Week 33

Your Baby’s Development:

This is the time when your baby’s immune system starts ramping up for the big day. You pass antibodies to your baby that will help him or her avoid sickness outside of the womb. Your little one is able to differentiate day and night with eyes that open and close with his or her sleep cycles. The bones in the skull aren’t fused together yet, making it easier to fit through the birth canal. However, the rest of his or her bones continue to harden. At this point, he or she weighs more than four-and-a-half pounds and is between 17 and 19 inches in length.

What You Should Expect:

By the 33rd week, three out of four pregnant women experience insomnia. Many different things contribute to this including anxiety regarding childbirth, hormones, aches and pains and even the frequent need to empty your bladder. Although it feels frustrating, it is actually great practice. Your baby will need you every three to four hours around the clock for the first three or four months of his or her life, so you will undoubtedly experience more than one sleepless night.