Development Week 33

Since you are 33 weeks pregnant, you should begin to watch for the early signs of preeclampsia. If you start to experience severe headaches; see "spots" or "flashing lights" while at rest; have a sudden increase in swelling, especially of the face; abdominal pain; and nausea, vomiting, or feeling sick, contact your caregiver immediately. You could be developing pre-eclampsia which is characterized by swelling, high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It is a very serious complication of pregnancy.

Giving Birth
With labor and delivery only 2 months away, you may be considering how you'll cope with pain during childbirth. Among the things you'll want to learn about are the most commonly used techniques for pain relief. These include breathing techniques such as those taught in Lamaze classes, pain-relief medications given through injection, and epidurals, where doctors can give an anesthetic by means of a soft, thin catheter that's placed in your lower back (similar to a spinal tap).

What's New With Baby
Fat accumulation under the skin has turned your baby's skin color from red to pink, and will continue to deposit fat under your baby's skin in preparation for the real world. In these last few weeks before delivery, the billions of developed neurons in your baby's brain are helping your baby to learn about her environment, allowing the baby to listen, feel, and even see somewhat. The pupils of the eye can now detect light and constrict and dilate, allowing your baby to see dim shapes.

Like a newborn, your baby sleeps much of the time. He even experiences rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the dreaming period of sleep. Your baby's lungs are almost completely matured. Fat will continue to be deposited on your baby's body for protection and warmth. Babies in utero gain a good deal of their weight in the final few weeks before birth. By now your baby is in position for delivery. Your health care provider can tell you if your baby is positioned head or bottom first.

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