Pregnancy Week 30

What does my baby look like?

Your baby is about the size of a head of cabbage.

Their body is gradually becoming more proportioned, though the head may still be relatively large.

Your baby's eyes can now focus. Their sight, hearing, and sense of taste are becoming more developed, and they can pick up more of the light and movement outside the womb and respond to the touches you make on your belly. Their vision will keep developing both inside and outside the womb. After birth, they'll be able to focus on faces about 20 to 25 cm away, but the ability to follow moving objects with their eyes will develop in the months that follow.

Holding on tight

Your baby's hands are now fully formed and their nails are growing. During an ultrasound, you might sometimes catch them holding onto one of their feet or hands.

Keep counting those kicks

Your growing baby has less and less room to move, but you should still feel movement every day, so don't skip your kick counts. As the space tightens, the kicks may not feel as strong as before, and you might notice more nudges and stretches instead. Among these, you may feel hiccups when your baby swallows amniotic fluid while practicing breathing, and these are usually completely normal.

How many months pregnant am I?

You're in your seventh month of pregnancy, with about 10 weeks to go until delivery.

Your baby's brain

Your baby's brain is now starting to form the characteristic grooves and folds on its surface. These wrinkles make room for more brain tissue.

Lanugo is disappearing

Now that your baby's brain and new fat cells are doing more to regulate body temperature, the soft hair covering their body, called lanugo, begins to disappear. When they're born, you might still see a little leftover hair on their back or shoulders.

What's happening in my body?

You may be having trouble sleeping. And even when you do manage to sleep, you might have unsettling dreams. Hormones and the big changes on the horizon can influence these dreams.

Talking about your dreams can be comforting. If you're feeling intense stress, talk to your doctor.

The whooping cough vaccine

If you still haven't had your whooping cough vaccine, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor this week, since protection is best passed on before week 33.

Third trimester symptoms

The loosening ligaments in your pelvis can cause pain or clumsiness. Your belly button may look like it's popping outward and feel tender. In very rare cases, a painful umbilical hernia can develop. If you feel a firm lump around your belly button along with severe pain, it may need urgent evaluation.

Vaginal discharge and brown spotting

The rise in estrogen during pregnancy can lead to more vaginal discharge. Brown discharge is usually the color of old blood and doesn't always mean something is seriously wrong.

After sex or a pelvic exam, you may see light brown spotting because the cervix is more sensitive.

As labor approaches, you might notice discharge that looks like thickened mucus, clear, pinkish, brownish, or tinged with blood. This can be the mucus plug and the "bloody show."

Call your healthcare professional right away if:

• the discharge is green
• the discharge smells bad
• the discharge comes with other worrying symptoms

Fatigue

Fatigue can become noticeable again in the third trimester. Carrying your growing baby, not sleeping well, and the demands of daily life all add to it.

Fatigue can sometimes be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia. If you're extremely tired or the exhaustion is pronounced, let your doctor know. If you have feelings of hopelessness, depression, or thoughts of harming yourself, get help right away.

Swelling

Swelling in the ankles and feet is common in the later stages of pregnancy. It happens because your growing uterus presses on your blood vessels, along with hormonal changes and your body holding on to more fluid.

Call your healthcare professional if you have sudden and excessive swelling in your feet or ankles, noticeable swelling in your hands or face, or if one leg swells much more than the other. This can be linked to more serious problems like preeclampsia or DVT.

Mood changes

Uncomfortable symptoms, stress, and hormonal changes can all heighten mood swings in the third trimester. If your mood changes are becoming more frequent, more intense, or lasting longer than two weeks, talk to your doctor.

Shortness of breath

You need more oxygen during pregnancy, and your growing uterus presses on your diaphragm. That's why you may experience shortness of breath. If this is your first pregnancy, you might get a little relief as your due date nears and your baby drops into your pelvis.

Get medical help right away if you have sudden or severe shortness of breath, worsening asthma, a fast or irregular heartbeat, a feeling of faintness, or chest pain.

Feeling like your feet are growing

The bones in your feet don't grow, but weight gain, swelling, and the hormone relaxin can make your feet feel wider. For some people, shoe size can permanently increase a little.

