Health & Pregnancy

Your Pregnancy Week by Week: Weeks 26-30

Week 29

Baby: Your baby's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall. The baby is performing fewer acrobatics as conditions in the womb become more cramped, but he's still doing a lot of kicking and stretching.

Mom-to-be: You've probably gained 19-25 pounds. You still have some time to go, so you may want to remind yourself of signs of premature labor, including menstrual-like cramps or lower back pain, a trickle of amniotic fluid, or a watery pinkish or brownish discharge preceded sometimes by the passage of a thick, gelatinous mucus plug. Tell your health care provider ASAP if that happens -- they can often stop labor from progressing with bed rest, medications, and possibly also hospitalization.

Tip of the Week: Your blood pressure typically may rise a little around the seventh month. Tell your health care provider if you get severe headaches; blurred vision; severe swelling of hands, feet, or ankles; or if you gain a lot of weight. These symptoms could signal the beginning of preeclampsia, a dangerous condition marked by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine during pregnancy.

Week 30

Baby: Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.

Mom-to-be: Your uterus is about 4 inches above your navel, and it may be hard to believe you still have about 10 weeks to go as the baby continues to push on your ribs. You may be feeling more discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen. You'll probably be gaining about a pound a week.

Tip of the Week: The membranes around the baby that contain the amniotic fluid are called the bag of waters. They usually do not break until just before the onset of labor, but if they break prematurely, an infection becomes more likely, so call your health care provider immediately.

What's Happening Inside You?

Your baby changes position frequently and responds to stimuli, including sound, pain, and light. At the end of the seventh month, fat begins to be deposited on your baby.

The amniotic fluid begins to diminish.