When you are 30 weeks pregnant, a lot goes on in your body. The baby is growing so fast that your belly bulges out noticeably. You may have itching, stretch marks, mood swings, and skin pigmentation.
At the same time, the baby is growing its hair. It has started distinguishing between light and dark. Your little one is learning to grip things. The digits are getting covered with fingernails and so on. Let’s look into all the changes in your body and your baby when you are 30 weeks pregnant.
30 Weeks Pregnant
The 30th week of pregnancy is concerned mainly with the growth of internal organs and viscera of the baby since most of the baby’s development is complete by the 30th week. Changes in the maternal body mostly prepare the mummy for the delivery process.
Your Baby’s Development
Maturation Of Baby’s Vision
The anatomy of the eyes develops fully in the seventh week. Your baby’s eyes started forming in the seventh week, and their formation was completed in the tenth week. In the 30th week, your eyes can differentiate between light and dark.
Baby’s Auditory Abilities
There is much development in the auditory systems of your baby. The baby starts to recognize different sounds, and it can show responses to some sounds. You can even feel the baby’s reactions in reply to various noises.
Size And Weight Of The Baby
There are two different measurements taken to measure the size of the baby. The crown-rump length (CRL) is the length taken from the top of the head to the buttocks. The CRL of a baby at 30 weeks is around 24 inches.
The other measurement, crown heel length (CHL), i.e., the height from the top of the head to the foot’s heel, is approximately 39 centimeters.
The baby has started gaining weight to keep himself prepared for the delivery. Your baby may be around 1.5 kg with the addition of half a pound per week.
Brain Development
Your baby’s brain starts to develop in the 5th week of pregnancy, and it takes around 15 weeks to build significantly. There are many brains and nervous systems that develop after about 20 weeks. However, in the 30th week of pregnancy, maturation of the brain occurs. The overall form of the brain had been smooth so far. Now the brain develops its characteristic appearance by forming ridges and grooves.
Lesser Body Hair
The body of the developing baby is all covered in hair called lanugo. These hair protect the baby from temperature changes by forming an insulation layer. When you are 30 weeks pregnant, the brain starts some of its thermoregulatory activity. Hence, this bodily hair begins depleting.
Change In Baby’s Position
There is also a change in the baby’s position in the 30th week of pregnancy. The baby shifts a little lower in the uterus so that you may feel a little more weight on the lower abdomen.
Cell Production Factories Begin Their Function
In the early days of pregnancy, the yolk sac produces red blood cells. The liver and spleen take up the responsibility of erythropoiesis later on. After 30 weeks, bone marrow in bones begins forming red blood cells. From here onwards, bone marrow cells are the major contributors to the number of red blood cells in the body.
Your Baby Is No More A Bald
When you are 30 weeks pregnant, there is a visible amount of hair on your baby’s head. The fingers and toes of your baby have started to grow those cute little nails. The baby is also learning some new exercises, such as grasping. Your little one is gripping his umbilical cord or his toes in there!
Pigmentation Of Baby’s Skin
Special skin cells in your baby give him a skin tone close to his mommy or daddy. The melanin pigment has started accumulating in his body to give his skin a proper tone.
Amniotic Fluid Concentration
The amniotic fluid surrounding your baby continues to increase, anywhere between 600 to 800 ml—the amniotic fluid peaks at 800 milliliters after about 34 weeks. After 34 weeks, the amniotic fluid decreases to about 600 ml to accommodate the rapidly growing young champ.
Your Symptoms After 30 Weeks Of Pregnancy
As the date of delivery approaches, natural anxiety and stress pop up, and this causes more changes in the mummy’s body. The hormonal flush makes things even more complicated. Some mothers experience weird dreams, and others may experience heartburn and other symptoms. Following are some signs commonly felt during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Itching And Stretch Marks
Due to the contraction and expansion of the womb, the mother feels itching and sometimes pain in the belly area. The growth of the womb and the belly results in stretch marks over the mother’s body, and she feels itching due to the skin drying out.
Mood Swings
An average person experiences hundreds of mood swings due to the things going on in his life. Similarly, a mother, who is going to give birth to a tiny small human being, has lots of stuff going on in her mind and around her. She may feel overwhelmed, anxious and depressed due to her baby and others. These mood swings are pretty standard, and you can handle them with good care. But if someone is getting extraordinarily depressed and anxious about this phase, she must consult her doctor.
Other Physiological Symptoms
Other physical symptoms a mother feels include heartburn, diarrhea, backaches, restricted movements like bending, cramps, bloating, dizziness, swelling of the body, especially hands and feet, dark patches over the skin, and certain vaginal and other infections.
Other symptoms include not being in the mood to get up early, having weird cravings, becoming lazy, liking or disliking some random stuff, or having pain in the breasts.
Self-Care Tips
Following are some self-care tips that every pregnant mother needs to know
- Avoiding stuff, like caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol, that is harmful to the baby
- Doing pregnancy exercises in routine
- Visiting doctors on time
- Staying hydrated and moisturized
- Taking vitamins and other necessary supplements recommended by the doctor
- Eating healthy foods
- Taking care of mental health
- Do some relaxation exercises
- Taking proper sleep
- Getting vaccinated and ultrasound scan done
- Choosing safe sugar consumption diets
- Having a group of people to support
Your Checklist
A mother should see the following checklist items in the third trimester
- Making birth plan
- Learning relaxation techniques
- Setting up baby’s room
- Deciding who will take you to the hospital whenever needed
- Preparing for every kind of situation
When To Call The Doctor?
As the delivery date approaches, one needs a doctor’s help at any time. You should contact the doctor in case of pain or vaginal secretions. A mother feels several pre-contractions preparing for the labor contractions, but she should call the doctor immediately when these contractions increase.
Conclusion
You have covered three-fourths of your pregnancy journey so bravely. The 30th week of pregnancy marks the baby’s growth as a whole. The internal organs continue to grow. Your baby has grown hair and fingernails. Its hands have started to grip, its skin has become less wrinkly, and its brain has started to gain its characteristic appearance. Mummy has stretch marks, itching on her belly, some nights challenging to sleep, mood swings, heartburn, diarrhea, and backaches. You can follow the self-care tips mentioned above to smoothen your journey toward holding your baby for the first time!
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Hi, my name is Renae. I started Blogging with my friends LaTarsha Holdenton and keren Smooth under the company name “K2babycare” to share my knowledge of parenting with other Moms, to become a better Mom tomorrow than today.