Thirtieth Week of Pregnancy: What to Expect

In the 30th week of gestation, your baby will slowly become calmer. At just under 15 ¾ inches tall and weight 3 pounds (about the size of a large cabbage), he or she simply doesn’t have as much freedom of movement in your belly and therefore can’t romp around as much.

We show you what all happens in the 30th week.

The anticipation of your little treasure is certainly increasing day by day. However, your body is struggling more and more with pregnancy.

Fetal movements

Your baby no longer has so much room in the belly. Exuberant gymnastic exercises are now a thing of the past, and the baby’s movements are decreasing. This is quite normal and no reason for you to worry. On the other hand, you will feel the few movements of your baby more intensely. The muscle exercises of the last few weeks are paying off, and he has a lot of strength and will give you a kick or two. This can also be a bit painful because your baby quickly bumps against the edge of the uterus due to the lack of space.

Your baby especially likes it when you touch it, and it also feels your movements. He enjoys your caresses when you touch your belly and talk to him or sing to him.

Weight gain and abdominal girth

You are about 10 weeks away from giving birth. Your baby will continue to grow and gain weight over the next few weeks.

You may wonder where your baby will fit, then. In many pregnant women, the abdominal girth is already very pronounced in the 30th week of pregnancy. Perhaps this is also the case for you, and you cannot imagine how a further increase in the last weeks should be possible. However, from the 30th week of gestation, weight gain is still common for you and your baby, and in the case of your baby, it is important. Also in the last third of pregnancy, women gain about 9 to 13 lbs, and in the entire pregnancy, they gain about 30 lbs.

Your body can do incredible things, and so can you. Soon you will be able to enjoy your little miracle and hold it in your arms, until then your body will still offer it a safe home, even if the condition is slowly becoming less pleasant for both of you.

If you gain less or more than these average values, do not let this unsettle you. Each woman’s pregnancy is unique, and these numbers are just averages.

What you should pay attention to is a nutrient and vitamin-rich diet so that your baby gets everything important for its development. One reason for excessive weight gain can be a wrong diet. Never follow the wisdom that you have to eat for two during pregnancy. This is an old wives’ tale. How should such a small person, need the nutrients for an adult person? You don’t need twice as much, you just need a little more to feed your baby.

Pregnancy symptoms in the 30th week

Circulatory problems and shortness of breath

In the 30th week of pregnancy, the upper edge of the uterus has grown to about the level of the diaphragm. Therefore, the uterus and the baby are pressing very hard on it. This can cause shortness of breath and circulatory problems. Therefore, take it easy and allow yourself breaks in your daily routine whenever you need them.

Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain can still occur in the 30th week of pregnancy because the uterus is still growing. Also, by now it has a lot of weight to bear, and the ligaments are stretching. All of this can show up as pain and a pulling sensation in your abdomen. Especially in your first pregnancy, you may be worried about this pain. However, abdominal pain is normal during pregnancy, and no reason for you to worry.

Give yourself a break if you want to relieve the painful pulling. Sit down for a while or lie down for a few minutes. A hot water bottle or a warm bath can also relieve your pain because it relaxes the muscles and ligaments.

Exercise contractions

As your pregnancy progresses, the frequency of exercise contractions increases. After all, your body wants to be best prepared for birth.  It is important that you make sure that these are really just practice contractions and not real contractions.

Pre-term contractions usually occur with less pain and only a few times a day.

If they are accompanied by cramps, discharge, pain, and bleeding and occur more frequently and rhythmically, they may be real contractions. Be sure to notify your gynecologist or midwife if you suspect true labor.

Itching and stretch marks

Sometimes, due to the tensions of the skin, you will feel itching. Therefore, apply cream or oil daily to all areas of the skin that suffer from this particular stress during pregnancy. Experiences of dermatologists and women who are already mothers have shown that this is the best way to prevent stretch marks. These then appear less, less large, and less pronounced. Stretch marks that are only slightly formed disappear quite soon after birth and do not leave any unsightly scars.

Increased hair growth on the abdomen

Surely you have noticed many changes in your body in the last few weeks. Besides the darker coloration of the areola and the linea nigra, which runs from the navel to the pubic bone, there are other phenomena that occur in some women. Hair growth may spread on the baby bump, the intensity of which also varies. This hairiness is related to the release of hormones. It is believed that women who are expecting a male baby are affected more frequently and intensely because testosterone, the boy’s male sex hormone, causes hair growth. Another theory is that the baby bump needs special protection, which triggers hair growth. However, nothing has been confirmed.

Relate: Third Trimester of Pregnancy: What to Expect

What happens with the baby

In the 30th week of gestation, your baby no longer has much room to move in your belly. Although it is still in motion, it can no longer do somersaults.

As your baby takes up more and more space, the amount of amniotic fluid decreases. In addition, it has now assumed the so-called fetal position. This means that the baby’s knees are drawn up, it curls up and crosses its arms in front of its chest.

It usually takes a while before it turns into the cranial position, which is the correct starting position for birth. By the 30th week of gestation, the lanugo hair slowly comes off, but a fine fuzz may remain on the back and shoulders until birth.

Your baby reacts intensively to sounds and stimuli. He is happy when you read to him, sing him your favorite song, or simply tell him about your day. He also likes to be stroked and wants to cuddle extensively with you.

In principle, it is already possible to find out whether your baby will later be right- or left-handed because he likes to suck on the corresponding hand and could be observed on the ultrasound.

In the 30th week of gestation, your baby is about 15 ¾ inches head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Its organs are already fully developed and doing their work independently.

The lungs continue to mature and the development of the digestive system is almost complete. The brain functions and its structure continue to form. Your baby’s skin is slowly becoming smoother as it stores more and more fat reserves to fill it out. It also gets a rosy skin color due to the increased blood inflow. The eyebrows and eyelashes have grown completely.

Your baby can now regulate its heat balance on its own.

In addition, your little darling already feels pain in the 30th week of gestation. This is important when procedures are performed on you because they can cause disturbances in him if this is not taken into account. Until the 1970s, it was believed that babies could not feel any pain in the womb, but this is not true.

Here’s how you can support your body during the 30th week of pregnancy

• Nutrient-rich diet. Your baby will continue to need important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
• Calcium, which is absorbed from dairy products and milk, is important for the baby’s skeletal growth.
• An adequate supply of iron is important because it enables your baby’s organism to build up its own iron supply, with which it forms blood after birth.
• Your gynecologist will check you regularly for the important nutrients, and in case of deficiency, he can advise you on your diet or prescribe supplements.
• Please do not take any additional vitamins on your own, as this may even be harmful to you and your baby.
• Discuss all measures with your gynecologist or midwife beforehand.