Your developing baby – week 32

by Kaiser Permanente |
Fetus at week 32, illustration

At week 32, your baby is about the size of a bunch of kale. Your baby weighs 3 to 4 pounds and is about 16.5 inches long. At birth, your baby will likely weigh between 6 and 9 pounds and measure 19 to 21 inches long.

This week, your baby's:

  • Lungs are maturing. With lungs almost fully developed, your little one is busy practicing breathing.
  • Nervous system is continuing to develop.
  • Brain is growing quickly.
  • Vernix (white, creamy substance that protects the skin from drying out from exposure to amniotic fluid) is also decreasing.
  • Skin is becoming less wrinkly and smoothing out.
  • The hair on your baby’s head is getting longer.

Do you notice more kicks in your ribs? It may not mean you have a soccer player, just that the baby is in the head-down position, where most babies eventually end up before they are born. You might also notice less rolling movements

This article has been created by a national group of Kaiser Permanente ob-gyns, certified nurse-midwives, pediatricians, lactation consultants and other specialists who came together to provide you with the best pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn information.

Some of the content is used and adapted with permission of The Permanente Medical Group.

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