PREGNANCY WEEK 30 ~ HEALTH and FITNESS

30 WEEKS PREGNANT

Starting to feel like a walking belly? Your 30 weeks pregnant belly is doing more than just making it tough to find a comfortable sleeping position. It’s made itself a conversation piece. Everywhere you go, someone seems to have a comment about how you look, which isn’t always so fun. And no doubt, you’ve encountered one or two people who don’t think before they speak and say something embarrassing or hurtful (what’s up with that?). Try not to take those comments seriously, but know which ones should be taken to heart. Like when someone tells you you’re glowing, believe them. You are! And take advantage of some of the perks. When someone offers you their seat on a crowded train—take it!

How Big Is Baby at 30 Weeks?

At 30 weeks pregnant, baby is the size of a zucchini. Your 15.7-inch, 2.9-pound, 30-week fetus continues to grow about half a pound and half an inch each week.

30 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months?

30 weeks pregnant is six months and two weeks pregnant. Just 10 weeks (give or take, of course!) to go.

30 WEEKS PREGNANT SYMPTOMS

At week 30 of pregnancy, your dreams might be getting even weirder— if you’re actually sleeping, that is. That could be the result of hormones, but it could also be anxiety, so consider doing some prep work to help you rest easier. One idea? Do a test drive to see exactly how long it takes you to get to the hospital. Then maybe you’ll stop having nightmares about giving birth in your car. Here are other common 30 weeks pregnant symptoms:

Heartburn. If you’re feeling the burn, pay attention to which foods may be causing it. (Often, that’s greasy, heavy, spicy, or acidic food.) Avoid them as much as you can, especially before bedtime, since this annoying 30 weeks pregnant symptom can make sleep hard to come by.
Trouble sleeping. You’re tossing and turning because you can’t get comfortable—and because your mind is racing. It’s such a vicious cycle that leads to another issue: fatigue.
Swelling. A little puffiness is to be expected, and will typically go down if you put your feet up for a while. Just know that sudden or severe swelling can be a sign of a problem, so keep an eye out for that.
General discomfort. Thanks to your big belly, your back aches, your hips ache, and your feet… well, they ache too!
Shortness of breath. Those lungs just keep getting more crowded, right? Baby is still up high near your rib cage during pregnancy at 30 weeks, but should drop down into your pelvis a little later in your pregnancy—maybe as soon as week 33 or 34. You’ll know when he or she does because you’ll be able to take a deep breath again. Ah!

30 WEEKS PREGNANT BELLY

Whoa! You might notice your 30 weeks pregnant belly getting pretty hard and tight at times. Yep, at 30 weeks pregnant Braxton Hicks contractions are pretty common. These are your body’s way of gearing up for the main event (labor, of course). Braxton Hicks tend to happen after exercise or sex, or when you’re tired or dehydrated. If you get them, sit down or lie on your side, relax, and drink water. If the contractions don’t stop, or if you have four or more in an hour, call your doctor. It could actually be preterm labor.

Total 30 weeks pregnant weight gain should be about 18 to 25 pounds. However, if you’re pregnant with twins, it may be more like 25 to 40 pounds. Fundal height—the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus—should be around 28 to 32 centimeters.

Worried about the weight gain? Don’t be. The extra pounds you’ve put on will act as reserves to help you breastfeed baby. There’s no need to agonize over them or to rush to take them off; it’s taken you nine months to put the weight on, and it will take at least that long to take it off. Do keep your eye on the scale, however, because sudden or drastic weight gain could be the sign of a serious pregnancy complication called preeclampsia, so you should notify your doctor right away if the number on your scale jumps higher than it usually does week-to-week.

During pregnancy at 30 weeks, baby’s position is still head up. Your 30-week fetus is floating comfortably in about 1½ pints of amniotic fluid. It may seem cramped in there, but he or she still has room to move around. Over the upcoming weeks, your belly will grow even further past your rib cage to accommodate baby, but he or she will still get a little more crowded as you approach your due date.

30 WEEKS PREGNANT ULTRASOUND

If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, you probably won’t have a 30 weeks pregnant ultrasound. But, if you could see what baby’s up to, here’s what you’d find: Your 30-week fetus’ skin is now getting smoother, but his or her brain is getting wrinklier—that’s to make way for all that essential brain tissue. Your baby at 30 weeks is now strong enough to grasp a finger! That’s a skill he or she will certainly use post-birth.

30 weeks pregnant with twins? So far, your twins probably have been growing at the same rate as any other babies in utero. But sometime between now and week 32, they might slow down a bit.

Around week 30 of pregnancy with twins, your OB may order a biophysical profile to be taken of your babies. This is a combo of a 30-week ultrasound and a non-stress test (NST). For the NST, you’ll have sensors put on your belly to detect and measure your contractions and the babies’ heart rates. The test is designed to check how a baby’s heart rate responds when he or she moves. If everything seems okay with the NST and the ultrasound, your doctor will rule out fetal distress to assure your twosome is doing just fine.