30th Week of Pregnancy: The Homestretch and The Changes in Your Baby

Congratulations! You’ve stepped into the 30^th week of pregnancy and entered the 3rd Trimester of your pregnancy.

Now, you only need to keep your eyes on your sweet baby bump and the calendar, while you wait for just a few more weeks for your newborn’s coos and snuggles.

So, while you patiently wait to hold your precious little one in your arms, you need to look out for the development of your baby inside you and the changes in your body. 

Your Baby’s Changes at Your 30^th Week of Pregnancy

Some of the major parts of your baby’s body and organs have already formed by this stage. With a few more weeks left, you’ll find everything from their size to the colour of the baby’s eyes changing quite rapidly.

• At this stage, your baby is putting on weight fast, making your bump look evolved and slowly getting ready to enter your world. Having said that, the baby will be over 3 1/4 pounds, and 15 to 16 inches long from the top of the head to the bottom (the crown-rump length), this week.
  
• The baby’s brain is getting bigger. Your foetus’ brain used to have a smooth surface, but now has those characteristic indentations and grooves. Moreover, the surface of the brain has begun to wrinkle.
  
• Since the fat and brain cells have developed and are keeping the baby’s body temperature regulated, there’s no need for the furry coat (hair-covering) – lanugo anymore. You’ll find the lanugo shedding by this time. Moreover, if you happen to give birth to your baby (a very premature baby) this week, you’ll find just a few strands of hair left on your little one’s body – maybe on the face, sideburns, back, and the top of the bum. (However, each baby is unique in their way. While babies may be born with a few strands of hair, some will be born bald).
  
• Your baby can sense and react to the stimulus of light at this stage.
  
• The baby’s bones will begin to harden by now.
  
• The skull bones are soft, and flexible and are getting ready for moving out of the womb, by now by passing through the birth canal easily.
  
• You will come across another very big change when it comes to your baby’s development and that is your baby’s bone marrow has finished producing the red blood cells.

Your Body and Mind Change at Your 30^th Week 

With the baby’s growth within you, you’ll find a lot changing in you this week, as you’ve just stepped into the third trimester. You might not just have to deal with physical changes – from Braxton Hicks Contractions to feeling swollen or fatigued, you might also have to deal with your emotional upheavals at this stage. So, some of the common 30^th week pregnancy symptoms are as follows: 

• Since your baby has slowly descended on the pelvis You have a sweet-looking, evolved, and low baby bump, this week. Your belly will make some of your regular activities difficult for you. Bending or tying the shoelaces is going to be difficult for you. You’ll be tossing and turning in your bed while taking a  comfortable position to sleep. Due to your evolved belly, the skin around it also stretches leaving you with stretch marks as well as itchiness. Blame it on your belly again that your back, hip and feet ache.
  
• The uterus is bigger in size as well as crowded pushing the diaphragm up into the lungs, and making you feel short of breath. (However, by the time you reach the period between the 37^th and 39^th week of your pregnancy, your breathing will be easy).
  
• These days heartburn or indigestion will be an annoying problem. The pregnancy hormones that can keep the pelvic muscles relaxed before your baby’s delivery can separate the oesophagus from the stomach. That means the expanding uterus further pressurising the stomach gives rise to this infernal inferno.
  
• Since the little boxer inside is gaining strength now, you’ll feel the punches, kicks, and jabs, thus making you feel cramped in and around the uterus, legs, ribs, and back. Braxton Hicks contractions are common from this stage of your pregnancy.
  
• Due to the baby’s exerting pressure on the pelvis, the uterus and the bladder, you’ll feel the need to go to the bathroom quite often.
  
• In addition to the rest of the 30^th week pregnancy discomforts you’ll feel very tired, both in the body.
  
• You’ll be constantly worried about the healthy growth and birth of your baby giving rise to terrible mood swings.

Tips to Deal With These Symptoms 

Physical and emotional ups and downs are a part and parcel of pregnancy, this week. But, just a few simple things can help you to deal with these challenges easily. 

• Visit the doctor to keep a check on your health condition – preeclampsia or gestational diabetes, your weight, and your baby’s heartbeatDiscuss the uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms of this week. Check whether you need urgent hospitalisation or a C-section.
  
• Have a healthy and balanced diet during this stage. Include iron-rich food and prenatal vitamins in your diet. Drink plenty of fluids. Take rest whenever you can.
  
• Stay active. Go for brisk – walking and practise those Kegels. Stretch your hands to reduce your hand pain.
  
• Keep track of the baby’s movements inside your womb.
  
• Keep your hospital bags packed and ready.
  
• Attend antenatal classes with your partner and learn a lot about this stage of your pregnancy and labour. You’ll get to meet some mummies-to-be and discuss your challenges and delights with them.
  
• Spend quality time with your partner and family whenever you get time.
  
• Plan cord blood banking at this stage and have the benefits of cord blood banking discussed with your partner and the rest of the family.

This stage may be strenuous and painful. But from this week you’ll be slowly entering that phase of your life when every beat of your heart will think of meeting your newborn. Maybe this is how easily you will connect with your baby.

Isn’t that beautiful? Yes! Indeed it is. So, just take discomforts in your stride and feel blessed as you enter the stage of becoming a mother. Happy third trimester!