Week 33: I'm a chunky monkey!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 33

For all the weight and bulk you’re lugging around these days, you’d think your little champ would weigh more than a mere 4 pounds!

But once you add in the placenta, amniotic fluid, and extra blood, you've got at least 10 pounds of baby and their life-support gear smooshed up against your organs!

In terms of appearance, your sweet lil' looker is getting cuter and pudgier every day as they pile on that adorable baby fat.

And as you know all too well, your womb kick-boxer is getting stronger with every passing day. Heck, it’s even possible to observe a well-placed belly-wobbling kick just by watching your belly!

Here's a fun game for when your kick-boxer is especially active: place a small object (baby blocks or a remote control) on your belly and see how far your star-kicker can lob that thing across the room!

Despite their obviously increasing strength, your bigger-by-the-day baby will actually start dropping their rate of movement in the last few weeks, no thanks to their restricted womb space.

If movement ceases for over an hour, drink some cold juice, lay on your side and wait for some added movement.

If nothing's happening at that point, go ahead and call your medical caregiver.

Hey, did you know you’ll continue feeling your baby's movements even during labor?

And how's mom doing?

Have you been feeling those delightful fake Braxton-Hicks contractions yet?Remember to eat less with each meal and opt for smaller more frequent meals, loads of water, and a post-meal walk to get things unclogged and less heartburn-tastic

If not - shut up!

These increasing uterine contractions are standard during the second half of pregnancy and lucky for you, grow in frequency during the third trimester.

Cleverly dubbed “practice labor”, BH contractions aren't the real deal, but if they're getting too frequent or intense, get a big glass of ice water, drink it and chill on the couch for a while.

That said, if you notice contractions more than four times in one hour - that don't go away in the next hour, especially when combined with changes in your vaginal discharge (EW), call your caregiver right away to make sure you're not going into premature labor.

As your magical growing baby obstinately refuses to shrink or give back any real-estate in your belly, you can sit back, "relax," and take in the heartburn and increased lower back pain.

Remember to eat less with each meal and opt for smaller more frequent meals, loads of water, and a post-meal walk to get things unclogged and less heartburn-tastic.

As for your poor back, stretch your spine out, get off your feet and elevate them above your heart - preferably in a hot-bathtub with bubbles, candle light and soft relaxing music, and don't worry too much about anything for exactly thirty minutes... if that's even possible.

INDUCING LABOR = BAD PLAN

Okay woman, let's get one thing straight: your body knows what it's doing when it comes to baby-building. You've come this far, right?

With that thought in hand, let's talk inductions.

The most commonly used chemicals for inductions are Pitocin, Prepidil, Cervidil and Cyotec, which all mimic (in varying ways) the naturally-occuring influx of hormones that will trigger labor in your body somewhere between week 36 and 42.

Despite being a convenient way for doctors to take control of your labor and birth, every one of these chemical induction agents carry several risks - including fetal and maternal death.

Chemical induction results in a significantly increased risk of fetal distress, hypoxia (too little oxygen) and c-section - which carries its own set of risks.

If you've already had one c-section, studies indicate that use of Pitocin the second time around increases your risk of uterine rupture (OUCH!) by 28%.

Oh, did we mention induction agents create contractions that're much stronger and more painful than what you'd naturally feel if left to labor on your own timetable?

That's right, not only is induction more dangerous than waiting for labor to progress naturally, but it hurts more. Nice.

Labor may be induced via non-chemical measures (sweeping membranes or breaking your water/amniotic sac), but none guarantee the same influx of hard-core contractions like the chemical agents do.

If there is no sign of real labor, then you should avoid induction altogether. Don't let your doctor scare you with reports of your baby being "too big" - not only are their weight estimates potentially wrong (yes, doctors are often wrong about the weight of the fetus when viewed by ultrasound) but many small women have birthed 10 pound babies with nary a tear in sight.

Think about it: your body is specifically designed/evolved to carry and nourish your baby until he or she is finally ready to come out. Your body isn't some sort of rickety contraption which may or may not be capable of giving birth. No, this is what your body is designed to do - whether you believe in evolution or creation!

GETTING YOUR BABY OUT OF BREECH:

One of the most common reasons doctors advise a c-section is for the simple fact that some babies (about 4-5%) are not in the birth-friendly head down position by their due date.

Without your baby's head leading out of the birthing canal, several issues may arise that can be problematic and even life-threatening if not handled correctly.

Rather than accept your little one's Breech position as the C-section sentence many doctors make it out to be, between now and the throes of labor, you can actively work to manipulate your baby so they're properly positioned to "head out" on their birthday.

From swimming on your head to tricking your fetus with a flashlight, check out 17 ways to Turn a Breech Baby if you want to prevent an unnecessary C-section.

WHY DO SO MANY DOCTORS CHOOSE TO INDUCE?

If the doctors were to be completely honest, they'd have to admit that their flow chart of: chemical induction → painful fake labor → epidural → "emergency" c-section (after labor fails to progress as your body isn't fully ready to give birth) is a much easier-to-control series of events.

Waiting for a woman's body to work it's way from early labor to the point she wants to bear down and push just isn't that easy to predict and control, and typically can be done just fine without any extra costly devices.

Lest we sound too negative, doctors are smart folks specifically trained to solve problems, treat disease and injury, and otherwise take an active role in preventing death and undue suffering.

Contrary to their medical training- which focuses on worst case scenarios that demand their interference, labor is one situation where there simply is no problem and the best option is to wait, watch and trust the woman's body to do the amazing work we've been capable of since before doctors even existed.

Take home message: if you've had a healthy normal pregnancy, induction is the wrong choice - both for you and your baby.

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