What to expect at 32 weeks pregnant
Your baby
All 5 of your baby’s senses are working away now, but there’s not a lot going on inside the uterus unless you shine a light, play some music or even stark speaking to your bump. Baby is seriously starting to run out of room as it fattens up, and might even start to change positions any time from now so that it is head down and ready from birth. He or she will spend time moving all over the place – sometimes they will be in the breech position (bottom down) and sometimes head-down. Ideally the baby will stay in the head-down position, in readiness for birth but don’t worry about this at this stage! Your midwife or doctor will monitor your babies position each time you visit them.
How you’re feeling
You might have started noticing some Braxton Hicks already or if not you probably will fairly soon. At this stage they should feel like a tightening of your stomach and should be irregular and relatively pain-free. If they’re increasing in frequency or excessively painful make sure you speak with your midwife or doctor as they might be signs of early labour.
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Weekly tip
This week could be a good time to think about packing that hospital bag. You’ve most likely still got a fair way to go but if you do go into labour early or have to go to hospital for any reason it’s one less stress if your bag is all ready and waiting for you (let alone the stress of having to leave it up to your partner to pack it under pressure!)
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Dr Christine Catling Follow +
Dr Christine Catling, a midwife for over 25 years, is the Director of Midwifery Studies at UTS. She believes research, innovation and good quality midwifery are pivotal to the well-being of mothers and young families. Christine has extensive experience in antenatal education, policy development and research, and has published on workforce issues, homebirth, vaginal birth...
