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You’re 32 weeks pregnant, and baby’s organs are fully formed! Here’s a look at what else is happening this week.
How Big is Baby?
Let’s grow baby! Little one is about 16 ½ inches long this week.
What’s New with Baby?
All of baby’s organs have formed, and they continue to mature at this gestational age. “Most notable are further development of the connections in the brain, terminal sacs in the lungs (critical for gas exchange at birth) and glomeruli in the kidneys (important for urine production),” says Dr. Christina Herrera, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Christina Herrera, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She specializes in imaging and placental pathology related to pregnancy complications such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia.
What’s New with Mom?
“Similar to the rest of the third trimester, discomforts of pregnancy continue,” Herrera says. This could include constipation, leg cramps, hemorrhoids, and even some dizziness. So continue to do what you’ve been doing to manage aches, pains, and sleeplessness.
Fun Fact
Baby’s skin is still red and wrinkled, though their fat is increasing, working to give your little dumpling the delicious rolls and chubby cheeks we all love in babies.
What is Antepartum Testing?
If all has been going well in your pregnancy and you have no pre-existing conditions, you can rest easy, Mom—or somewhat easy, given that it may be difficult to get comfortable these days. Kick back, relax, and continue to focus on growing that baby!
However, if you have certain risk factors or maternal or fetal conditions that increase the risk of stillbirth, like diabetes mellitus or uncomplicated chronic hypertension, your provider will likely offer antepartum testing starting this week, according to Herrera. And if more than one condition is present, testing may be offered before 32 weeks.
“Antepartum testing is a term that refers to surveillance techniques that can help identify fetal compromise and provide the opportunity for intervention to avoid stillbirth in pregnancies identified to be at risk,” Herrera says. “Antepartum testing is also called antenatal fetal surveillance.”
These antepartum tests can include:
• Nonstress test (NST) to measure baby’s heart rate and reactivity, which indicates and intact autonomic function of the nervous system.
• Contraction stress test (CST) to examine the impact of contractions on the fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern.
• Biophysical profile (BPP) to examine the FHR, amniotic fluid level and presence of fetal movement, tone, and breathing via ultrasound.
• Modified BPP to examine amniotic fluid and the FHR only.
• Umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry, which is a marker of placental health. It’s used in the instance of fetal growth restriction to assess blood from the umbilical artery to the placenta ultrasonographically.
If antepartum testing is recommended, it will likely happen on a once- or twice-weekly basis, and you may not need all of them. “There is insufficient evidence that one type of testing is preferred over the other,” Herrera says. But “if an NST or modified BPP is abnormal, a CST or BPP is recommended.”
Another test that can be done as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy through delivery is noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a genetic screening using Mom’s blood. It tells providers if there is a chance of a chromosomal abnormality in Baby, including Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, Patau syndrome and disorders affecting sex chromosomes.
But remember: NIPT is not diagnostic, meaning that it only tells providers if there is a chance a condition exists. Patients with a positive or high-risk result will receive additional genetic counseling. Some parents who receive a positive or high-risk result may opt to wait until Baby is born to get a diagnosis, but if a definitive answer during pregnancy is desired, prenatal genetic testing (either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling) can be performed.
Every pregnancy is different. That’s why providers may request some of these tests—to ensure you have the complete picture and to make the best choices for you and your baby.
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This blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute the provision of medical advice or professional services. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
The above article was written by DFWChild contributor Katelin Walling with information provided by UT Southwestern Medical Center as part of their sponsored content.
