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Week 32 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside

British Columbia Specific Information

If you have any questions or concerns about pregnancy, labour and baby care speak with your health care provider or contact HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to speak with a registered nurse anytime of the day or night, any day of the year, or a pharmacist from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

You can also read Baby's Best Chance (PDF 14.88 MB), a parent’s handbook on pregnancy and baby care.

You can also access SmartMom, a Canadian prenatal education program that provides trustworthy educational text messages to help guide you through the weeks of your pregnancy: www.smartmomcanada.ca/.

 

Topic Contents

Topic Overview

Around this time, some women start to notice times when their belly tightens and becomes firm to the touch and then relaxes. These are called Braxton Hicks contractions. Think of them like "warm-up" exercises for your uterus.

At this point, your baby is getting ready to do a very important thing it will need to do in the outside world: breathe.

Wondering what your baby looks like now? As you enter your ninth month of pregnancy, your baby is about the size of an acorn squash. Average baby length is 400 mm (16 in.). And average baby weight is 1800 g (4 lb).

How your baby is changing

Here are some of the important facts and developments around 32 weeks.

  • The fetus is putting on a lot of weight this month.
  • At this size, a fetus is still small enough to change position a lot—from head-down to feet-down, or even sideways. You will notice more movement or less movement at certain times of the day and night.
  • By 32 weeks of pregnancy, light can dilate the pupils in the eyes.
  • The lungs and central nervous system are working well enough that a baby born this month can breathe and keep fairly warm with medical support. With every additional week, the chances of healthy survival get better.

Credits

Adaptation Date: 4/29/2022

Adapted By: HealthLink BC

Adaptation Reviewed By: HealthLink BC