Trimester 3
Week 32
Your baby is about the size of a large potato.
Length: 42.4 cm · Weight: 1700 g
Common this week: Pelvic pressure, Frequent urination, Back pain, Braxton Hicks, Heartburn, Colostrum leaking.
Baby development
- Fingernails and toenails are fully formed.
- Lanugo is mostly gone; vernix caseosa is still present.
- The baby is likely settling into a head-down position.
- The immune system is receiving more antibodies through the placenta.
Changes for you
- Breathing may ease slightly if the baby's head is dropping lower.
- You may feel a "lightning" sensation as the baby's head descends.
- Frequent urination increases as pressure on the bladder intensifies.
- Colostrum leaking may be more noticeable.
Tips
- Confirm your birth hospital and antenatal clinic appointments.
- If you have a low-lying placenta from earlier scans, a follow-up ultrasound is typically done now.
- Research pain relief options: epidural, gas and air (Entonox), TENS machine, water birth.
- Pack your hospital bag if not done — keep it in the car from this week.
Appointments
- Routine antenatal check.
- Follow-up scan if low-lying placenta was noted at 20-week scan.
- Anti-D for Rh-negative women at 34 weeks (some doctors give at 28+34).
Warning signs
- Fluid leaking
- Regular contractions
- Reduced fetal movement
- Rib pain that radiates to back (preeclampsia sign)
Australian notes
- If you have placenta praevia (low-lying placenta), RANZCOG guidelines advise a follow-up scan at 32 weeks to assess position.
- In NSW, antenatal appointments become more frequent from 28–32 weeks onward.