Day 237 of 280, third trimester
You are 33 weeks and 6 days
Your baby is naturally nourished inside the uterus, and her own digestive tract is now working well.
43 days until your due date
Eighty percent of your baby's energy comes from carbohydrates, mainly glucose, and almost 20 percent from protein. Fat isn't used for energy but for growth. All her mineral, vitamin, and calcium needs are met from your reserves and your diet, with two possible exceptions: iron and folate (a water-soluble vitamin found naturally in food; folic acid is the synthetic form). Folate doesn't cross the placenta easily.
Your iron reserves may already be low if you eat little or no red meat, or if this pregnancy followed soon after your last. Your baby needs iron and folate to make red blood cells, and because only a small percentage of dietary iron is absorbed, iron supplements are often recommended at this stage.
All your baby's gut structures were in place by 20 weeks, but only now are all the digestive enzymes active and the absorbing surface of the gut developed enough for her to feed if she were born now.
Good to know
Getting up from lying down
After exercising on the floor or resting in bed, getting up can be a struggle. It strains your stretched abdominal muscles, and your changed center of gravity doesn't help. This technique, devised by yoga teachers, helps you get up safely. As with any strenuous movement now, take your time and breathe slowly and deeply throughout.
- Step one: with your knees bent, roll onto your right side, bringing the lower knee up to waist level. Keep your right hand in line with your bent knee.
- Step two: shift your weight onto your left hand and knee. Bring your right knee under your right hip and your right hand under your shoulder, and come up slowly onto all fours, raising your head last.
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.