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Ready or not? At 32 weeks, while your baby’s birth may still seem far into the future, you and your baby are gearing up for the trip down the birth canal! Baby’s getting ready for her descent – likely in the head-down position, feeling even more cramped!
Your baby is touching the sides and really using the room to his advantage. Ensure you're having 3-4 serves of calcium rich foods each day; milk, cheese, yoghurt, almonds, fish with edible bones, green leafy vegetables are good sources.
Your physical changes this week
Your belly should measure about 30 to 34 centimeters from the top of the uterus to the pelvic bone. Sometime between now and around week 34, baby will “drop” from up near your ribs to down near your pelvis, where he or she will hang out in the head-down position until delivery. When this happens, you may notice you suddenly go from “carrying high” to “carrying low.” This isn’t a guarantee though; some babies don’t drop until mom’s in labor.
If you’re pregnant with twins, you’re obviously feeling more weighed down than others. And chances are, you’re also even closer to delivery!
Hints of the week
- You may be contemplating the different options for the delivery. Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with the procedures and probably register for a childbirth class.
- When climbing out of bed, first roll onto your side and then use your hands to "walk" yourself into a sitting position. Move your bottom close to the edge of the bed so you're not straining and leaning forward more than you need to.
- Large, infrequent meals can make you feel as if you've got a brick sitting in your stomach. Instead, go for light, easy to digest foods.
- Fruit, vegetables, toasted sandwiches, salads, yoghurt, cereals, crackers and cheese are all good staples for healthy snacking.
- Speak with your doctor about the benefits of you doing some perineal stretching. If you are having a vaginal delivery, your perineum will need to stretch a lot to allow the baby's head to emerge. An episiotomy (surgical cut) is sometimes necessary to enlarge the vaginal opening, though perineal stretching can help avoid the need for one.
