At week 30 of pregnancy, your baby is growing even more rapidly and causing sudden attacks of excitement in you! The current growth rate is about half a pound and half an inch every week. The 30 week foetus is now almost the size of a cabbage, weighing nearly 3 pounds and measuring about 15.7 inches.
30 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
Shortness of breath
As the 30 week foetus is rapidly growing, it is crowding the area around your lungs and respiratory tract. This often leaves you breathless. Try to reduce your workload, if you’re still working, and practice some heavy breathing exercises. Water is another vital factor that keeps you going. Set alarms to help you remember to drink water at regular intervals.
Read More:Week 29 of Pregnancy – Pregnancy Week by Week
Insomnia
The changing hormonal structure causes sleeping disorders when you’re 30 weeks pregnant. Along with this there are is also fatigue that plays a major role in getting you to feel sleepy throughout the day and in turn stay awake at night!
Heartburn
The hormonal changes in your body make you feel uneasy and develop aversion toward certain foods. Keep a track of the foods that your system cannot handle at present, and steer clear of them. Stick to light soups, fruits, and salads to be on the safe track.
Swelling in the legs
Due to the pressure the baby is putting on your legs, there is an increased level of water retention and hence swelling. This is expected to go away right after delivering the child.
Read More:Home Remedies for Swollen Feet/Hands during Pregnancy
More frequent urination
At 30 weeks pregnant, the baby is growing more rapidly and putting even more pressure on your bladder. This increases your urge to visit the loo way too often now. Never hold back the urge to urinate because a full bladder can cause urine infections by leaking and contaminating the other internal fluids.
Itchy belly
As your belly is now growing faster than before, the skin around it is becoming thinner and drier. This causes your belly to itch and cause perpetual discomfort. Consult your doctor and get some skin-friendly lubricant.
Pregnant Belly
Your 30 weeks pregnant belly is now gradually getting harder and tighter. Braxton Hicks contractions, which are not a new occurrence, keep popping up at times, mainly after exercise. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
You should now be carrying an extra weight of 18 to 25 pounds. If you’re pregnant with twins, you are likely to have gained 25 to 40 pounds. The fundal height is now 28 to 32 centimetres.
Pregnancy Ultrasound
At the 30 weeks pregnancy ultrasound, you will see that your baby still has its head facing upwards, and is happily floating in 1.5 pints of amniotic fluid inside the sac! The essential brain tissues are developing rapidly and the skull is getting harder. In fact, all the bones in your baby’s body are now getting harder as they are developing more and more. RBCs are beginning to develop in the foetus’ bone marrow.
If you’re carrying twins, the doctor might recommend taking a biophysical profile of your babies. A ‘non-stress test’ will also be conducted by putting sensors on your belly to detect contractions and the babies’ heartbeats. This test is done to ensure that the babies are fine. Otherwise, medical support is provided.
Dos and Don’ts During Week 30 of Pregnancy
Dos –
Eat more nutrient-rich foods
At 30 weeks pregnant, as you nearing the delivery date, eat foods rich in iron, calcium, and protein. These are the key ingredients required to develop the foetus into a healthy baby. Consume apples, bananas, yogurt, milk, lean meat, low-fat cheese, beans, nuts, lentils, green vegetables, and whole-wheat grains. These foods can also help combat heartburn and indigestion.
Use moisturisers more often
Use lotions and moisturisers to lubricate your itchy 30 weeks pregnant belly. Don’t take it lightly because this dryness may even lead to cracked skin and further irritation. Consult your gynaecologist for a recommendation on medically safe lotion to be used regularly during this phase.
Exercise
Now that you’re 30 weeks pregnant, your ability to move around has certainly decreased. However, don’t cut down on the milder moves. Keep exercising by sticking to the basics like walking and performing ‘asanas’. If possible, practise some pelvic floor moves too.
Read More:Exercises to Avoid in Pregnancy
Take childbirth/Lamaze classes
It is high time that you sign up for childbirth classes if you haven’t done so already. Learn the techniques of heavy breathing like ‘Lamaze’, pushing, and moving your thighs to help you experience a safe delivery.
Don’ts –
Scratch your belly too much
There’s an obvious urge to scratch when it itches, but try not to do it all the time! It is irritating, but scratching will make the skin around your belly even worse. Scratching may lead to cuts, and you might even end up poking the foetus. Apply moisturisers regularly to combat itchiness in that area.
Over-exercise
Many a time, pregnant women tend to exercise even when their bodies don’t ply with their mental determination. Never think that exercising beyond your limit is good for the baby. In fact, over-exercising may lead to breaking of the sac and pre-term labour.
Read More:11 Benefits of Aerobics Exercises for Kids
Take up heavy office work
Keep that electronic device away! Working during this phase not only adds to your stress, but also causes potential harm to the 30 week foetus due to long hours of exposure to radio waves that are emitted from the electronic device you work on. Have a stress-free journey and enjoy every moment, instead of worrying about what’s happening in office!
Restrict your water intake to avoid visiting the toilet too often
Many expecting women feel tired and lazy to walk that extra distance and visit the toilet every now and then. Hence, they end up restraining themselves from drinking ample water. Never do that! A lack of water intake will lead to dizziness, increased fatigue, increased cramps, and constipation. Water is required for your body to function well and provide for the 30 week foetus.
In about 10 weeks’ time, you will be in the delivery room! No, don’t panic! Feel good about it and celebrate the fact that you’ve come such a long way without failing at any step! Great times lie ahead. However, you only need to be careful about your movements and diet. The rest will automatically fall into place.
