29 weeks pregnant

Even though Baby is 15-16 inches tall, the length of a small pineapple, and pretty close to birth height, your little one only weighs about 2.5 pounds. Baby’s muscles and lungs continue to mature this week, but your baby still has a lot of fat to develop in the next eleven weeks. So keep up with a nutritious diet eating a range of foods that help you feel good. And be sure to continue to include protein, Vitamin C, and iron in the mix so your baby’s growth stays steady, strong, and on track.

Baby will still be moving and grooving in your womb, so keep paying attention to their movements! You may notice your little one’s movements becoming less abrupt and more regular as they grow and have less room to wiggle. You may even see some movement or stretching from the outside! Kick counts can be a useful tool if you’re ever worried Baby isn’t moving like they normally do.

What’s new with you?

There are many discomforts you might be dealing with right now that are, for better and for worse, a totally normal part of pregnancy. Your body is releasing hormones that relax your muscles and ligaments in preparation for delivering Baby. This can slow your digestion.  For some folks, this means you could be feeling the effects of acid reflux. Your growing uterus, and the pressure it can put on your abdomen, aren’t helping either. There are a lot of things you can do to limit the impact acid reflux has on your life, from switching to smaller, more frequent meals than you’re used to, increasing your water intake, avoiding carbonation and lying on your left side when you sleep. But you should let your healthcare provider know if your indigestion is persistent, and, as always, you should check with your healthcare provider before taking any over-the-counter medication to treat heartburn while pregnant. 

This slowdown may also mean you’re experiencing constipation, so try to drink plenty of water and eat enough fiber to stay as regular as you can. Frequent bouts of constipation can increase the risk of hemorrhoids.

Varicose veins are another issue that plague a lot of folks during their third trimester. They can appear on your legs or your vulva, and elevation, compression, and changes in activity are usually your best bet for treatment.

The third trimester can also cause some unexpected forgetfulness and brain fog as your body works overtime to grow your little one. A good way to manage these symptoms is to get enough rest and stay hydrated. Give yourself lots of grace during this phase, and have your partner, family and friends take over any of the mental load and tasks that they can. Headaches can also pop up for some people. If frequent or intense headaches make it difficult to complete your daily routine, talk to your healthcare provider about safe ways to treat them. And because headaches can be a sign of preeclampsia, a situation that can be dangerous for both you and baby, if you’re dealing with any headaches that don’t respond to your usual treatment, be sure to let your provider know about them. 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

Read more