mother as twitching in the belly noticeable.

Amniotic fluid volume decreases: The space in the uterus is getting smaller and the amniotic fluid now makes room for your baby to continue growing. About 1 liter is currently still in the amniotic sac. In the coming weeks the amount of fluid will decrease proportionally to your baby's growth.

Gaining width instead of length: In week 32 your baby's skeleton is almost fully developed. It won't grow much more before birth – at least not in length. Development is now focused on building up fat pads in the lower layers of the skin. Your little one needs these to regulate its own body temperature.

Developed organs: Your baby's organs are now fully developed – it just has to practice using them optimally. The lungs will also build up the surface protection in the near future. The protein that protects the alveoli is now produced in greater amounts.

Fetal position: It's getting tighter in your uterus – so your little miracle increasingly adopts the fetal position. When your child later sleeps alone in their little bed, you'll notice they still keep this position. Even some adults sleep curled up on their side like a fetus.

What can be seen on the ultrasound image?

In the 32nd week of pregnancy your little one gains a lot of weight: it now weighs up to 1,800 grams and is about 43 to 44 cm long. This means your baby is approximately the size of a Chinese cabbage. Gaining muscle and fat is now the focus: In the last month your little one has doubled its weight.

On the ultrasound image you may see that your baby has pulled its little legs close to its body. Sometimes it even sucks its big toe, to practice its sucking reflex. It folds its little arms in front of its belly.

Physical changes – what happens to the mother in week 32?

How time flies! Only a few weeks left until the birth and the end of your pregnancy. Your baby is sinking deeper into the pelvis and may have already turned in the 32nd week of pregnancy. Find out at a glance what else changes for expectant mothers:

Lack of sleep: Already in week 32 you can train for the sleepless nights with your newborn. Your active baby and the big belly probably won't let you find a comfortable sleeping position at night and keep you awake. Many women prefer to sleep sitting up in the last weeks. Our tip: Put an extra pillow under your back, to sleep better.

The belly changes shape: By now your baby is so big that you can tell from your belly shape how it is currently positioned and how active it is. Sometimes your belly is nicely round. Another time it may hang a bit downwards. The change is completely normal and shows, how flexible your skin is during pregnancy.

Exhaustion: Many women now notice that even the smallest activities require a lot of energy. So listen to your body when it asks for rest and relaxation .

Important fat reserves: Your body continues to build up reserves, from which it can draw during the demanding breastfeeding period. By week 37 you will probably still gain around 3 kilograms.

Shortness of breath: Now and then you will probably be briefly out of breath. Your baby's strong kicks now go quite directed into your diaphragm and cause temporary breathlessness.

Temporary skin rash: Around the 32nd week of pregnancy you may notice a red skin rash appear. This occurs due to skin stretching and hormone-related dryness but usually goes away on its own. It's best to speak with your doctor about the rash. That way you can be sure that it is not an allergy or illness.

Tips for heartburn during pregnancy

You will probably notice it more now in the 3rd trimester than before: the unpleasant heartburn and acid reflux. One cause is the increased production of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone causes your abdominal muscles to relax and the sphincter at the top of the stomach to loosen. Your stomach acid can now more easily flow back into the esophagus – causing heartburn.

In addition, as the baby grows your stomach is pushed upward, which is why heartburn is a common symptom especially in the 3rd trimester. Don't worry: For your baby it is heartburn usually not harmful.

It's best to eat many smaller portions spread throughout the day and rest after each meal. Avoid heavily spiced and fatty foods and opt for almonds, carrots, or boiled potatoes instead. These neutralize stomach acid. A glass of milk or yogurt can also help: After eating it protects your esophagus and soothes the heartburn.

Important appointments in the 32nd week of pregnancy

• Handling administrative matters: The 32nd week of pregnancy is a good time to visit a few important authorities. The application for parental allowance can already be submitted before the birth and the birth certificate can be submitted after the delivery by you or your partner. Also the maternity pay should already be applied for now so that it can be paid on time. For the application you need a medical certificate from your doctor regarding the planned due date. Women who are privately insured must apply for the maternity pay themselves with their health insurance – the health insurance company does not take care of it automatically.

• The last major ultrasound: This week is the last opportunity for the 3rd major ultrasound examination. In addition to the usual checks, your doctor places particular emphasis here on the position of the placenta. Further information on the 3rd ultrasound examination can be found in the 30th week of pregnancy. In addition, in the last weeks before birth an additional blood test for hepatitis B is performed. The virus can attack the liver and cause severe infections. Therefore your baby will be vaccinated and immunized immediately after birth if the test is positive.

  For the 33rd week of pregnancy

Image credits

Illustration of pregnant women © designer_things stock.adobe.com

Child rests head on the pregnant mother's belly © georgerudy stock.adobe.com