Week 33: Chill Is Probably The Last Thing You Are Right Now

It’s pregnancy week 33, and here’s what’s going on…

MIND

It’s week 33 — are you starting to get nervous? As the Big Day approaches, it’s totally normal for fears to start cropping up. Will you know when you’re going into labor? Will you waffle back and forth about whether or not you’re in labor, causing you to accidentally have an unintentional home birth? OMG WILL YOU MAKE IT TO THE HOSPITAL BUT NOT HAVE TIME TO SHOWER AND BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT YOUR UNRULY PUBES?!?

Relax. Everything’s going to be fine — even in the most thoroughly planned births, a bit of the unexpected gets sprinkled in, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. Besides, you can’t be worried yet — we haven’t even started talking about episiotomies! Ha ha, just kidding. (Not really.)

BODY

Half the weight you gain from now on will go to the baby but hang on, that doesn’t mean you can go ahead and have ice cream for every meal! Extra weight on your body will make delivery and recovery more difficult, and more importantly, while you do want your baby to be nice and plump, an 85-pound ice cream baby is not what your vag is hoping for.

If you start to feel rhythmic tightening in your belly, don’t panic — they’re probably Braxton Hicks contractions, which don’t advance to active labor. Take a rest with your feet up and drink some water, and they’ll likely subside. If they don’t, however — or if they get increasingly more intense, regular and close together — you’ll want to give your health care provider a call, just in case. Better safe than sorry!

BABY

As heavy as your baby already feels, they will gain more than half their birth weight in the remaining weeks. The lanugo, that fine body hair that’s been keeping your baby warm, is starting to go away now that your wee one has enough body fat to do the job. Although some fuzz might be left when your baby’s born, they’re probably not going to come out looking like a Sasquatch.

NEST

Hopefully you’ve already gotten plenty of baby clothes you need from your shower, your in-laws, and your over-eager friend who couldn’t wait to give you her hand-me-downs. Just in case, here are some last-minute MUSTS that you can easily order online: newborn weather-appropriate onesies (a LOT of them), blankets, swaddles, sleep sacks, and weather-appropriate gear (such as hats if it’s cold). Your baby should not sleep with blankets, pillows, or anything in the crib for the first year, so make sure the baby will be warm at bedtime without them.