In the 32nd week of pregnancy, it is getting tighter and tighter for your baby in your belly. Find out why you feel fewer and fewer kicks from now on and why you now get little red dots on your skin.
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Important facts about the 32nd week: What you should know
In the 32nd week of gestation, there are about 8 weeks left until the birth. Even if you are already full of anticipation, you should prepare yourself mentally and physically for the birth and deal with it.
In this article you have learned which signs point to an impending birth and which birth complications can occur.
You can ask your midwife for useful tips on how to best prepare your body for birth.
Do you already know how and where you want to deliver your baby? No? Then now is the best time to start thinking about it.
This is what happens to you
In the 32nd week of pregnancy, your baby often turns in your belly. This is necessary to get into the optimal birthing position. The baby’s feet may press on your diaphragm. You may experience slight shortness of breath.
Even climbing stairs becomes increasingly strenuous. You have probably already noticed that everyday activities that you used to do without discomfort are now somewhat more difficult.
Your baby now needs a lot of space in your belly. Kicks and nudges may also feel a little uncomfortable for you.
You still have a few weeks to go before you can finally hold your baby in your arms. Until then, your body still needs a lot of energy to provide your baby with the best possible care.
Make sure that you give your body enough rest. Dizzy spells in particular can be a sign that you should take a short break.
In the 32nd week of pregnancy, many expectant mothers feel the desire for the closeness and security of their partner, but are unsure whether sex is safe during pregnancy.
It is important that the pregnancy is “stable”. This means that neither contractions nor pain or bleeding are occurring or have occurred.
You may experience a large red skin rash in the 32nd week of pregnancy. We will tell you what this is and what you can do about it later in this article.
Tip for expectant fathers
Have you already thought about how you want to spend the time after the birth? Do you want to take paternity leave? Do you want to continue working? It is best to clarify these questions early on in order to have planning security for yourself.
You can recognize that the birth is imminent by these 3 signs
If you go by the expected date of birth, it is about 8 weeks until you can finally hold your baby in your arms.
It’s high time to start thinking about the birth. You may have already asked yourself how a birth begins and what signs point to it – we have the answers.
The rupture of
the membranesYour baby is in a sac until it is born. The first sign that it is about to start is the so-called rupture of the membranes.
The rupture of the membranes occurs either in the upper part of the uterus or in the area of the cervix. In the first case, the amniotic fluid only comes out in droplets. In the second case, a swelling-like discharge of amniotic fluid is possible.
Regardless of how much am niotic fluid is leaking, you should get a ride to the hospital immediately. The birth is imminent.
The contractions
Contractions are a clear indication that the birth is being induced. But what is a contraction actually? A contraction occurs when the muscles of the uterus contract from top to bottom.
This process is also known as contractions. Contractions help your baby to descend deeper into your pelvis. Contractions are divided into 6 phases:
- Early labor
- Practice contractions
- Descending labor
- Opening contractions
- Pressor contractions
- Postpartum labor
Bleeding
Bleeding during pregnancy can have many different causes. At term, light bleeding is harmless in most cases – but should be observed.
In case of heavy bleeding, you should be taken to a clinic immediately.
You should know about these birth injuries
A birth is always individual and can hardly be planned. Unexpected complications can occur in almost all births.
In this section we would like to inform you about the most common birth injuries and at the same time take away your fear of them.
What birth injuries are there?
Every expectant mommy wants the birth to be as easy and quick as possible. However, many pregnant women are not informed about possible injuries.
Injuries to the intimate area are not uncommon during natural childbirth. During a vaginal birth, injuries can occur throughout the birth area. Affected are:
- Perineum
- Vagina
- Labia
- Clitoris
- Internal pelvic muscles
- Sphincter muscle
- Cervix
In the following, you will learn everything about the most common injuries during childbirth.
Vaginal tear
A vaginal tear is very rare. In fact, with a vaginal birth, the risk is relatively low. In many cases, vaginal rupture occurs due to forceps delivery or suction cup birth.
