33 weeks pregnant baby size?

Week-by-week guide to pregnancy
pregnant woman sitting down
When you're pregnant, you have lots of questions. Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is packed with lots of useful information. From what's happening inside your body, to how your baby is developing, and tips and advice on having a healthy pregnancy – this is your one-stop pregnancy guide!

1st trimester
2nd trimester
3rd trimester

3rd trimester

Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is full of essential information. From advice on writing a birth plan to what to expect at antenatal classes, you'll find it all here.

Week 28
Week 29
Week 30
Week 31
Week 32
Week 33
Week 34
Week 35
Week 36
Week 37
Week 38
Week 39
Week 40
Week 41

Week 33 – your 3rd trimester
What's happening in my body?

You might be feeling really tired now, which is not surprising, as you're now carrying around an extra couple of kilograms. Your uterus (womb) could start preparing for the birth with Braxton Hicks contractions, which are sometimes referred to as practice contractions.

These can feel like a tightening over your bump for 20 to 30 seconds, before the muscles relax again. It shouldn't hurt. If the contractions become painful or begin to happen at regular intervals, contact your midwife or hospital, in case you're going into labour.
Talk to your midwife about group B strep

Group B strep is a common bacteria &ndash which up to 2 in 5 people have living in their body. If you carry group B strep while you're pregnant, there's a small risk it could make your baby seriously ill. Most group B strep infections in newborn babies are preventable.

For more information talk to your midwife, or visit the Group B Strep Support website.
Preparing for the birth

Babies do things in their own time, and only 1 in 20 will arrive on their due date. It might be a good idea to get a bag packed now, so that you're all ready to go if your baby decides to make an early appearance.

Get the following things ready:

your birth plan and hospital notes
clothes and nappies for the baby
something loose and comfy to wear during labour
spare clothes and underwear
nightclothes
nursing bras and breast pads
super absorbent sanitary pads
a wash bag and towels
healthy snacks
any medications

Read some more ideas about what to pack for the birth on the NHS website.
Getting in touch with people when you're in labour

If you're giving birth at a hospital or midwifery unit, then you're going to need to make a couple of phone calls when you go into labour.

Make sure you've got the following information stored in your mobile phone:

your hospital or midwife's contact number
your hospital reference number (if you have one) - you may be asked for this when you phone in
your partner or birth partner's contact numbers
the full address of where you're going, in case you go blank when the time comes
a taxi firm or contact number for someone who'll take you there — as it's not safe to drive yourself

You could also write this information down, and keep it in your handbag, just in case your phone runs out of battery. Keep some change handy too, in case you need to use the payphone.
3rd trimester pregnancy symptoms (at 33 weeks)

You may start to feel like something's weighing down on your pelvis. This heavy feeling can be a sign that your baby's in the head down position, ready for birth.

Your signs of pregnancy could also include:

painless contractions around your bump, known as Braxton Hicks contractions
sleeping problems (week 19 has information about feeling tired)
stretch marks (read about stretch marks on week 17's page)
swollen and bleeding gums (week 13 has information about gum health during pregnancy)
pains on the side of your baby bump, caused by your expanding womb ("round ligament pains")
piles (read about piles on week 22's page)
headaches
backache
indigestion and heartburn (week 25 talks about digestive problems)
bloating and constipation (read about bloating on week 16's page)
leg cramps (week 20 explains how to deal with cramp)
feeling hot
dizziness
swollen hands and feet
urine infections
vaginal infections (see week 15 for vaginal health)
darkened skin on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy"
greasier, spotty skin
thicker and shinier hair

You may also experience symptoms from earlier weeks, such as:

mood swings (week 8's page has information on mood swings)
weird pregnancy cravings (read about pregnancy cravings on week 5's page)
a heightened sense of smell
sore or leaky breasts (read about breast pain on week 14's page) - a white milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina and light spotting (seek medical advice for any bleeding)

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.
What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or foetus, is around 43.7cm long from head to heel, and weighs about 1.9kg. That's approximately the size of pineapple and the weight of a laptop computer.

Your baby's brain and nervous system are now fully developed. The bones are hardening up, apart from the skull bones, which will stay soft and separated until the baby's around 12 to 18 months old. Having this slight flexibility with the head makes the journey down the birth canal a bit easier.

Action stations

Have you thought about how you're going to bring your baby home? You'll need a car seat and ideally you should buy a new one. That way you'll know for sure that's never been damaged before. It's far too dangerous to carry the baby in your arms and it's also illegal.

Car seats can be fiddly to start with, so practice strapping it into place, and then removing it.