Once you are 29 weeks pregnant, meaning that you are already in the 7th month of pregnancy. You have two more months or 11 weeks left to go! Here are the things that are going to happen during this week.
How Big is My Baby?
Now close your eyes and try to imagine a butternut squash. That is the size of your baby right now. His weight would be 2 ½ to 3 pounds or around 1.2 kg right now, while he measures around 15 ½ to 16 inches long.
During this period, he may begin to smile, usually during sleeping plus more hiccups and kickings too!
Baby’s Development During 29 Weeks Pregnant
At 29 weeks pregnant, he is growing and developing progressively including his organs’ development and movements.
-
Body and Lungs
Most of his body parts are developing very well and nearly complete, but he is not ready for labour yet because his lungs are still growing and have not mature yet.
-
Movement
At this moment, he is becoming more active and you will feel the kicks are stronger than before. He is also changing his position quite frequently and you are advised to count his daily movements in order to make sure he is growing well.
What does My Body look like?
Your doctor will advise you to consume more nutritious food especially those that contain high calcium and iron. This is to ensure that your baby is growing perfectly.
Eating food that is highly rich in iron like oatmeal and pork liver is good since it helps to maintain and replenish your red blood cells, in order to carry the oxygen throughout your body and also to prevent anemia.
Every pregnant woman is advised to take at least 30 milligrams iron per day, or if necessary your doctor will prescribe an iron supplement for you.
Apart from iron, you also need a sufficient amount of calcium too – not only for you but also for your fetal. Consuming the right amount of calcium will help to strengthen the teeth and bones.
There are various kinds of food that contain calcium such as whole grain bread, cheese, broccoli or yoghurt. The best is to consume 1000 milligrams of calcium per day.
While the baby is growing in this last trimester, you are expected to gain your weight gradually too. This is because you will need an additional 450 calories every day; to supply enough energy.
Symptoms that You Will Face In 29 Weeks Pregnant
During 29 weeks of pregnancy, you will face one or two previous symptoms like shortness of breath and also several new symptoms too such as:
-
Fatigue
Feeling exhausted during this stage is very common. All you need is to have a good rest and sleep. You would probably find that it is hard to sleep at night because your body is working in nourishing and supporting the growth of your little one. Taking a power nap (around 15 minutes) and keep exercising to help you regain your energy.
-
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins happen when you feel sore and maybe itchy blue veins bulging on your legs. This would likely to happen if this pregnancy is not your first or maybe a hereditary symptom.
But, you do not have to worry because this is not a medical problem: it happens due to the pressure that your growing uterus puts on the major veins that circulate blood from your lower body to your heart.
Avoid sitting or standing too long and you may elevate your feet whenever possible. This will not only relieve any discomfort but also improve your blood circulation. Do massage your legs frequently too!
-
Leg Cramps
Painful cramps in your calves may strike you anytime in this stage of pregnancy, especially at night – they will interrupt your sleep! Even the medical practitioner cannot tell what is the factor of this symptom.
You may avoid this ‘attack’ by doing simple stretching before going to sleep and a gentle massage on your calves would be the solution if this cramp strikes.
Your Bucket To-do List
Here are some things that you are advised to do when you are 29 weeks pregnant.
-
Prepare your baby’s nursery with all the essentials.
Mommy and Daddy may prepare some baby’s essentials like his clothes, socks, toiletries and some more. I can say that this is the most exciting thing to do!
-
Check about maternity leave & paperwork that you need to complete.
You are likely to apply for more than a month of leave, so check with your employer and team whether there are tasks for you to complete.
-
Do relaxations technique.
Sometimes, you would easily get stressed out and it is not uncommon at all. Mommy may try doing prenatal yoga or meditations, getting massages or listening to your favourite music in order to relax your mind.
Avoid getting anxious so often because it might affect your fetal and your mental health too.
-
Do childbirth preparations.
During your free time, fill it up with new knowledge on childbirth preparations and classes. There are many methods of giving birth such as Lamaze and Read.
Maybe some of you are not familiar with these terms, so this is the right time to dig in those terms and learn the right breathing methods too. This will help you a lot during the delivery process.
Additional Tips for 29 Weeks Pregnant
Here are some extra tips for mommy who are in 29 weeks of pregnancy.
-
Soothe the sensitive skin
Major changing hormones will affect your skin condition where it will get extra sensitive to something that normally does not affect you like sunlight, detergents, heat or even certain food too.
Do apply calamine lotion to treat itchiness and if the discomfort lasts for more than two or three days, immediately see your doctor. Plus, avoid skin products that contain fragrance or any additives since they may cause more serious problems.
-
Keep your body active to prevent RLS
RLS or restless legs syndrome will frequently happen and ‘force’ you to stay up all night. Although it is normal but can be disturbing sometimes. So to avoid this, you must keep moving and make sure to consume an efficient amount of iron in your diet.
-
Have the right exercise gears
Before starting your exercise sessions, make sure to prepare the right gear such as a pair of comfy shoes, drinking water, suitable attire, handkerchief – to wipe your sweat out and also your mobile phone.
There is a high chance for your body to face fatigue and overheating so by having a complete gear before you start doing sports may avoid you from any complications or if it does happen, at least you have your phone with you – (easy for you to call for help).
I hope you are getting used to several pains or symptoms during these 29 weeks of pregnancy. Trust me, those will not last long, they are just temporary. Stay strong and endure them. Meanwhile, stay tuned with new and fresh updates with our Weekly Pregnancy articles.