Your baby at week thirty of pregnancy
You are two thirds of the way through your pregnancy! Your baby is about 40cm in length (the size of a large cabbage) and now weighs about 1.5kg. The white fatty deposits continue to fill out the skin to give it a plumper appearance and smooth out the wrinkles. This extra padding will insulate your baby’s organs and regulate body temperature after birth, as well as be a source of energy for his or her bodily functions such as digestion and growth.
Also this week, your little one’s brain is developing ridges and bumps and will look like an adult brain soon! Up until now your baby’s brain has been smooth, but these wrinkles and indentations provide areas for more brain tissue and brain cells. Your baby is a lot bigger now, so do not worry if you cannot feel as many kicks and punches as before, your baby probably just does not have enough room to carry out these manoeuvres!
If they are not already in the upside down position required for birth, your baby will definitely be trying to rotate into this position in preparation for your due date! Your baby is currently surrounded in a liter of amniotic fluid, and these levels will decrease as your baby gets bigger, especially because between now and birth, your baby will be putting on half a pound a week!
Your body at week thirty of pregnancy
Instead of scratching your itchy, taut pregnancy skin try massaging the skin over your abdomen, and moisturizing it. The annoying symptoms of the first trimester will be coming back to haunt you, as the baby’s head puts pressure on your bladder, causing you to once again feel the – quite literally- pressing urge to frequently urinate! As your breasts fill up with milk in preparation for feeding your little one, they are likely to be feeling tender and heavy, and fatigue may return due to all the hard work your body is doing, providing for your baby and carrying him or her around!
It is of high importance that you are eating healthily, and incorporating enough crucial nutrients and vitamins that will sustain your little one throughout the rest of your pregnancy and for the first few months of their life. For example, the iron you consume via postnatal vitamins and iron rich foods will increase yours and your baby’s iron supply until he or she is six to nine months old. It is also imperative that you ensure that you are consuming enough protein rich foods, as these will assist your baby in healthy cell growth.
What you may be feeling at week thirty of pregnancy
Even if you are not normally a person who shows your emotions, you will probably find that by week thirty of pregnancies you will start to find things more emotional. Watching films or the news may make you tearful as you feel a new empathy. You may feel generally more emotionally fragile and things that you would normally dismiss may affect you more deeply. This is nature’s way of softening a new mother in preparation for nurture and is not a sign that you may be more likely to suffer from postnatal depression.
Common symptoms at week thirty of pregnancy
- Heartburn
- Trouble sleeping
- Swelling of legs, hands and feet
- General discomfort
- Shortness of breath.
- Breast tenderness and fullness
- Heightened emotions
- Frequent urge to visit the bathroom
- Fatigue
Tips for week thirty of pregnancy
- If you have not been already, sleep on your left side, this is the safest position for your baby, and increases blood circulation reducing a feeling of dizziness when you lie down.
- Learn about caesarean sections just in case you need to have one, you will feel more in control if you are prepared and less anxious if you understand the procedures surrounding a caesarean.
- Think about what to pack in your bag that you’ll take to hospital for labor and post birth.
If you have any symptoms that concern you it is important to consult your doctor as soon as you can.