Reaching 33 weeks in your pregnancy marks a significant milestone. At this stage, both you and your baby are undergoing numerous changes. This article delves into fetal development, common symptoms, health guidelines, and preparations for labor, providing a comprehensive overview of what to expect during this crucial time.

Fetal Development at 33 Weeks

At 33 weeks, your baby is rapidly developing and preparing for life outside the womb. Understanding the key aspects of fetal development during this week can help you appreciate the incredible changes occurring within you.

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Size and Weight

Your baby is approximately 43.7 cm (17.2 inches) long from head to heel and weighs around 1.9 kg (4.2 pounds). This growth is essential as your baby is building fat reserves and developing muscle tone, which will be crucial for survival after birth. The increase in size also means that your baby is running out of space, which can lead to various sensations for you.

Sensory Development

Bone Development

Most of your baby’s bones are hardening, but the skull remains flexible. This flexibility is crucial for facilitating passage through the birth canal during delivery. The ongoing development of bones and muscles is vital for your baby’s physical health and mobility after birth. Adequate nutrition during this stage is essential to support this growth.

Flourish Community Care

Flourish Community Care is dedicated to supporting families during pregnancy and beyond. They offer a range of services, including prenatal education, postpartum support, and resources for new parents. Their team of experts is committed to providing personalized care tailored to your unique needs, ensuring a positive experience throughout your pregnancy journey. For more information, visit Flourish Community Care.

As you navigate the final weeks of your pregnancy, remember to take care of yourself and seek support when needed. Each pregnancy is unique, and being informed can empower you to make the best decisions for you and your baby.

Integra Community Care Network and the Flourish Care announce an innovative community-based program for parents-to-be to improve health outcomes and equity for pregnant patients. The maternal wellness program will connect eligible families to a range of resources, including community-based providers, online education, and a “wellness essentials” care package to support them during pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.

This first-of-its-kind program will initially be offered to patients of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Care Center (OGCC) at Women & Infants Hospital who are also members of Integra’s Medicaid Accountable Entity program.

“Integra is committed to finding innovative ways to help our members meet their healthcare needs,” said John Minichiello, president of Integra Community Care Network. “We’re excited to partner on this initiative and to provide a new level of maternity care in the community.”

The goal of this wellness program is to improve maternal and infant health outcomes such as c-section rates, breastfeeding rates, pre-term birth rates, NICU and emergency department utilization, mental health, patient satisfaction, and self-efficacy.

Flourish Care will help match eligible patients to a choice of appropriate community-based doulas based on patient preferences including preferred language. Enrolled members can receive doula support during their pregnancy, birth and up to six months postpartum. In addition, patients will receive access to monthly education in the form of live webinars as well as videos and articles by national and local experts, in both English and Spanish. All enrolled patients will also receive a parent and baby “wellness essentials” care package.

Integra Community Care Network has partnered with the Flourish Care to help refer patients to culturally and linguistically appropriate birth and postpartum independent community-based doulas participating in the program.

“Flourish Care is excited to partner on this innovative model of maternity care that extends support beyond the clinic and into the community. Partnerships like this provide families access to a unique combination of education, tools, and the right support system from pregnancy through postpartum.” said Melissa Bowley, CEO & Founder of Flourish Care

The program is directly funded by Integra as part of its Medicaid AE program. The program will be available at no cost to members who enroll.

About Integra Community Care Network

Integra represents a new way to provide a better patient experience, better health care, and—most important—better health.

Integra Community Care Network is comprised of Care New England Health System, Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation, and South County Health. This includes Butler Hospital, Care New England Medical Group, Kent Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital, The Providence Center, VNA of Care New England, South County Hospital, South County Health Medical & Wellness Centers, and South County Home Health.

Learn more at www.integracare.org.

About Flourish Care

Flourish Care was started with a vision to fill the gap in maternal healthcare and make wellness accessible to all families. Flourish Care is the only platform that brings together evidence-based community providers, products, education, and payers to improve maternal health outcomes. Its network of wellness experts offer online and in-person services such as doula support, newborn care, childbirth education, pre and post-natal fitness and much more. Expecting parents can also have friends and family contribute funds towards these curated services and products through Flourish Care’s innovative baby registry. Flourish Care is a part of Flourish Collective Inc.

Learn more at https://registry.flourishcommunitycare.com/

About Women & Infants Hospital

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. A major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics, as well as a number of specialized programs in women’s medicine, Women & Infants is the ninth-largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country and the largest in New England with approximately 8,700 deliveries per year. Women & Infants is a Designated Baby-Friendly® USA hospital, a U.S.News & World Report 2014-15 Best Children’s Hospital in Neonatology, and a 2014 Leapfrog Top Hospital. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ranked number 11 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Medical Schools specialty ranking.

Women & Infants has been designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiography; a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology; Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence in Perinatal Biology and in Reproductive Health by the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and a Neonatal Resource Services Center of Excellence. It is one of the largest and most prestigious research facilities in high risk and normal obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics in the nation, and is a member of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, Neonatal Research Network, and Pelvic Floors Disorders Network, as well as the National Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Group.

Contact:
Aliza Friedlander
[email protected]

What to Expect at 33 Weeks Pregnant