It’s time: not only is your 8th month beginning, but so is the third and final trimester of your pregnancy. This phase is mainly characterized by growth—and you can feel it, both for you and your baby. Read on to find out what’s happening this week.
How big is your baby in the 29th week of pregnancy?
Your baby is about 26 centimeters long from head to rump this week, comparable to a broccoli. A crown-to-heel length between 30 and 39 centimeters is now normal.
29th week of pregnancy: What's changing for you
With the remaining two months, the last—and often more challenging—phase of your pregnancy begins. In the coming weeks, your baby will at least double its weight by the time of birth, and you will also gain a few pounds. Due to your baby’s rapid growth and increased energy needs, . At the same time, your growing uterus presses more and more on your stomach and diaphragm—the fundus is now already 10 centimeters above your navel and can be easily felt from the outside. Make sure to eat several small meals throughout the day instead of a few large ones. This relieves your stomach and helps you . If you also suffer from , be sure to include more nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and other high-fiber foods in your diet.
Preeclampsia
Water retention
It is important to know that water retention alone does not necessarily indicate preeclampsia. Only in combination with other indicators, such as high blood pressure and increased protein excretion in the urine, do the edema point to the pregnancy-related condition. To avoid undetected preeclampsia, which could lead to potentially life-threatening complications for you and your baby, your blood pressure and the amount of protein in your urine are closely monitored and checked at every .
The causes of preeclampsia are not yet understood, but overexertion and nutrient deficiency may contribute to the condition during pregnancy. Therefore, the symptoms that may indicate it (but do not have to) are often diffuse. Possible symptoms include:
Sudden significant weight gain
Headache, nausea, vomiting
Dizziness and visual disturbances
Seizures
Pain in the upper right abdomen
If preeclampsia is diagnosed, treatment also depends on the specific symptoms. In mild cases, rest and relaxation are often sufficient; sometimes antihypertensive medications are also prescribed.
Just as difficult as recognizing it is preventing the condition. If you eat a healthy diet and attend regular check-ups, you don’t need to worry too much. However, if you’re unsure, contact your midwife or doctor at any time if you experience unclear symptoms or would like to learn more about the condition.
29th week of pregnancy: Development of your baby
Your baby’s muscles are growing, but its range of motion in your womb is becoming increasingly limited. Over the next few weeks, your child will gradually adopt the typical embryonic position: pulling its arms and legs close to its body and lowering its chin to its chest.
Your baby’s skin continues to become smoother and less translucent due to the increasing layer of fat underneath. Its brain is now developed enough to take over more and more of the regulation of body temperature. However, your child still cannot regulate its body temperature independently. Brain volume steadily increases until birth, and the nervous system continues to differentiate: When it is born, your baby will have over 100 billion brain cells. In addition, the maturation of its immune system progresses this week. Through exchange with your blood via the uterus, there is a constant transfer of various antibodies, which become part of your child’s immune system.
This is now important
During this phase of pregnancy, leg cramps may occur more frequently. This may be due to the extra weight your legs have to carry, but a deficiency in calcium or potassium can also contribute to cramps. To help prevent them, stretch your legs several times a day while sitting (preferably right before going to sleep as well) and pull your feet toward you to stretch your calves. In addition, make sure you’re getting enough calcium and potassium, for example from bananas, green vegetables, and dairy products.
As the due date approaches, your thoughts may circle more and more and possibly cause you stress. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath this week so you can unwind and relax your body. The water should not be too hot, so it doesn’t put too much strain on your circulatory system.
As the space in your belly becomes smaller, your baby's movements gradually become gentler. However, you may feel their kicks and nudges even more intensely.
Tip from LILLYDOO Midwife Sissi
Are you thinking about your baby’s first purchases, or are you already in the middle of preparations? Whether you're looking for or clothing, browsing second-hand platforms or stores is worth it. You can often find high-quality baby accessories there in perfect condition. Since many items are only used for a few months—or even just weeks—buying second-hand pieces is often the . Another advantage: potential pollutants in clothing or furniture have usually already been washed out or dissipated.
With our pregnancy calendar, we want to accompany you through this exciting time and provide you with relevant information, which also in exchange with our
