Welcome to the 32nd week of your pregnancy journey! By now, your walk is probably looking more and more like a penguin walk! Waddling is your best chance to stay stable, even though it might look a bit funny, but it is your body’s way of compensating for the extra weight you now carry around. Enjoy your waddling!
Your baby’s 32nd week is pretty big too! His major organs are all fully formed and developed by now, except for his lungs, still, his chances of survival, if he was born this week, are great! Your baby is also practicing breathing by inhaling some of the amniotic fluid.
Over the past weeks until now, your baby’s skin has been transparent, well this week, your baby is saying goodbye to his see-through skin and welcoming his new opaque skin!
Changes Happening in Your Body by Your 32nd Week
I bet you thought you were done with the weight gain, but not just yet. Over the next four weeks, you will gain around one pound per week. Your baby is also bulking up as he gains about a kilogram of fat. That fat is good for him though as it keeps him at the right temperature when he is born as he can easily get too cold or too hot due to his tiny body.
Your baby is probably positioned head down by now which is the right position for birth. If your baby is not there yet, do not worry about it because he will get there soon enough. If he did not change his position to face head down by week 36, your midwife or doctor might need to give you a hand to gently push the baby to the right position.
Have You Considered Vitamin K?
After you give birth, you will be asked to make a lot of fast decisions, so it’s a good idea to think about some of them now. One of them is regarding vitamin K. This is quite important as it helps the blood clot and prevents a rare condition called vitamin K deficiency bleeding. It is impossible to know which babies are going to get the condition as it shows no prior signs.
The VKDB condition can cause brain damage and sometimes even death. To prevent that, an injection of vitamin K is given to babies within 24 hours of their birth. It is usually given as a jab in the thigh and it is the recommended way as it is very effective when it comes to getting the supplement to your baby’s bloodstream.
Even though some babies make it through without the supplement of Vitamin k, some other babies don’t. So it is always better to take the injection. It can also be taken orally instead of the injection. You can speak about it with the pediatrician to make the best choice for your baby.
Choose Your Maternity Services
By this stage of your pregnancy, you have probably figured out where you want to give birth already. But if you still haven’t, this is the perfect time for you to look into places and find out their coronavirus precautions and prevention.
If you plan to have a cesarean section, you should figure out how long you will need to stay in the hospital to make arrangements if you have other children as the average stay after the C section is three to four days.
Symptoms of the 32nd Week of Pregnancy
At this stage of your pregnancy, you are quite familiar with tiredness. You will reach a point where you feel tired of feeling tired. But do not worry as it will all pass soon and a whole new chapter begins.
Your 32nd week of pregnancy symptoms might include:
- Sleeping problems
- Baxton Hicks
- Bleeding gums
- Snoring
- Backache
- Headaches
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Random pain around muscles
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Sore breasts
- Leg cramps
- Stretch marks
- Thicker hair
- Swollen gums
- Urine infection
- Bloating or constipation
- Spotty skin
- Feeling too warm
- Greasier skin
- Piles
- Vaginal infection
- Thicker hair
Your Baby’s 32nd Week Development

Over the past few weeks and through the upcoming weeks up till delivery, your baby will keep on growing more and more every day. By this week, he is now around 42.4cm in length from head to toe and weighs around 1.7kg. That’s the weight of one medium-sized chicken!
Your baby is now perfectly formed and ready to meet the world, however, he is still working on fattening up and that is what the next few weeks are all about.
Your baby will keep on growing till it gets cooped up in your womb, but no worries, he will still move freely and you will still feel his movements. In case the movements stopped or got slower, make sure to contact your doctor or midwife as soon as you can.
This Week’s Tips
Don’t Worry about Stretch Marks
You do not need to worry about stretch marks, it is estimated that 90 percent of pregnant women have it, they soon fade away after delivery though. Plus, it is a sign that your baby is growing beautifully inside you.
Read about Early Labor Signs
Most pregnant women are wondering about early labor signs during this stage of their pregnancy especially that they are so close to delivery. Beware of signs such as water breaking, cramps like the ones you get during your period, vaginal bleeding or spotting, diarrhea, or a constant backache. If you encounter any of these signs, make sure to contact your doctor or midwife right away.