The 29th week of pregnancy began. Since the obstetric period is counted from the beginning of the first days of menstruation, in fact, your fetal gestational age is 27 weeks. Given that the obstetric month is 28 days, 3 months are left before delivery. Your baby is actively preparing for the birth of the world. What changes await a woman at 29 weeks of gestation and what happens to the baby, we will tell in the article below. We will also discuss possible risks and share useful tips.
Fetal development at 29 weeks gestation
The baby already has everything that he needs to live outside the womb. Now it is only actively growing and strengthening. In size, it is comparable to a small head of cabbage. His height is 38-40 cm, and weight is about 1100-1250 grams. Shocks become more painful - muscle tissue and ligaments are improved. Tumble in the womb, as before, he can no longer, but kicks and elbow bumps are becoming more noticeable.
A small organism is already able to control body temperature, a special subcutaneous fat is involved, which is involved in thermoregulation. The immune system works properly, and the baby's blood has a stable composition.
Amniotic fluid flows into the baby’s stomach through the mouth and nose daily, and the kidneys drain up to 500 ml of urine. The digestive tract of the child is preparing for the digestion of real food.
Your baby at the 29th week of pregnancy is able to not only hear sounds, recognize tastes and light, but also focus on something. It is difficult to believe, but the baby learns to focus visually at this time.
Every day he looks more and more like a newborn, the skin is smoothed and brightens, lanugo gradually disappears. The genitals are perfectly formed, and you probably already know the gender of the unborn baby.
Feelings of a future mother
The expectant mother begins to feel that at the 29th week of pregnancy there are changes in the movements of the fetus. Now he does not tumble upside down and back, but is more in one position. That's just due to the fact that the baby's arms and legs are quite strong, then the tremors become more noticeable.
The baby continues to grow, and with it the uterus grows, more and more pressing on the diaphragm and other organs. In a pregnant woman, heartburn, bloating and constipation are worse. Sometimes it may seem that there is not enough oxygen. Mom’s heart is working hard and can lead to excessive sweating.
It is known that at the 29th week of pregnancy there is a shift in the center of gravity, so there is a threat of falling and dislocation. And against the background of low blood pressure and hemoglobin level, dizziness and fainting are quite possible, be careful.
Every day it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. You need a full sleep more than ever, so if you can’t get comfortable in any way, you should buy a special pillow for pregnant women.
What pains are possible at week 29
With the growth of the abdomen, the load on the legs, lower back, sacrum increases. There are still the most difficult 3 months ahead, and the stomach will only grow, so take care of yourself, monitor the correct posture and if you have not done so, it may be time to start wearing a bandage.
In general, pain can have a different etiology and some unpleasant sensations are associated with the physiology of the pregnant woman, others require immediate treatment. For example, pregnant women often have pain and legs, this is due to a lack of calcium. And with insufficient hemoglobin or low blood pressure, frequent headaches are possible. If you take all the tests in time, monitor the pressure and adjust your diet, you can easily avoid these kinds of problems.
But in those cases when the back and lower back hurts, or painful urination appears, you should notify your doctor about this. The same goes for bowel pain. Painful bowel movement is fraught with inflammation and prolapse of hemorrhoids.
At the 29th week of pregnancy, the body begins to prepare for the upcoming birth. The pelvic bones gradually diverge, which can cause a woman unpleasant and even painful sensations. But if there is soreness in the lower abdomen, accompanied by bloody discharge - this is an occasion to beware and seek help.
What happens to mom at 29 weeks of gestation
The most important thing that happens now with mom is that a child is growing in her stomach, and therefore, the skin on it is stretched. It is for this reason that you may experience itching and burning in this area. In order to prevent the appearance of ugly stretch marks, now think about hydrating the skin. In addition, in pharmacies you can buy a special cream designed for this purpose. But still, the best remedy for all times is considered to be ordinary olive oil, it does not cause allergies and does not contain "chemistry".
The abdomen at the 29th week of pregnancy abuts against the ribs, and the center of gravity is moving more and more here. It seems to you huge and interferes with sleep, but this is not its maximum size. Many mothers take photos at the 29th week of pregnancy in memory of past difficulties.
Sometimes you can feel weak rhythmic tremors, they are more like trembling - this is hiccups. The baby swallows a small amount of amniotic fluid, which causes him to hiccups. It is not dangerous and passes quickly.
Uterus
By the end of the 29th week of pregnancy, the uterus rises above the navel by 8-10 cm. A sufficiently large and heavy uterus, along with the baby inside, continues to put pressure on all internal organs. Calls to the toilet are becoming more common, more than half of all pregnant women at this time suffer from constipation. Do not underestimate such a delicate problem, childbirth awaits you, which can provoke the loss of hemorrhoidal nodes. Therefore, now take measures to alleviate the condition.
From this week, a pregnant woman may feel slight contractions of the uterus. If discomfort does not cause serious pain and disappears after rest, do not worry - these are training fights. That is, the uterus is actively preparing for the upcoming birth. But remember: training fights are different from real painlessness and short duration. If the pain increases, and the interval between them decreases, it can already be real contractions and should immediately arrive at the hospital.
