Your baby is filling out fast at xxx weeks of pregnancy, significant your bump may be popping even more than now. A big office of that growth is in babe's apace developing brain.

Meanwhile, you may be welcoming back a few of those early on pregnancy symptoms y'all thought you lot'd kissed good-bye at the terminate of the first trimester, such as frequent urination.

Your Infant at Week 30

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Big changes are underway in your baby's watery world this calendar week. At about 3 pounds and still about 16 inches long, your petty chick is starting to look more like a cherub every bit she continues plumping upwards. She'll exist piling on weight at the rate of near half pound a week from here on out.

Remember the lanugo — the downy blanket of body pilus she'southward been wearing for warmth? Now that your little one's got more fat to keep her toasty, she's able to start shedding her fuzz — which means your deport will no longer be fuzzy wuzzy by the time she arrives. Other cuter pursuits on the agenda: growing thicker eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair on her head…that is unless she's destined to be a beautiful baldy.

But perhaps the biggest bulletin comes from your infant'south brain, which is getting ready to boot up its chapters. Once smooth, it'southward now forming channels and creases, creating more encephalon tissue with greater surface area. Without this new topography, that neonatal noodle would become enormous, and of course, and so would your baby'due south caput. The issue: a superlative-heavy babe unable to fit through the birth culvert… ouch.

The creases and indentations besides allow for future expansion of brain tissue that is crucial as your baby goes from helpless newborn to responsive infant to verbal toddler to curious preschooler and beyond.

Some other big alter this week: babe'southward bone marrow has stepped upwards to the plate, taking over the job of producing red blood cells from the pinch hitters, the spleen and tissue groups. These red blood cells are critical because they transport oxygen and remove waste matter. With their help, your babe begins prepping for the future, past storing iron, calcium and phosphorus in those tiny cells.

At a Glance

Wrinkly baby brain

The surface of your baby'southward brain begins to wrinkle — the wrinkles are chosen convolutions — so that it can hold more brain cells.

Hold on tight!

Your babe's easily are now fully formed and fingernails are growing. In ultrasounds, you may grab baby grabbing a foot.

Do your kicking counts!

Your growing baby's quarters go on getting tighter, but you'll still feel move every day. So don't forget those kick counts!

30 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you're 30 weeks pregnant, you're in month 7 of your pregnancy. Only 2 months left to become! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken downwardly in pregnancy.

How large is my babe at 30 weeks?

Your belly's increasing size is a definite clue that your baby is getting bigger every solar day — now she's weighing in at about 3 pounds. She'll be packing on weight at a rate of roughly half a pound per week for the next 7 weeks.

Babe'south brain is getting bigger

Too growing at a quick pace these days?Baby's brain. Until now, its surface was smooth — but now, your fetus' brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations.

The reason for the different advent: Those wrinkles allow for an increased corporeality of brain tissue — a necessary change as your baby prepares to develop street smarts for life outside your womb.

Lanugo is disappearing

Now that babe'southward brain and new fat cells are regulating body temperature, the lanugo — that soft, downy hair roofing your little bean'south body — is first to disappear.

No need for that furry glaze anymore! Simply you may meet a few leftover strands of fur on your newborn'south back and shoulders when she'due south built-in.

Bone marrow is making red blood cells

Another large modify at 30 weeks pregnant: Your baby's bone marrow has completely taken over product of ruby blood cells — before, tissue groups and then the spleen took care of producing the claret cells. This is an important step for your baby considering it means she'll be better able to thrive on her ain in one case she's born.

Your Body at Week 30

30 Weeks Pregnant

They're baaack!

You're 30 weeks significant — simply 10 more to get! Many of the early pregnancy symptoms you thought you'd put backside you may be coming dorsum to haunt you, at least to some extent, similar the need to pee all the fourth dimension because your baby'south caput is now pressing on your bladder, tender breasts that are gearing upward for milk production, fatigue and pregnancy heartburn.

Or you may be one of the lucky ones who still feels pretty bully — just remember that it's all normal, and everyone is different!

Heartburn

These days you may experience as though yous've got a flamethrower in your chest. Indigestion is one of the most mutual (and annoying) pregnancy ailments.

Here'southward why: The same pregnancy hormones that crusade your body's pelvic muscles to relax and so you tin deliver your baby also relax the ring of muscle that separates the esophagus from the stomach.

