32 Weeks.....

....and a trip to the Midwife. Finally got my Health in Pregnancy Grant form to complete. My usual Midwife was on hols so it was someone else but she was still nice and friendly. Took blood pressure and measured my belly - still measuring a week more than I am (33weeks). Asked me about any swelling and afterwards I noticed she had noted Oedema in my notes; which results from the extra blood you've acquired during your pregnancy. What happens is, your growing uterus puts pressure on your pelvic veins and your vena cava (a large vein on the right side of your body that receives blood from your lower limbs). That slows down circulation and causes blood to pool. Pressure from the trapped blood forces water down into the tissues of your feet and ankles. That water is fluid that would normally be in your body but is simply displaced. Sometimes pregnant women also retain excess water, which adds to the swelling. Apparently salty foods makes it worse - bang goes those Pringles.... www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/swollenhandsandfeet/

Searched the net on what happens in week 32 and found:
Your baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches/ 42 centimetres long from head to toe. If your baby is a boy, his testicles should be descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Sometimes however, one or both testicles won't move into position until after birth. In two-thirds of all baby boys who have undescended testicles at birth, the condition corrects itself by the boy's first birthday.

At the beginning of the third trimester, as the baby grows larger, he presses on your internal organs and it may lead to the problems such as breathlessness, heartburn etc but once the baby's head drops into pelvis most of these problems will get reduced. On the other hand, your bladder will be under more pressure, so you may need to urinate even more frequently. Back aches, muscle cramps, and swelling of the hands and feet are quite common.

You're probably gaining around 450g /1 lb a week now, and roughly half of that goes straight to your baby. In fact, he gains a third to half of his birth weight during the next seven weeks, fattening up for survival outside the womb. Thanks to these fatty deposits, his skin is getting plumper and healthier looking.

During the seventh month, the baby is growing and gaining weight, so there is less space in your uterus and the aminotic fluid will start diminishing. This may affect the movement of the fetus and hence you might not feel the movement and kicks as much as you felt during the second trimester. You may want to check on your baby's movements from time to time — especially if you think you've noticed decreased activity. If you count fewer than 10 movements in two hours, contact your health care provider.

It is during this last three months that a fetus grows most. During this time the baby will respond actively to the sound and touch. You can feel your baby's arms and legs if you watch your abdomen. His skin becomes thicker but smoother and will be covered with a white coating called vernix'. This protects your baby's skin as he floats in the amniotic fluid, preventing his skin becoming prune-like during his 9-month bath. Babies are actually asleep for most of their time in the womb. Baby can open his eyes and used to suck his thumb and cry.