To reduce the risk of vaginal tears before the birth, you can train your pelvic floor muscles. A daily perineal massage in the last 3 to 5 weeks before the birth can also make the tissue more elastic.
A simple vaginal tear can be closed with a surgical suture immediately after birth. As you can see – everything is half as bad.
Perineal tear
A perineal tear is the tearing of the perineum. This is the name given to the tissue between the vagina and the anus. When your baby’s head and shoulders are born, the perineum may be stretched so much that it tears.
Depending on the strength and extent of the tears, the injuries are divided into 4 degrees of severity.
1. Grade
- Superficial tears of the vaginal and/or perineal skin
- Depending on the size, the tears are closed with a small suture under local anesthesia
2. Grade
- Injuries to the superficial perineal muscles
- Injuries are sutured under local anesthesia
3. Grade
- Partial or complete rupture of the sphincter muscle
- Injuries usually sutured under local anesthesia, in rare cases under general anesthesia
4. Grade
- Injuries to the sphincter and tearing of the intestinal mucosa
- In exceptional cases, can lead to fecal incontinence or pain during sexual intercourse
This is how far your baby has developed in the 32nd week of gestation
In the 32nd week your baby is about 43 cm tall and weighs about 1800 g.
In the 32nd week, your baby is almost ready to discover the world. The development is already very advanced. The digestive tract is not yet fully mature and the lungs have not yet produced enough “surfactant”.
This is the name of a substance that ensures that the vesicles do not collapse during breathing. It still takes a little time for the alveoli to mature to the point where it can breathe on its own.
In the 32nd week of gestation, your baby will continue to practice breathing out and in intensively with amniotic fluid. You may feel the hiccups caused by this in the 32nd week.
This is important now
Red rash in the 32nd week: What does it mean?
During pregnancy, many expectant moms notice skin changes. In most cases, these are pigmentation disorders.
These include the so-called “mother spots” on the nose, neck and cheeks, the darkening of birthmarks, freckles and liver spots, and the “linea negra” on the belly button. But what is it about little red dots on the skin?
Large red skin rash is caused by 2 factors. Firstly, by the strong stretching of your skin, and secondly, by the hormone-related dryness of the skin.
In most cases the spots disappear by themselves. In order to be able to exclude a disease or allergy, you should talk about it with your doctor or your midwife.
Afraid of giving birth? These tips will help you
It’s perfectly normal to feel a little anxious about giving birth. But when you hold your baby in your arms for the first time, all worries are forgotten. With these tips, it will be easier for you to prepare for the birth.
Exchange with other pregnant women
The most important thing is to talk about your worries and fears. And who better to talk to than moms who have already given birth?
Familiarize yourself with the place of birth
Birth center, clinic or home birth? Have you already thought about where you want to give birth to your baby?
Usually, every birth center offers an open house where you can be shown around and ask any unanswered questions.
Listen to your gut feeling and make sure you feel comfortable.
Inform yourself about the birth process
Knowing what to expect can help ease some of the anxiety. Every expectant mother should be clear about what to expect, what situations may occur, and how pain medications will be used.
The more you know, the better you will be able to cope with the unfamiliar situation.
Midwife Tip
The anticipation of your baby is enormous – of course. However, you should not forget your partner. Do something nice together and enjoy the time together. The next few weeks will be wonderful, but also exhausting and unfamiliar.
FAQ
In the 32nd week of pregnancy, your baby is training to breathe in and out.
In the 32nd week of pregnancy, the cervix should be about 40 mm long. However, this varies from woman to woman.
The doctors will decide when you can go home with your baby. The important thing is that you and your baby are well.
In the 32nd WOP your baby is about 43 cm tall.
Your baby weighs about 1800 g in the 32nd WOP.
Your doctor can tell you by ultrasound what position your baby is in at 32 WOP.
As soon as you feel contractions, it won’t be long before you can hold your baby in your arms.
At 32 weeks pregnancy, you are in the last week of your 8th month of pregnancy.
WOP 32 videos
Here you can find out how Charlotte and Ysis are doing in her 32nd WOP.