29 Weeks pregnant: Baby development, symptoms & signs

Your Body at Week 29

Weight gain

At this point in your pregnancy, you may have gained more than 20 pounds, or 9 kilograms! This can have countless effects on your day-to-day life, from how you move to how you get comfortable. Weight gain, coupled with a growing belly, can also seriously shift your center of gravity. Be especially careful on stairs, on public transport, or if it is slippery outside, as you are more prone to losing your balance or falling. 

Mental health

The final term of pregnancy can bring about a rush of feelings. You might feel excitement and relief that the pregnancy has progressed safely and your baby is almost here. It is also completely normal to be stressed or anxious about these last crucial weeks, childbirth, and the transition to becoming a parent. Try to avoid making comparisons between yourself and others — everyone experiences pregnancy differently.

You can always discuss your thoughts with a healthcare professional at wellness appointments and checkups [1]. It can help to talk about your feelings, whatever they might be, with a friend, family member, partner, doctor, or midwife. Remember that regular, pregnancy-safe exercise, breathing exercises, and a healthy diet can all help improve your mood and sleep, which both affect mental health. Antenatal classes or support groups can be great places to meet others who are expecting babies around the same time as you.

Your baby’s development at 29 weeks

As your baby continues its development in the seventh month of pregnancy, you might be feeling kicks and jabs even more strongly. As the baby grows, they have less and less space in the uterus to move around. 

You also might be feeling something new this week — hiccups! Scientists have suggested that babies can get hiccups in the womb as they inhale amniotic fluid [2]. Don’t worry, prenatal hiccups aren’t dangerous as the placenta continues to ensure your baby is getting enough oxygen. Hiccups are believed to be important in strengthening the lungs and diaphragm in preparation for life outside the womb [2]. 

At 29 weeks, your baby is about 15 inches, or 39 centimeters, long and can weigh up to 2.5 pounds, or around 1.2 kilograms. This is around the size of an eggplant or aubergine.

Pregnancy symptoms during week 29

Leg cramps

Leg cramps are sudden, sharp pain that usually happens in the calves (back of the lower leg) or feet. Cramps can last seconds or minutes, and are usually followed by tenderness in the muscle afterwards. While doctors are unsure why pregnant women are particularly prone to leg cramps, it can be the result of the pregnancy causing changes in your metabolism, too little or too much exercise, vitamin deficiency, or electrolyte imbalance [3]. If you are experiencing leg cramps, try to massage the area or stretch your leg muscles and, unless advised against by your HCP, try to walk more during the day. Though disruptive and uncomfortable, leg cramps should go away after your baby is born.

If leg cramps are disrupting your sleep, you can try:

• Getting out of bed and walking around a little
• Making sure your legs and feet have space to move in bed during the night
• Sleep with your feet slightly elevated, like on a pillow
• A warm bath before bed can help relax muscles. Avoid baths that are too hot, or hot tubs, as they are more likely to cause you to overheat [4].

If your leg cramps are coming more frequently or if you also notice swelling in your legs, contact your doctor, midwife, or OBGYN for advice.

Itchy skin

As the skin on your stomach and breasts continue to stretch in the last trimester, that skin can become especially sensitive, dry, or itchy. Hormone changes can also make skin irritations worse and stretch marks can make skin particularly sensitive. Itchiness poses no risk to your baby, but can be very uncomfortable. Try using a moisturizer, or emollient, frequently to treat discomfort. If irritation becomes unmanageable, or turns into a rash that concerns you, talk to your HCP about other treatments.

If you are suffering from itchy skin particularly on your hands and feet, often without any rash or visible signs on the skin, contact your HCP as this might be a sign of the liver condition known as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, or ICP [5]. Other symptoms of ICP include dark urine or pale poo.

Lightheadedness

Lightheadedness or dizziness are common pregnancy symptoms that can begin already in the first trimester. There are many possible causes, like low blood sugar, dehydration, and lowered blood pressure on account of hormonal changes that cause blood vessels to become wider and more relaxed [6]. Eating smaller meals more frequently, not standing for too long, avoiding hot baths and showers, and getting up slowly after sitting or lying down can help reduce or prevent dizziness and lightheadedness [6].

If you experience lightheadedness that is accompanied by a persistent headache or changes in your vision, contact your HCP as this might be a sign of preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition that needs to be diagnosed and managed as quickly as possible [7]. 

Frequent urination

Healthy adults typically urinate every 3-4 hours [8]. More than that is considered frequent urination, a condition affecting most women during pregnancy [9]. Frequent urination can start as early as the first trimester, usually decreases in the second trimester, and comes back in the third as the baby moves further down in your body in preparation for birth. 

There are a lot of bodily changes during pregnancy that could cause you to need to pee more often [9]:

• Your body is producing much more blood, which means there is more fluid for your kidneys to process
• Your kidneys are more efficient at getting rid of waste in your body, which means your bladder will fill quicker
• Relaxin, the pregnancy hormone that relaxes your ligaments, also works on your urethra, making it more difficult to hold it in
• The positioning, shape, and size of your uterus can press on your bladder, making it harder to fill, and making you feel like you need to go more frequently 

Though disruptive, it is important to remember to stay hydrated and not hold your urine. Unlike a urinary tract infection (UTI), frequent urination because of pregnancy should not be painful. If it becomes painful, if you have blood in your urine, or if you suspect you have a UTI, contact your HCP.

Tips in week 29

• Familiarize yourself with upcoming third trimester prenatal visits and remember to ask questions! Prioritize your well-being by communicating openly with your HCP and trusting your instincts. Remember there are no stupid questions.
• Start assembling baby gear! Cribs, strollers, and car seats all take time to put together or install, don’t leave it until the baby comes! By starting early, you not only save stress later, but can help yourself feel more secure and ready for the future.
• Consider a pregnancy support belt. For some women, maternity belts can help support your pelvic girdle and ease pain and discomfort [10].
• Have you had a whooping cough vaccine? Check with your doctor if it is available for you where you live.
• Try working your abs! One simple exercise you can do this week is the sitting knee lift:
1. Sit in a firm chair without armrests, with your back straight and feet flat on the floor
2. Keep your palms facing towards you, holding the seat of the chair for support
3. While exhaling, slowly lift one knee up towards your chest
4. Inhale and lower that foot back to the floor 
5. Repeat the same progression with the other foot 
6. Try doing 10 repetitions per leg as 1 set. If this feels comfortable, try another set

Following your pregnancy with Natural Cycles

Natural Cycles is the first FDA leared non-hormonal, non-invasive birth control app, but did you know that you can also track your pregnancy using Natural Cycles? NC° FollowPregnancy helps guide your prenatal journey from week to week. The app will not only keep you up-to-date on your baby’s development, but will also help ensure you are caring for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. You can also use the app to help track your pregnancy symptoms. Following birth, NC° Postpartum will help you recover from pregnancy and childbirth with informative, educational resources to help you transition to postpartum life.