Day 235 of 280, third trimester
You are 33 weeks and 4 days
The size of your belly will increasingly be due to the baby alone, as the amniotic fluid now reduces slightly each week.
45 days until your due date
The amount of amniotic fluid around your baby is now at its maximum, and the placenta has almost finished growing. Amniotic fluid is essential for lung development, gut maturation, protein needs, and temperature control. It also lets your baby move easily in an almost weightless state.
There's about 800 ml of fluid around your baby, but the normal range is wide, anywhere from 300 ml to 2 liters. Sometimes there's too little (oligohydramnios) or too much (polyhydramnios); in either case you'd be closely monitored, and early delivery may be needed. With so much variation in fluid, it's not surprising that the size of your uterus doesn't always reflect the size of your baby.
As the fluid reduces in late pregnancy, your baby is less cushioned and her movements may become more obvious, although as she grows she also has less room to move.
As a matter of fact
Waters breaking in public
One of the most common worries in late pregnancy is that your waters will break in public. In reality the fluid is unlikely to gush out; it's far more likely to trickle, because a head-down baby presses on the cervix and stops the liquid escaping. If it does happen in public, don't worry: you won't be short of offers of help.
Focus on
Dads: What's in your hospital bag?
Once labor starts, your attention needs to be on helping your partner practically and emotionally. So as well as helping her pack her maternity bag in advance, pack one of your own. Dads aren't always well looked after in delivery units, certainly don't get fed, and may be at the hospital for several hours. Consider packing:
- Snacks
- Drinks
- A pillow
- Something to read or play
- Enough change for parking and vending machines
- A list of phone numbers, or enter them into your cell phone now
- A camera
Explainer
Spreading the news
Text messaging is an easy way to tell family and friends about the birth, so make sure all their numbers are saved in your phone before the big day.
Appointments and key dates around now
- RSV vaccineFrom 28 weeks
Read the full 33 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.