The result: Food and digestive juices tin can head upstream from your tummy into your breast and throat — hence, the infernal inferno. Your expanding uterus, now exerting pressure level on your stomach, but fuels the fire.

So how do you spell relief? Among other things, avoid foods that can crusade digestive discomfort — like spicy, fatty or fried dishes, chocolate and tomato sauce — eat smaller meals and don't prevarication down while snacking or correct after eating. And, of course, keep a supply of Tums or Rolaids, which also give you a good for you bonus of calcium, at popping distance.

Fortunately, once your infant is born, heartburn will exist a thing of the past — at least until you endeavor to gobble dinner during a colic marathon.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 30

Changes in fetal move

Yous'll feel your infant moving every twenty-four hour period now, sometimes with a dial or a kick — your itty-bitty boxer is getting stronger! — other times with a wiggle or stretch. You can also wait more activeness afterwards you've eaten and (sadly!) when you're lying down. Baby's quarters are getting more cramped, though, so you may experience fewer difficult kicks at this stage. Ever check with your practitioner about any changes in fetal motion to be certain. Read More than

Bloating and gas

As your uterus expands, it puts pressure level on your rectum, which can weaken musculus control and lead to uncontrollable passing of gas. Drink enough of h2o to avoid constipation, which aggravates the status. Read More than

Bloated anxiety and ankles

About 75 per centum of pregnant women suffer from puffy ankles and feet. As well wearing comfy shoes, yous tin relieve your swollen tootsies by taking breaks and putting your feet up. You deserve information technology! Read More

Constipation

Fifty-fifty if you lot managed to conquer constipation before in your pregnancy, you may have to contend with a render to more than sluggish bowels — give thanks your ever-expanding uterus, which is putting force per unit area on them. Remember that fluids and fiber are your friends, as are probiotics, which you can notice in yogurt. Read More

Stretch marks

Every bit your skin stretches to arrange your growing belly and trunk, you — and up to an estimated 90 percentage of the significant fix — are probably starting to see pink, ruby, yellow, tan or sometimes purplish or brown streaks known as stretch marks. There's no miracle cure for stretch marks, so don't blow the bucks on expensive creams that promise to make them disappear. Creams will soothe your itchy belly, though. Read More than

Fatigue

Your 2nd trimester get-up-and-become may accept upwardly and left now. Your growing baby is putting more demands on your body, and insomnia may exist leaving you pooped during the day. Now's the time to ask for aid — a skill that volition come in handy subsequently childbirth — especially while doing something strenuous. Read More than

Tips for Yous This Calendar week

Prop up with pillows

Breathless? Your growing infant is pressing against your diaphragm. Equally your pregnancy progresses, you may start to experience winded fifty-fifty afterward minimal amounts of physical exertion.

You can't completely salvage shortness of jiff during pregnancy, but standing up straight tin can give your lungs a picayune, well, breathing room. At night, endeavor sleeping in a semi-seated position on your left side, with pillows propping you lot up.

Opt for flats

Put away the heels! Your shifting sense of gravity and loosening joints (thanks to that all-important hormone, relaxin) leave you clutzier than usual. Prevent falls by wearing flats and watching your stride.

Enquire nigh episiotomies

Talk to your health care provider about episiotomies during labor. The procedure involves a surgical cut in your perineum, the muscular area between your vagina and your anus, correct earlier delivery to enlarge your baby'southward exit.

In the by, episiotomies were routine, but now, they're washed much less frequently unless there's a expert reason. What you want to hear from your dr.: "I only perform them if absolutely necessary."

Remember your Kegels

The name Kegel may be silly — at least when you say it out loud — just these pelvic floor strengthening exercises really work wonders.

Why? A stronger pelvic floor better supports your uterus, float and bowels, and it can ease pregnancy and postpartum symptoms such as hemorrhoids and urinary incontinence. More good news: Kegel exercises are easy to do no affair where y'all are.

To requite them a shot, tense the muscles around your vagina and lesser and hold, same as you lot would if you were trying to end the menses of urine, working up to ten seconds. Then slowly release and repeat. Shoot for three sets of 20 daily. Try doing them during sex activity too.

Combat water memory

Here'due south a "slap-up" reason to drink water: Though virtually people associate lots of water with h2o weight, the opposite is actually true. Paradoxically, drinking plenty of liquids can keep excessive water memory and swelling under command.

