Question

Is 3.11 pounds a normal weight for a fetus at 32 weeks' gestation?

Answer

Most fetuses weigh in the neighborhood of 3 1/2 pounds at around 30 weeks of pregnancy, so your baby seems right on track. If you are well nourished, if you do not smoke cigarettes, and you are not sick with high blood pressure or diabetes, your baby will probably grow to the weight he or she is meant to be. There are formulas that show how much an "average" fetus weighs at varying stages of pregnancy, but we all know women who have had 9-pound babies at term, and women who have had 6-pound babies at term. A typical newborn's weight is a range of acceptable weights, from 5 1/2 pounds to about 9 pounds. Where your baby falls on that scale depends on a lot of genetic factors (the size and body type of your family members and your husband's family members) as well as on factors from your pregnancy (smoking cigarettes in pregnancy leads to low birth weight, as does high blood pressure, but diabetes in pregnancy leads to increased birth weight). Most babies gain about half a pound each week during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. There's not really anything you can do to increase your baby's weight, except to continue to eat a well-balanced diet, drink eight glasses of water or juice daily, and don't smoke cigarettes! Your baby sounds as if he or she is doing just fine!