Third trimester · 29 weeks pregnant
Week 29: stronger every day
Muscles, lungs and bones mature; kicks get harder.
Your baby's muscles and lungs are maturing and the head is growing to make room for the brain. Bones are fully developed but still soft, and they are absorbing a lot of calcium from you.
Size and weight
About the size of
a butternut squash
Length
38.6 cm
Weight
1.15 kg
Averages from standard growth charts. Measured crown to rump until week 20 and head to heel afterwards.
How your baby is developing
- Muscles and lungs keep maturing; the baby practises breathing.
- The head grows to make space for the developing brain.
- Bones are complete but soft, and absorb about 250 mg of calcium a day.
- Kicks and stretches are strong enough to be seen from the outside.
How you may feel
- Constipation and haemorrhoids
- Varicose veins
- Fatigue returning
- Heartburn
- Breathlessness
- Occasional bladder leaks when you laugh or sneeze
- An itchy belly
Your baby needs plenty of calcium, iron, protein, folate and vitamin C now. Most comes from a varied diet; your care provider may prescribe iron if your haemoglobin is low.
What's next
Tests and appointments
No routine tests this week. Keep taking your vitamins and contact your polyclinic with any concerns.
What to do this week
- Have three portions of calcium-rich food a day (dairy, fortified plant milk, tofu, sardines, leafy greens).
- Keep doing pelvic floor exercises; they help bladder leaks now and recovery later.
- Start preparing the baby's sleeping space and washing clothes in gentle detergent.
Call your doctor or maternity hospital if
- Your baby is moving less than usual, or the pattern has changed
- Vaginal bleeding, or your waters break, especially if the fluid is green or brown
- A severe headache, vision changes, pain under the right ribs, or sudden swelling of your face and hands
- Regular painful tightenings before 37 weeks, or severe itching of your palms and soles
If something feels wrong, trust yourself and call 103 or your maternity hospital. You will never be wasting anyone's time.
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