(upbeat music)
- It's week 33 and, as
your watermelon-sized belly
is likely to attest,
your baby has come a long
way from his poppy-seed-sized status.
He seems like a relative
heavyweight at 4 and 1/2 pounds,
but remember, he could double that weight
in the coming weeks.
Happily, he won't be doubling his height.
At around 17 to 19 inches
long your baby is pretty
close to the length he'll be at birth.
What's going on in that utero nursery?
Well, your fetus is
starting to react remarkably
like the infant he'll become.
Sensitive to the light
that penetrates through
your now-thinner abdominal
walls, drowsy eyes
drift shut to sleep when
it's dark and flicker
open when it's light.
These are your dozing
darling's first lessons
in learning the difference
between night and day.
A distinction that's
obviously important once
he's outside the womb.
Still playing a crucial
role is the amniotic
fluid that surrounds your floating baby.
It's about 1 degree warmer
than your body temperature
so it serves to keep
your baby toasty and warm
until the big day.
Until now there was more
amniotic fluid than actual
baby in your womb, a ratio
that created a cushion
between you and your little boxer.
But now, amniotic fluid
levels have topped out,
and your baby's taking up
more room in the uterus.
The result? There's
less elbow room for baby
and less of a cushion for mama,
meaning those left hooks and karate kicks
will be more uncomfortable for you.
Though your little one may
be able to throw a mean jab,
he's not quite ready for a primetime bout.
His body is still busy
developing its independent
immune system, thanks in
large part to the antibodies
you're passing along through the placenta.
Thanks, Mom!
(upbeat music)
