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Pregnancy Week 30

Pregnancy Week 30

Your Baby's Development This Week

Baby's eyes can now move from side to side, and will follow light, and might even try to respond by touch to a light source. Toenails are growing. The fuzzy hair covering the body, the lanugo, is beginning to disappear as the brain and the layer of fat that's being put on now help control baby's body temperature. The bone marrow has taken over the production of the red blood cells. The bones are fully formed but still soft and flexible, but baby is beginning to build up stores of calcium and iron, making it more important that you continue to eat a healthy diet.

Pregnancy Symptoms You May Feel During Week 30

Remember those crazy mood swings of the early weeks of pregnancy? Most likely, those mood swings are back now. This is due to the hormones and physical changes occurring in your body, but also the very real concerns about the future, the life changes and stresses that accompany a pregnancy as the due date comes into focus more each day. To compensate, make sure you are eating and sleeping well, that you try to learn relaxation techniques, have some fun, and especially have good communication with your partner. Be on the lookout for more serious symptoms that might indicate depression. Those include things such as changes in eating and sleeping patterns, lack of focus or interest in things, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, persistent sadness and extreme fatigue. If these symptoms are showing up more and not going away, you need to seek professional help. Discuss it with your doctor. Depression, real depression, does not simply go away on its own. It's an illness requiring treatment.

Visit With the Obstetrician

Your doctor will be watching out for symptoms of pre-eclampsia now in your pregnancy. Things to watch, blood pressure rising, protein in your urine, reporting headaches or floaters in your field of vision, perhaps dizziness, also swelling and a general unwell feeling. Pre-eclampsia may only cause mild gains in blood pressure, so vigilance is required since it can be fatal to both mom and baby. Other symptoms might include other visual disturbances, decreased urine output, upper abdominal pain, nausea and or vomiting, and swelling particularly of hands and face. Sometimes pre-eclampsia comes up gradually, but other times it can be sudden. If you are experiencing these symptoms, go to your doctor without delay as it can be very serious if left untreated. The treatment for pre-eclampsia at this stage of pregnancy will be to give birth. Risk factors include being older, first pregnancies, history of it, gestational diabetes or other complications in the pregnancy and history of high blood pressure.

Preparing for Baby

If you have decided that you want to breastfeed your baby, you might want to find a lactation consultant. Talk to your doctor for recommendations. You might find one that works through your hospital, or one that is a peer counselor through La Leche, or one that has special certifications. Breastfeeding is a natural activity, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally to all babies and mothers. Many new moms need help and support, especially if a special issue comes up while nursing. A lactation consultant can help you through the normal ups and downs, as well as give you information for any special nursing situation you encounter. Plus just having a special support person can make all the difference particularly in those first few weeks of nursing when everything is new.

Pregnancy Lifestyle

Your breasts have probably become strangers to you at this point. They've changed in more ways than you imagined, and they are not done yet. However, having a properly fitted bra is extremely important. If you are going to breastfeed, you may want to start shopping for a good nursing bra now. Do internet searches, talk to members of the local La Leche group and other moms for their recommendations. Try on the bra and make sure it is supportive, easy to deal with and adjust (your shape will continue to shift), and comfortable. You'll want at least two but preferably three bras. You might want one to sleep in that's extra comfy but still supportive.

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