32 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy week 32 in which you might have a shock next time you sneeze, and your baby's having pleasant dreams.

Image of the inside of a pregnant woman at 32 weeks pregnant

By Mother & Baby

After eight months, your baby's fully formed and has a total length of 42cm (18.9in).

Your body

For the next month, you'll have an antenatal check-up every fortnight until 36 weeks. If you have one this week, when your midwife checks your growth from your belly button to the top of the uterus, it will measure about 12cm (5in).

Damp pants?

Feeling a bit moist between the thighs when you sneeze, cough or laugh too much? You're experiencing pregnancy incontinence, which is caused by the weight of the baby pressing on your pelvic floor muscles. It will only get worse if you don't take action, so tighten things up by sticking to a regular routine of pelvic floor exercises.

Here's the rub

Want to reduce your risk of tearing or having an episiotomy (a cut in the perineum - the area between the vagina and anus) during labour? Some midwives - and professional mums - swear by massaging the perineum - which has to stretch massively during labour - with sweet almond oil twice a day to make it suppler.

Next page: Your vision gets blurry...