A week by week guide to what’s happening to you and your baby

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU

Do you waddle? The pregnancy hormone relaxin is responsible for softening the hip joints that cause you to move differently. Your gait is not helped by your large uterus, which can throw your posture off and cause you to have a sway-back appearance. If you'd like to avoid back pain, it's important to stand up straight.

By now, you may long for a good night's rest, and finding a comfortable position may have become a challenge. If you feel like sleeping on your back, don't. This position may allow your heavy uterus to place undue pressure on the vena cava, a vein that supplies the baby with blood and oxygen. Try the ‘foetal position’ and stuff a pillow or two between your knees for added support.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

It may be hard to imagine, but your baby is now 28cm crown to rump or 15 1/4 inches long, and weighs three pounds, 12oz. In the past few months, the rapid weight gain has been due to an increase of fat stores and muscle. Your baby can move his or her head to the side, but now that baby is taking up much of the available space, his or her movement will slowly decrease.

HEALTHY EATING

Some women experience uncontrollable cravings for chocolate while they are pregnant. Chocolate is a complex food, which can bring about a complex series of biochemical reactions in the body. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, can be a useful source of magnesium and iron. So if you are craving chocolate, you may be slightly anaemic.

FACT OF THE WEEK

It may seem as if every movie about a pregnant woman has a scene where a woman's water breaks and she calmly nods to her husband and wisely proclaims, ‘Dear, it's time to go to the hospital.’ In reality, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) occurs in only 15 per cent of cases. Much more likely, your water will break at some point during labour, usually between four to seven centimetres dilation.

And even if your water does break early, you may experience a slow leaking. If you discover an increase in discharge or you are surprised at a sudden bout of incontinence, have your midwife check to determine whether or not your water has broken. A simple test can quickly identify amniotic fluids.

Find out what to expect in week 33 of your pregnancy.

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