While a sure amount of pregnancy edema is to be expected when you're expecting — and represents a normal and necessary increase in body fluids — keeping the fluids flowing (likewise equally cutting dorsum on your common salt intake) tin can foreclose too many from accumulating where y'all'd rather they didn't…similar in your ankles. Support stockings can as well aid reduce swelling, as can soaking in epsom baths and pond.

Check skin care products

Before you care for those fine lines on your face up, read the fine impress on your skin intendance products' ingredient labels. If they incorporate vitamin A (retinoids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid or salicylic acid), y'all might need to bid it a fond cheerio for a while — though check with your doctor to exist certain.

Almost practitioners will green-lite products containing AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), just practice enquire first. And proceed in mind that AHA products can make your already sun-sensitive pregnancy skin even more vulnerable to the dissentious effects of the dominicus'due south rays.

Sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is your friend, so clothing information technology daily, even when there are more than clouds than sun. Not only will yous protect your pare, you'll ward off wrinkles more finer than any foam at any price.

Cull safe carbohydrate substitutes

Here's what you need to know about low-cal and no-cal sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners during pregnancy:

  • Sucralose (Splenda), which has less of an aftertaste, appears to be safe during pregnancy, and then you can sweeten your day — and your coffee or tea — with information technology.
  • Aspartame (including Equal and NutraSweet) has experts divided. Some think it's harmless, while others recollect it'southward unsafe. Given this lack of consensus, it'southward probably smart non to requite Equal equal billing with other sweetener options.
  • Saccharin (similar Sweet 'Due north Low) has never been proven dangerous during pregnancy, just it'due south never been proven safe either. Information technology gets to your baby through the placenta, and when it gets there, it's ho-hum to leave. To be safe, avert it while yous're expecting, or at the very least, bank check with your doctor before using it.
  • Xylitol is a sugar alcohol derived from plants that'southward naturally occurring in many fruits and veggies and is considered rubber during pregnancy in moderate amounts.
  • Stevia (steviol glycoside) is a food condiment that's "by and large recognized as safety," and therefore doesn't need approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but there'due south no inquiry showing that it's okay for pregnancy. Enquire before using it.

Your best bet? Check with your practitioner before using whatever of these sugar substitutes. And just remember: When information technology comes to artificial sweeteners, consumption in moderation is always a adept idea and you lot may be ameliorate off just using the real thing (sugar) in pocket-sized amounts.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such equally peer-reviewed studies, academic enquiry institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we continue our content authentic and up-to-appointment by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Await When You're Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Are Bogus Sweeteners and Carbohydrate Substitutes Safe During Pregnancy?, May 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Pregnancy-Safety Skin Intendance Guide: Ingredients to Avoid, May 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, What Sunscreen Is Condom During Pregnancy?, May 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Kegel Exercises: How, When and Why to Exercise Your Kegels During and Afterwards Pregnancy, November 2019.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Episiotomy During Labor and Delivery, May 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Shortness of Breath During Pregnancy, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Edema (Swelling of the Ankles and Anxiety) During Pregnancy, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Postpartum Symptoms & Solutions to Get You Through, April 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Clumsiness During Pregnancy, October 2020.
  • American Academy of Dermatology, Sunscreen FAQs, 2021.
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Pelvic Back up Problems, January 2020.
  • American College of Osteopathic Higher of Dermatology, Striae.
  • Food and Drug Administration, Boosted Data Nigh High-Intensity Sweeteners Permitted for Use in Nutrient in the United states of america, February 2018.
  • Food and Drug Administration, Sugar Alcohols, March 2020.
  • Food and Drug Assistants, High-Intensity Sweeteners, December 2017.
  • KidsHealth From Nemours, Sleeping During Pregnancy, October 2016.
  • Mayo Clinic, Episiotomy: When It's Needed, When It's Not, August 2020.
  • Mayo Clinic, Fetal Evolution: The third Trimester, June 2020.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Sugar Substitutes During Pregnancy, November 2014.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Safety of Peel Care Products During Pregnancy, June 2011.
  • National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, National Eye for Biotechnology Information, Vitamin A Toxicity, February 2021.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, National Library of Medicine, Fetal Development, June 2021.
  • National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K, March 2021.
  • National Institutes of Wellness, National Library of Medicine, Striae Gravidarum: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Management, June 2017.
  • The Urban Kid Plant, Baby's Brain Begins At present: Conception to Historic period 3, 2021.

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