32nd week: The baby is getting rounder

Weeks and days
31+0 to 31+6
Month
8
Trimester
3

This week, the fetus gains from about 1,710 to 1,900 grams and becomes visibly rounder. In Germany, it is the last week for the third basic ultrasound. If the baby is still lying bottom down, it often still turns on its own.

A whole striped small watermelon lies on an open hand
Watermelonaround 1.9 kg, the weight of your baby at the end of the week

Week 32 of 40

Calculate your week
1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

How big and how heavy is the fetus?

050100150200250300 mm30th week259 to 26731st week267 to 27632nd week276 to 28433rd week284 to 292

276 to 284 mm

By the end of the week, the fetus weighs about as much as a small watermelon. From head to heel, it measures about 40 centimeters.

Crown-rump length according to the values from Archie et al. 2006, weight according to the WHO growth charts. A small watermelon of the Sugar Baby variety weighs 2 to 4 kg.

This week

Your baby

  • The body is filling out, and the skin becomes less wrinkled. The toenails have now formed.
  • The baby practices sucking. It needs this after birth to feed.
  • In the baby's blood, the mother's antibodies now reach about half of her level. The baby receives most of them in the last four weeks.

Your body

  • Your belly sometimes becomes hard for 20 to 30 seconds and then relaxes again. These practice contractions should not hurt.
  • Shortness of breath and back pain are common. The baby's bottom now usually lies against your ribs.
  • The movements remain just as frequent until the birth. If they become fewer, call your midwife or the labor ward right away.

What matters now

  • In Germany, it is the last week for the third basic ultrasound; it is possible until 31+6.
  • From next week, prenatal checkups in Germany take place every two weeks.
  • If you have not yet been vaccinated against whooping cough, get the vaccination now.

Get checked right away: heavy bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever, pain when urinating, or vomiting where you cannot keep anything down.

Gestational sacPlacentaFetus with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 31+0

    Head circumference is on average about 289 mm.

  2. 31+0

    Abdominal circumference measures on average about 269 mm.

  3. 31+6

    Last day for the third ultrasound paid for by health insurance in Germany.

In Austria, the third ultrasound is scheduled up to the 34th week of pregnancy. In Switzerland, mandatory basic health insurance does not pay for a routine ultrasound in the 3rd trimester.

Frequently asked questions about the 32nd week of pregnancy

Which month is the 32nd week of pregnancy?

The last week of the 8th month of pregnancy, in the 3rd trimester. Figures such as 31+4 weeks also belong to the 32nd week of pregnancy.

Can a baby survive in the 32nd week of pregnancy?

Yes, a very good one. In England, 98 out of 100 babies who were born in this week and admitted to a neonatal unit survived to discharge.

What does a breech position mean in the 32nd week of pregnancy?

No reason to worry yet. In one study, 57 out of 100 babies who were lying bottom down around this time still turned into the head-down position on their own.

How much weight have I gained in the 32nd week of pregnancy?

With a normal weight before pregnancy, about 7.3 to 8.8 kilograms up to 31+0 is usual.

Sources

Updated on 30 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team