Your pregnancy signs may include:

• trouble sleeping
• stretch marks
• swollen and bleeding gums
• round ligament pain
• hemorrhoids
• back pain
• indigestion and heartburn
• bloating and constipation
• leg cramps
• dizziness
• swollen hands and feet
• urinary infections
• vaginal infections
• darkening skin or brown patches on your face
• oilier, more breakout-prone skin
• thicker and shinier hair

Symptoms carried over from previous weeks may also continue:

• mood changes
• morning sickness
• cravings
• a heightened sense of smell
• sore or leaking breasts
• milky white discharge and light spotting

If you have any bleeding, seek medical advice.

This week's symptoms

Trouble sleeping may stand out during this time. Leg cramps, heartburn, not being able to get comfortable, frequent trips to the bathroom, restless legs, and nightmares can all contribute.

Getting up to use the bathroom often at night can be frustrating, but staying hydrated is important. Finding a more comfortable sleeping position usually helps.

The RSV vaccine

The RSV vaccine is usually recommended in late pregnancy (most often between weeks 28 and 36, depending on your country's schedule), but it can also be given later, up until labor. This vaccine can help lower your baby's risk of serious respiratory infections like bronchiolitis. If you haven't had it yet, talk to your doctor.

Nutrition this week

As part of a varied diet, try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C supports the health of your blood vessels and cells and also boosts iron absorption. Iron is important for renewing your red blood cells and preventing anemia.

In the third trimester, you may need about 200 extra calories a day. This doesn't mean "eating for two," but you may need to eat a little more and keep your diet balanced.

Sweeteners

Be cautious with artificial sweeteners. There are differing opinions about aspartame, saccharin, and stevia. Check with your doctor before using them regularly during pregnancy. In general, moderate consumption is considered safer.

Kitchen hygiene

Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before preparing food. After handling raw meat, eggs, poultry, or fish, clean your hands, cutting boards, and kitchen utensils.

Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. Don't rinse raw meat or poultry; this doesn't kill bacteria and can actually spread them around.

What can you do this week?

Remember that every birth is different. Even if you've given birth before, the process may be different this time.

Antenatal classes

Antenatal classes can help you stay healthy during pregnancy, understand what to expect during labor, and learn how to care for and feed your baby.

Coping with shortness of breath

It can be hard to get rid of shortness of breath completely during pregnancy, but standing up straight can give your lungs a little more room. At night, lying on your left side in a semi-upright position propped up with pillows can help. Sometimes eating while standing can help too.

Learn about episiotomy

You can talk with your healthcare professional about situations where an episiotomy might be needed during labor. An episiotomy is a surgical cut made to the perineum just before delivery to widen the opening for your baby. It used to be done more routinely, but now it's only performed when there's a good reason.

Exercise

If your pregnancy is progressing normally, it's usually safe to stay comfortably active right up to the final weeks. Don't overexert yourself, and remember that you shouldn't push so hard that you can't catch your breath. As your pregnancy progresses, adjust your activity to how your body feels.

Pregnancy massage

Pregnancy massage can help relieve aches, reduce swelling, and lift your mood. Choose a practitioner who is trained and licensed in pregnancy massage. Get your doctor's approval before booking an appointment.

Getting ready for your newborn

You can start making a list of the basics your newborn will need. It's enough to think about the essentials like clothes, a safe place to sleep, a stroller, and a car seat. You don't have to buy everything all at once.

What's the best position for me to sleep in?

Research suggests that sleeping on your side is safer. Whenever possible, try to sleep on your side for both daytime naps and nighttime sleep.

What is a cesarean section?

A cesarean section is an operation in which an obstetrician makes an incision in the abdomen and uterus to deliver the baby. For some people it's planned, while for others it may be done as an emergency during labor. If you've had a cesarean before, talk with your doctor about your delivery options.

Heartburn

Heartburn is common during pregnancy. It happens because the hormones that relax your pelvic muscles also relax the ring of muscle between your stomach and esophagus, and your growing uterus presses on your stomach.

To ease it:

• cut back on spicy, fatty, and fried foods
• avoid triggers like chocolate and tomato sauce
• eat smaller meals
• don't lie down right after eating

Using your cell phone during pregnancy

Based on current information, there's no evidence that using a cell phone poses a definite risk to your baby. Still, if you have concerns about technology use, you can talk to your healthcare professional.