Discharge
Ideally, the discharge at the 29th week of pregnancy should be moderately plentiful without color and smell, that is, no different from last week. If the consistency, color or odor changes, it is better to pass a smear on the flora and start treatment in a timely manner. When you need to sound the alarm:
- the discharge became curdled, with lumps of mucus;
- a specific smell is present;
- if the discharge is green, gray, yellow;
- there are streaks of blood or completely spotting;
- the presence of pus.
It should be noted that the most alarming signal for you should be precisely spotting. This may signal the onset of placental abruption. However, if you notice traces of blood on your underwear, it is possible that this is a symptom of hemorrhoids.
At the 29th week of pregnancy, not only vaginal discharge may appear, but also discharge from the mammary glands. Never squeeze colostrum. If there is too much of it, just wipe it or lightly get wet.
Necessary analyzes
You may have to check with your doctor more often this week. Admission to the antenatal clinic now occurs 2 times a month. As usual, before entering the office you should already have your usual blood and urine tests ready. The midwife will take standard measurements of your abdomen, measure weight and pressure.
At this time, all additional tests are appointed only on the basis of indications. And now with 30 weeks you will have to go through all the experts again and pass all the necessary tests.
In the presence of the above-described secretions, it is likely that the gynecologist will refer you to an additional ultrasound examination and testing for infections.
Ultrasound scan
In the normal course of pregnancy, ultrasound of the fetus at the 29th week of pregnancy is not prescribed. In cases where there are risks or the doctor has good reason, he may order you an additional study. For example, if there is a threat of premature birth and you need to put a pessary, diagnosis of the cervical canal is necessary.
If the baby does not mind, you can see the gender of the child. At week 29, all genitals are well formed and clearly visible on the monitor. Also, the uzist will evaluate the fetal motor activity, location and check heart rhythms.
Food
You can completely abandon artificial vitamins if you eat properly and fully. To say that the diet should not have colored drinks, fast food, a lot of fat, but vegetables and fruits must be present, we think it makes no sense. Everyone already knows that during pregnancy you need to eat only healthy foods.
Another thing is that at the 29th week of pregnancy, a huge amount of protein and calcium is expelled from the mother’s body to develop the baby’s muscle tissue and bones. If for some reason you do not eat meat or do not accept dairy products, try to compensate for the loss of plant foods.
For the prevention and treatment of constipation, it is necessary to eat fiber, that is, more fresh vegetables and fruits. If you become concerned about heartburn, eat small portions and exclude fried foods from the menu.
Try to completely eliminate or at least significantly reduce the amount of salt consumed. As you know, it contributes to the accumulation of water in the body, and this leads to edema.
Weight
You need to control your weight throughout pregnancy, but especially in the third trimester. If until today you were glad that you gained quite a bit, and some managed not to recover at all, then, starting from the third trimester, your weight will grow rapidly. The fact is that before this, the baby's organs were formed, and now he only had to grow and gain weight.
Sometimes pregnant women are addicted to chocolate to raise their hemoglobin level or pressure. Such high-calorie foods will not save you from anemia, but they will certainly lead to weight gain.
Sex
Sex life is prohibited with placenta previa, isthmic-cervical insufficiency, multiple pregnancy and other pathologies. If pregnancy proceeds without complications, sex at week 29 is completely allowed. But you need to choose the most comfortable postures, in which there is no pressure on the stomach. Despite the fact that sex at week 29 is not contraindicated, you still do not need to experiment, and with the slightest discomfort it is better to abandon sexual activity until more favorable times.
Premature birth
Another 11 weeks before PDD, but childbirth can begin at any time. No one is safe from preterm birth, and there are many reasons for this. According to statistics, 7% of all pregnancies end in premature birth. In addition, artificial delivery at the 29th week of pregnancy is sometimes the only way to save the baby and mother. You need to know about this.
A baby who appears at the 29th week of pregnancy is able to survive. Of course, only with qualified medical assistance and with modern equipment for nursing. Therefore, if there is a threat, it is necessary to extend the time the baby stays in the womb.
Factors that increase the risk of premature birth:
- stressful situations at work and in the family;
- physical work;
- too young or vice versa the mature age of the pregnant woman;
- severe chronic diseases of the expectant mother;
- placenta previa;
- anatomical malformations of the uterus;
- rhesus-conflict pregnancy.
Useful Tips
Even if there is no threat of premature birth or any other deviations, the following tips will help greatly alleviate the condition and communicate pregnancy without problems:
- Use a special bandage that will support the stomach and relieve pain in the back and lower back.
- Self-medication for hemorrhoids during pregnancy is very dangerous. Entrust this matter to the doctor.
- If you have varicose veins, wear compression hosiery.
- Review your diet completely. The menu should have more fiber, calcium and protein.
- Courses for expectant mothers can teach you a lot.
- From heartburn nutrition helps in small portions. If it does not go away, you do not have to endure it, ask your doctor for a safe drug.