There's an important milestone to acknowledge at 33 weeks pregnant: Your baby's organs are now pretty much fully developed. (Her lungs are a little on the puny side and need a bit more time in the oven, but in a few weeks, they'll catch up with the rest of her body.)
33–34 WeeksAlthough they are getting bigger, 33 and 34 weekers are still immature and may need to stay in the NICU for several weeks. Premature babies are almost fully developed by 33 and 34 weeks.
If you are between 34 and 37 weeks when your water breaks, your provider will likely suggest that you be induced. It is safer for the baby to be born a few weeks early than it is for you to risk an infection. If your water breaks before 34 weeks, it is more serious.
Your baby is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look, and her skin is less red and transparent. It's becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. It's getting snug in your womb, so your baby isn't doing as many somersaults, but the amount of kicking should remain about the same.
Many hospitals have well-trained staff on hand to deliver a late-preterm baby and treat different health concerns. In fact, babies born between 31 and 34 weeks typically have a 95 percent survival rate depending on other health conditions.
A preterm or premature baby is delivered before 37 weeks of your pregnancy. Extremely preterm infants are born 23 through 28 weeks. Moderately preterm infants are born between 29 and 33 weeks. Late preterm infants are born between 34 and 37 weeks.
Fetal growth chart
| Gestational age | Length (US) | Weight (US) |
|---|
| 33 weeks | 17.36 inches | 4.23 pounds |
| 34 weeks | 17.83 inches | 4.73 pounds |
| 35 weeks | 18.23 inches | 5.25 pounds |
| 36 weeks | 18.62 inches | 5.78 pounds |
Preterm babies born between 31 and 34 weeks gestation have a greater than 95% chance of survival. Preterm babies have a better chance of surviving if they are cared for in a specialized nursery. The outcome for a preterm baby depends a lot on how early he or she is born.
By 36 weeks, your baby's lungs are fully formed and ready to take their first breath after the birth. The digestive system is fully developed and your baby will be able to feed if they're born now.
The degree of prematurity is often described by gestational age as: extremely premature – from 23-28 weeks. very premature – 28-32 weeks. moderately premature – 32-34 weeks.
At 37 weeks, your pregnancy is considered full-term. The average baby weighs around 3-4kg by now. Your baby is ready to be born, and you'll be meeting them some time in the next few weeks.
Baby Yu Xuan was just 212gms - barely the weight of a large apple - when she was delivered via emergency C-section in June last year. After 13 months in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, baby Yu Xuan was discharged home well. She is likely the world's lightest baby to have survived a premature birth.
The full development of your baby's brain and other vital organs such as lungs, eyes, heart, immune system, intestinal system, and kidneys takes place in this final term of your pregnancy. Let's explain a bit more. Take the baby's lungs for example – an organ absolutely essential to breathing and therefore survival.
A baby born at 35 weeks needs special care in a nursery until they can feed by mouth, breathe without support, and maintain their body weight and temperature. If a preterm baby is kept in a nursery, doctors will prepare the mother to return home without taking their baby with them.
Doctors recommend that babies remain inside the womb until at least 39 weeks, if possible, for the best outcomes. Babies born at 36 weeks may face challenges, such as health complications and developmental delays into childhood. Being aware of these difficulties allows the parents and doctor to put a plan in place.
A baby born before the 37th week is known as a premature or pre-term baby. Medical advances have meant that more than 9 out of 10 premature babies survive, and most go on to develop normally.
Doctors now consider 22 weeks the earliest gestational age when a baby is "viable," or able to survive outside the womb. But this is still extremely premature, and a baby born at this age will need a great deal of medical attention. Even if he survives, the risk of permanent disability is very high.
