Pregnancy at week 32
4-minute read
Your baby
Although your baby is by now quite squashed inside your womb, they can still move around. Most babies are in the head-down position by 32 weeks, although some babies stay in the breech position (bottom down) until the last month. They are probably asleep most of the time.
Your baby is about 40cm long (from head to toe) and weighs about 1.8 kg since their weight has almost doubled in the past 4 weeks. From now, your baby’s weight will grow faster than their length.
Your baby at 32 weeks
| Length: | 28cm (head to bottom) |
| Weight: | 1.8kg |
Your body
There is now more amniotic fluid in your uterus and your bump is growing fast. This can cause pain in your pelvis, which can make it difficult for you to move around. If you have a lot of pain, talk to your doctor about whether seeing a physiotherapist might help. They can give you exercises and therapy to help ease the pain.
Your belly button might be stretched flat or stick out, and it’s a good idea to remove any piercings at this point.
Things to remember
If your baby is born now they would be considered premature, but they would be unlikely to have any long-term problems. Keep a watch out for any signs of premature labour, such as contractions, your waters breaking, bleeding, a ‘show’ of mucus from your vagina or a sudden decrease in your baby’s movements.
If you haven’t had your whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination yet, it’s very important to have it now. Whooping cough can kill newborn babies and they can’t have their own vaccination until they’re older. Having the vaccination now means you will pass on antibodies to protect your baby. Depending on the season, it’s also a good idea to have a flu shot too.
Both vaccinations are free for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program. You can read more about the whooping cough and flu vaccination on the Department of Health website.
Read next
Your pregnancy at 33 weeks
Learn about your pregnancy journey and what is happening to you and your baby.
Speak to a maternal child health nurse
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.
Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: August 2020
