At 33 weeks, the average fetus is about the size of a pineapple! Look below for an illustration of what your child might look like and how your baby can be positioned after 33 weeks. Whenever you feel something happening at seemingly regular intervals, time them. « Contractions can be painless, but they will be predictable, » says Siobhan Kubesh, a certified midwife at OBGYN North in Austin. « If they seem to come every 10 minutes or [more frequently] and you can predict when they`re going to start and stop, you need to call your doctor. » At the 33rd week of pregnancy, cramps like the ones you would have over a period of time could be a sign of preterm labor. It can therefore be vaginal bleeding, unusual discharge or leakage. At the 33rd week of pregnancy, pressure in your pelvis could also be a sign. Pay attention to these symptoms. If something worries you, empty your bladder, lie on your left side, drink water and call your OB immediately. Premature contractions of labour can occur at any time between the 20th and 37th week of pregnancy. They do not stop and can become more frequent, regular and unpleasant over time. If you are full-time, you can wait a little later in your work, depending on what you have agreed with your doctor or midwife. If your water breaks or your contractions are severe and 5 minutes apart, it`s time to go to the hospital.
If you are unsure whether you are Braxton Hicks contractions or actual labor, contact your doctor or midwife. You will be able to detect by a vaginal examination – if there are no signs of a change in your cervix, it does not work. You`ve probably heard that as your due date approaches, your uterus occasionally contracts as it grows, stretches, and « practices » for childbirth. These exercise contractions are called Braxton-Hicks contractions and are completely normal. Rest if you have contractions that don`t stop in a short period of time. An ultrasound at the 33rd week of pregnancy can be performed as part of a biophysical profile (BPP). This test is performed in the third trimester for high-risk patients (so if you are pregnant with twins at week 33, you can receive them from time to time) and after 40 weeks for women who exceed their due dates. Ultrasound measures the movement, breathing, muscle tone, and amount of amniotic fluid of your 33-week-old fetus. The other part of the BPP – the non-stress test – will measure how the baby`s heart rate changes as they move or you have contractions. By the 33rd week of pregnancy, you may have gained about 22 to 28 pounds in total — 32 to 42 pounds if you`re pregnant with twins at week 33. For some pregnant women, they feel sexy with a few extra curves.
Be aware that as long as your doctor has said that sex during your pregnancy is correct, you can enjoy it until the day of delivery. Preterm labor occurs when a woman enters labor before the 37th week of pregnancy. According to March of Dimes, about 10% of babies in America are born prematurely. Most give birth between 34 and 36 weeks, and most of them are healthy and require little or no special care after birth. If you experience tension or cramps in your abdomen during your pregnancy, you may have Braxton Hicks contractions. This is normal and it is not a sign that you are ready to give birth. If you think you have uterine contractions or other signs and symptoms of preterm labor: Two tests — one that measures hormones in saliva and another that measures vaginal secretions — can help diagnose premature birth. Doctors may take a swab from the cervix and vagina to test for a protein called fetal fibronectin.
The March of Dimes explains: « Fetal fibronectin (fFN) is a protein produced during pregnancy that acts as a biological glue, attaching the fetal sac to the lining of the uterus. The presence of FFN in weeks 24 to 34 of a high-risk pregnancy, as well as labor symptoms, suggest that « glue » may disintegrate earlier than expected, alerting doctors to a possibility of premature birth. « A vaginal ultrasound, which can accurately assess cervical dilation and other cervical changes, can also help. There are some differences between Braxton Hicks contractions and actual labor contractions that will help your doctor or midwife decide if you are in preterm labor: you are considered preterm labor if you have uterine contractions every ten minutes (or more often), as well as cervical changes (dilation, thinning, softening) before the 37th week of pregnancy. Your doctor may have a hard time determining if you`re really in labor. They will probably tell you to go to the hospital (if you are not already there) where you can be carefully monitored. By week 22, some parts of your baby`s body are fully formed, while some women are now experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. Since the onset of preterm labor is very subtle and often difficult to detect, it`s important to know how to feel your abdomen for uterine contractions.
You can feel contractions this way: you can feel really tired now, which is hardly surprising since you`re carrying a few extra pounds. Your uterus could prepare for childbirth with Braxton Hicks contractions, sometimes called exercise contractions. These can look like a tightening on your bump for 20 to 30 seconds before the muscles relax again. It shouldn`t hurt. If labor becomes painful or strikes at regular intervals, contact your midwife or hospital in case you enter labor. Some women at high risk of preterm labor are given a belt with electronic sensors attached around the abdomen to detect early contractions. Once or twice a day, the monitor is connected to a phone so that it can transmit diagrams of uterine activity to a nurse. The goal of home monitoring is to detect preterm labor early when it is best treatable. .