Pregnancy - Week 29 and 30

Your changing body

Around week 29, some discomforts associated with the later part of pregnancy like constipation, leg cramps, etc. may become bothersome for you at this stage.

As your pregnancy progresses, you may begin to feel tired easily and more clumsy in week 30. Due to the pressure of your growing Uterus over your bladder, you may be making frequent trips to the loo in the last semester. Getting a good night sleep can be increasingly difficult for you. It is also not uncommon to have mood swings during this last part of pregnancy. Your joints may become loosen due to the number of pregnancy hormones produced by your body. To accommodate your rapidly growing baby, your Uterus may be pressing against your diaphragm. So do not get panicked if you feel breathless at times.

Your growing baby

As a result of rapid brain development at this point, your baby’s head is also growing and getting bigger in week 29. Your baby’s muscle and lung are also continuing to develop and mature. Now your baby weighs around 1.1 kg and measures about 39 cm from head to toe.

At week 30, your baby may have taken a large portion of your Uterus as he/she continues to grow rapidly. Your baby has eyebrows and eyelashes now and his/her eyes are becoming more mature. Now your baby can differentiate light from dark and can even follow a light source with his/her eyes, if you shine a light on your tummy. However newborns can see objects only a few inches from their faces. This week, your baby measures about 40 cm and weighs anywhere between 1.2 and 1.4 kg.

Things to consider

Since there is so much development and maturing going on, it is vital that you get enough nutrients in your diet. Make sure that you get plenty of protein, folic acid, iron and calcium in your diet. As your baby’s brain is rapidly developing, a diet rich in DHA is important for the development of your baby’s brain and eyes. To read more about DHA, click here.

Try to limit the intake of fluids in the hours before bedtime if you go to the loo frequently at night. However, do not limit them during the rest of the day.

Iron supplements can make you constipated sometimes. If you are suffering from Constipation it’s a good idea to stop taking iron supplements. Instead, try to increase your iron intake in your diet. To read our tips to manage constipation, click here.

DHA—for intelligent babies

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the most abundant essential fatty acid in the brain and Retina in your eyes. Since your baby is gaining weight and there is also a rapid brain development in the third Trimester of your pregnancy, it is very important to include DHA in your diet. Low status of DHA during pregnancy and breastfeeding may affect your child’s intelligence. Fishes, soyabean oil, rapeseed oil and marine algae are some good sources of DHA. Vegetarian diets are poor sources of DHA. Hence, pregnant and breastfeeding women should consider taking nutritional supplement that contains DHA.