Pregnancy Stages: Week 30

Your baby:

Your baby is around 40 cm long and weights almost 1kg and 400 grams. He is still developing and increasing in size which makes the space around him tighter. The lanugo that covers his body starts to fall down and his nervous system is fully developed. He can open his eyes and gets stimulated by light. He follows a pattern of sleeping and waking up. He can recognize your voice and has a strong gripping reflex. He exercises breathing but still cannot breathe air! If born at this time he has a great chance of surviving.

Your body:

You might be feeling tired and restless. You are experiencing sleeping troubles and feel heavier. Your belly is increasing every day pushing your tummy into your stomach and causing heartburns. Stretch marks may appear. Use almond oil or any moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. Keep exercising and swim if you can. It would help to relax your back muscles and provides you with positive energy.

You start worrying about your delivery day and start wondering about the best way of delivery. You might ask your doctor about the need of the episiotomy and its effects. Massaging the perineum 4 to 5 weeks before delivery would help to eradicate the episiotomy and the stitches. It is the best time to discuss options of pain relief techniques with your doctor. The epidural is to be determined and discussed prior to the delivery date. Relaxing techniques can be taught during childbirth classes. You will have to practice these techniques at home with your partner.

Discuss cord blood donation with your partner. It is a very important and harmless procedure in which blood is taken from the umbilical cord and stored in specific labs. This blood contains stem cells that can be used to treat certain diseases as cancer.

The best way to eliminate fear is to discuss all your worries with your healthcare provider.