What happens in the 30th week of pregnancy? Your baby is around 43 centimetres this week, from its crown to its rump and weighs approximately 1.5 kilograms. From now until the next few weeks your baby will literally pack on weight. Enjoy your food and take pleasure in it. You can eat anything in moderation and that includes the occasional treat. If you’re craving particular foods, give in to them.
Your baby in the 30th week of pregnancy:
- During this time, the baby has only about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid. That amount will continue to lower as his or her body grows and takes up more room
- Height of the baby is 15.7 inches and weighs 3 pounds
- At this point , the baby is doing a lot of growing and his or her eyesight is developing
- Your baby now almost fills up your entire uterine cavity, and her or his arms and legs have grown much plumper due to the continued growth of subcutaneous fat
- The lanugo, the fine body hair covering your baby's body will start shedding off this week
- Your baby's brain is now forming channels and creases, creating more brain tissue with greater surface area
- The creases and indentations also allow for future expansion of brain tissue that is crucial as your baby grows
- The bone marrow is producing red blood cells from the pinch hitters, the spleen and tissue groups
- These red blood cells are critical because they transport oxygen and remove waste
- With their help, your baby begins preparing for the future, by storing iron, calcium and phosphorus in those tiny cells
- By 30 weeks, the eyelids open and close, when the eyes are open your baby will be able to track light inside of your womb, though the vision is not perfect
Your body in the 30th week of pregnancy:
As your bump pushes up against your lungs and you have extra weight to carry around, you may feel breathless. Your baby is getting bigger and its close vicinity to your bladder i.e. on top; means that it won’t take much urine volume to make you feel uncomfortable. Try not to rush out of the toilet too quickly though. It’s important to completely empty your bladder each time you go, to avoid the risk of developing a urinary tract infection.
Night time insomnia may plague you now, despite how tired you are when you go to bed. This is a common condition in the third trimester and there is little which can be done about it. Other than trying to keep a regular pre-bed routine, avoiding caffeine in the afternoons, aiming for a quiet wind down before bed and ensuring a supportive, comfortable bed most women find there is little else they can try.
You may be troubled by varicose veins in your legs now. They are not helped by the pressure of your uterus on the major blood vessels in your pelvis. Unfortunately, they are likely to get worse before they get better. Some women develop varicose veins in their vulva, a particularly uncomfortable condition especially if combined with haemorrhoids.
Supportive underwear with a Lycra component, support panty hose, cooling baths and showers and avoiding long standing can all help. Watch your weight gain and elevate your legs and feet whenever you can. There is usually relief of varicose veins after birth, though some women can continue to experience them.
- 356 views
