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Pregnancy week 33

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU

You finally fall asleep only to wake with leg cramps. Try these tips to help eliminate cramps:

Exercise helps. Get out and walk sometime during the day.
Do not stand in the same position for a long period.
Increase your calcium intake through diet or supplements.
When lying down, keep your legs a bit elevated.
When a cramp comes on, flex your toes upward to relieve the spasm and use your hands to apply pressure to the affected muscle.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Your baby weighs approximately four pounds, five ounces, and measures 20cm crown to rump, or 15 3/4 inches. You may notice rhythmic movements across your belly now. This could mean your baby has a case of the hiccups.

HEALTHY EATING

A diet rich in potassium and calcium is great for both you and your baby and can help to alleviate muscle cramps, which sometimes become bothersome during the last trimester. Need a natural potassium refresher? Try these foods to boost your intake:

Bananas
Grapefruit
Oranges
Sesame seeds
Yoghurt
Salmon
Cottage cheese
Almonds
Sardines
Soyabeans

FACT OF THE WEEK

Your midwife may comment on your baby's ‘presentation’. But what exactly does this mean? Presentation refers to the position your baby has assumed. Babies generally settle into the head down, or cephalic, position around this time. In about three per cent of term pregnancies the baby remains breech, meaning that their buttocks or the feet are leading, and would be delivered first. A caesarean may be recommended if your baby is in the breech position. While vaginal breech births are possible, discuss the possible risks with your doctor.

Babies usually assume a head-down position sometime before the 36th week, although some do it even later. If you currently have a baby in the breech position, you can try this exercise to encourage your baby to rotate. Lie on your back and prop your buttocks nine to 12 inches off the floor with firm, supportive pillows, or a sturdy slant board. Do this exercise for twenty minutes, two to three times a day. It is best done in loose clothing and with a (relatively) empty stomach.

Find out what to expect in week 34 of your pregnancy.

For a list of all the pregnancy week by week articles click here

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