Week 30
Your baby is about 38.6 cm (15.2 in) from crown to heel and weighs about 1.15 kg (2.5 lb), roughly the size of a large cabbage. Babies vary, and your care provider will follow your own baby's growth. Your baby's bone marrow has taken over making red blood cells, the fine hair called lanugo is starting to thin, and the body is getting better at keeping itself warm. For you, balance may feel off, and your mind may be busy with what's ahead. This week covers staying safe and active as your shape changes, looking after your mood, preparing older children for a new sibling, and getting to know the place where you plan to give birth. By the end of the week, you will have about ten weeks to go.
Day 204 · 29 weeks 0 days
Your baby is making their own blood
Early in pregnancy, your baby's blood cells were made first in the yolk sac and later in the liver and spleen. Now the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside the bones, has become the main factory. It makes red cells to carry oxygen, white cells to fight infection, and platelets to help blood clot. It will do this job for life.
Your baby is also getting better at controlling body temperature. The fat building up under the skin, including the brown fat you read about in week 20, acts as insulation and can be burned to make heat after birth. This is one reason babies born earlier need extra help to stay warm.
The fine, downy lanugo you read about earlier is beginning to thin as the fat layer takes over its job of keeping your baby warm. Some babies are born with a little of it still on their shoulders and back, especially if they arrive early. It falls out on its own within weeks.
Try this: Rest your hands on your bump this evening and notice how firm and full your baby feels compared with a month ago.
Day 205 · 29 weeks 1 day
Lift and carry with your changing shape in mind
As you read in week 25, your shifting centre of gravity and looser joints make slips and trips more likely. The same changes affect how you lift and carry. Your ligaments are softer, your stomach muscles are stretched, and your back is working harder to keep you upright, so a careless lift can strain it.
When you pick something up, bend your knees and keep your back fairly straight rather than bending from the waist. Hold the load close to your body, and turn with your feet instead of twisting. Split shopping into two lighter bags, one in each hand, or make an extra trip.
If you have a toddler, try kneeling or sitting for cuddles, or let them climb onto your lap, rather than lifting them from the floor. At work, ask whether heavy lifting can be shared or reassigned for the rest of the pregnancy. Pain at the front of your pelvis when you lift or walk is worth mentioning to your care provider.
Get help right away if after a fall or blow to your belly you have vaginal bleeding, leaking fluid, pain or tightening in your belly, or your baby is moving less. Call your care provider if you fall at all, even without symptoms, and especially if your blood type is Rh negative.
Try this: Next time you carry shopping, split it into two lighter bags and hold them close to your body.
Day 206 · 29 weeks 2 days
Keep moving, in ways that feel good now
Staying active in the third trimester has real benefits. It can ease back pain and constipation, improve sleep and mood, help manage blood sugar and blood pressure, and build stamina for labour. The general guidance for most healthy pregnancies is about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, spread over most days. Moderate means you can still talk, but not sing.
Choose what your body enjoys right now. Walking, swimming and water aerobics, a stationary bike, prenatal yoga and gentle strength work are all good options. Water can feel wonderful as your bump gets heavier, because it takes the weight off your joints.
Some adjustments help. Avoid lying flat on your back for long stretches during exercise; use a slight incline or work on your side. Skip contact sports and activities with a high chance of falling. Drink water and avoid overheating. If you were very active before, you can often continue, but expect to slow down.
Call your care provider if you have vaginal bleeding, fluid leaking, regular painful contractions, chest pain, dizziness, calf pain or swelling, or your baby moves less after exercise. Stop and rest if you feel unwell. Try this: Fit in a 20-minute walk or swim today, at a pace where you can still hold a conversation.
Day 207 · 29 weeks 3 days
Older children can be part of getting ready
In week 25 you read about preparing an older child for the news and the changes ahead. As the birth gets closer, giving children a small, real part in the preparations can help them feel included rather than replaced. Even young children can help. They might choose a sleeper or a soft toy for the baby, help put tiny clothes into drawers, or draw a picture to hang near the crib. Older children may like to help choose from a shortlist of names, or practise holding a doll with a hand under the head.
Think ahead about the first meeting. Many families find it helps if the parent who gave birth is not holding the baby when an older child first walks in, so their arms are free for a hug. A small gift "from the baby" can soften the moment too.
Make sure your child knows who will look after them while you are away giving birth, and that this plan has a backup in case labour starts at night. After the birth, ask visitors to greet the older child first, before the baby. A little extra attention from everyone goes a long way.
For your partner: Plan a regular outing or ritual with the older children that can continue after the baby arrives.
Day 208 · 29 weeks 4 days
Low mood and anxiety in pregnancy are common and treatable
Most people expect that pregnancy will feel happy. Yet about 1 in 10 people experiences depression during pregnancy, and anxiety is just as common. These are health conditions, not personal failings, and they can be treated safely in pregnancy.
Signs to watch for include feeling sad, empty or hopeless most of the day for two weeks or more, losing interest in things you usually enjoy, feeling numb about the baby, constant worry you can't switch off, panic attacks, trouble sleeping even when you are tired, or feeling worthless or guilty. A history of depression or anxiety, a difficult pregnancy, money stress, lack of support, or a past loss can raise the risk.
Getting help early also lowers the chance of depression after the birth. Treatment may include talking therapy, peer support, and sometimes medicine; many options are safe in pregnancy. Your care provider can help you choose.
Call your care provider if low mood or worry lasts more than two weeks or makes daily life hard. Get help right away if you have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life. Call your local emergency number or a crisis line, or tell someone close to you now.
Try this: Tell one trusted person honestly how you have been feeling this week, good and bad.
Day 209 · 29 weeks 5 days
Get to know the place where you'll give birth
Knowing where you're going, and what it looks like, can make labour feel less daunting. If you plan to give birth in a hospital or birth centre, now is a good time to learn about it. Many offer tours, in person or online, and some include them in prenatal classes.
On a tour, notice the practical things. Where do you park, and which entrance do you use at night? Where is triage, the area where you'll be checked first? What do the birthing rooms look like? Is there a bath or shower, birthing balls or other equipment? Ask how many support people can stay, whether your baby will room in with you, and what visiting rules are.
Ask whether you can pre-register. Filling in forms and sharing your health card or insurance details ahead of time saves effort when you arrive in labour.
If you plan a home birth, talk with your midwife about what you will need, how to reach them, and when you would move to hospital if needed. Add anything you learn to your birth plan.
Try this: Look up your birth unit's tour options or virtual tour today, and book a time if you can.
Day 210 · 29 weeks 6 days
About ten weeks to go, and you've done a lot already
Tomorrow you will be 30 weeks pregnant, with about ten weeks until your due date. It is a good moment to look back at what you've done and ahead to what's still to come.
In the last few weeks, you have learned your baby's movement pattern and what to do if it changes. You know the signs of pre-eclampsia. You may have had your whooping cough vaccine and, if you are Rh negative, your anti-D. You have started a birth plan, thought about feeding and support in labour, and perhaps chosen your baby's doctor.
The next five weeks bring a new set of tasks: your baby's position, packing a bag, a car seat, and planning for support after the birth. You'll read about each of them in turn.
If you haven't done some of the earlier steps yet, that's fine. Pick one and do it this week. If your list feels long, share it. Many of these jobs can be done by your partner, family or friends.
Rest, eat well, keep moving gently and keep asking questions. You are well on your way.
Try this: Make a short list of anything from weeks 26 to 30 you still want to do, and put a date beside each item.