You are 30 weeks pregnant or in your 31st week of pregnancy (counting from the first day of your Last Menstrual Period).
Keep in mind that this information is approximate. Each pregnancy is different and growth rates vary. For variations and details, please talk to your doctor.
What’s happening to the baby?
- The baby will not be able to move a lot now because there might not be much room in your uterus. So, the baby might not be able to do somersaults and move in different positions. But you will still be able to feel her limited movements.
- The baby's immune system is developing so it can meet the world and will continue to develop after birth also.
- The lanugo (fine hair on the baby’s body that was protecting the baby from amniotic fluid) is now starting to shed. Wondering where it goes? The lanugo that is shed gets swallowed by your baby, along with additional amniotic fluid, which combine together to form meconium, or your baby’s first bowel movement after birth. But the lanugo might be present on the back and the shoulders of the newborn baby.
- If you have a boy, his testicles might start descending down to the scrotum. Sometimes the baby boy’s testicles do not descend down the scrotum until birth or even until the first year.
- Your baby is about 39 centimetres long (Crown to heel length) and weighs about 1.4 kilograms.
What’s happening to mom?
- You are still feeling uncomfortable with the growing baby pressing on your body organs. You may be feeling breathless and suffering from constipation, heartburn, frequent trips to the bathroom etc. But there is hope. Typically, in a couple of weeks or so (around week 34, or 35), the baby will “drop” or drop into a head first position (ready for childbirth) in your pelvis, ie., the baby will get lower. This will help relieve many woes like breathlessness, heartburn etc.
- You will be feeling Braxton Hicks contractions in your abdomen. These are a kind of practice drill to prepare your body for childbirth. You will experience tightening of your uterus or mild contractions. Have water, empty your bladder or have a warm bath to relieve these contractions. But if the contractions get painful, regular and start accelerating, you might be in early labour. If so, call your doctor.
- Some moms might notice their breasts leaking colostrum. Colostrum is a thick yellowish secretion that precedes the coming of milk once the baby is born. Even though the quantity of colostrum is limited, it is supposed to be packed with essential nutrients for the baby. You could use cotton wool pads in your bra to absorb the leaking colostrum. Even though you are months away from your baby, your body has started preparing for the baby.
Checklist for mom
- Start learning about newborn baby care so that you can be ready when the baby comes. See Parentree's collection of baby articles.
- Ensure that you are taking the nutritional supplements your doctor has prescribed for you. Your body needs a lot of iron for the increased blood supply your body makes to accommodate the growing baby and the blood lost during delivery.
- Take steps to help your older child adjust better to the baby and plan upfront for this.
- If you have an older child, make sure that you have planned for the care of the child once the baby comes and that you have someone to leave the child with when you need to rush to the hospital for delivery. Make sure that the child is caught up at school. Once the baby comes, you might get very busy. Appoint a caretaker (for example: your husband, grandmother, an aunt, a friend) as well to take care of the older child’s homework for a few weeks once the baby comes. But plan to budget special time with the older child once the baby comes.
- If you have not already, schedule or go for your childbirth classes if you have not already. You need to have completed taking these classes by your 37th week. Make sure you take your spouse or labour support person (your mother, friend or other person who is close to you). Childbirth classes can provide useful information on
- Labour process, childbirth and pain relief options
- Teach you breathing exercises and other tips to make labour and childbirth easier
- Breastfeeding basics
- Even basic newborn care
- Read Parentree articles on preparing for childbirth, breastfeeding tips, common questions about breastfeeding.
- Especially learn about signs of labour in “How to know that you are in labour?”
Ideas for dad
- Try and grab as many fun things like movies, dinner etc. with your wife right now. Very soon, you will not be able to go for these for a few months.
- Along with your wife, start learning about newborn baby care (In Parentree's collection of baby articles.) so that you can be ready when the baby comes.
Other tidbits
- Have fun thinking about baby names. Do you want an old fashioned name or a contemporary name? A short name or a long name? A name starting with a certain alphabet? A traditional name or a global name or both? Or do you want the name to signify a certain attribute like strength, beauty, nature etc. Or do you want to wait and get inspiration seeing the baby. You have a lot of time and can short list names once the baby comes as well. Come up with a list of names that you like and ask the Parentree parents to suggest names based on these preferences.
- Babies born in India do not necessarily need a name once discharged from the hospital. But in many countries like the United States, babies need a name when they are discharged from the hospital (otherwise the parents need to do additional paperwork).
Useful Parentree articles for this stage of pregnancy
Pregnancy - Week by week
See what's happening with baby and mom
Checklists - things to do, shopping, tests, scans, doctor visits
Ideas for dad
Interesting information and facts
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