30 Weeks Pregnant
Your Baby
Fetal growth continues in the 30th week of pregnancy. Your baby weighs three pounds or more and continues to gain weight daily. Bones have developed and bone marrow has started producing red blood cells. The white covering over the skin, lanugo, is starting to fade away in preparation for birth. Hearing has developed to the point that the fetus recognizes certain voices. Both mom and dad can talk to baby, sing and laugh, and these sounds do not have to be directed at the belly for baby to hear.
Your Body
As the abdominal area, fetus and, uterus continue to expand, weight may pull the spine forward. This may cause you to feel lower back aches and pains. In addition, when lying down for a nap, you may naturally prefer to lie on one side or the other. Heartburn can be a big issue when lying down and you might feel more comfortable sleeping in a sitting position from week 30 to 40.
From now until the end of the pregnancy, women pregnant with multiples will be under close supervision by the doctor. Most are no longer working and may be on some form of bed rest to assure babies stay in the womb as long as possible. Preeclampsia is more common with multiples, and you should learn about the warning signs.
Dad
Support is the number one thing Dad can give between weeks 30 and 40. Most pregnant women will be writing birth plans, attending bi-weekly doctor’s appointments and trying to learn how to feed and care for the baby. Though dads are definitely a part of these choices, the ball is essentially in mom’s court in many matters since so many issues surround her changing (and often uncomfortable) body.
Tips For This Week
Every pregnancy is different. It is a fallacy that all pregnancies will start and end the same way. Some women easily walk through it all right up until the 40th week and give birth right on time. Other women suffer from a long list of aches and pains with delivery not happening until week 42. You should never compare yourself to other women and other experiences. Your baby is unique and so is your pregnancy.
