You’re 29 weeks pregnant and here’s hoping you are feeling fine! Every day you get closer to meeting that sweet baby of yours. Here’s what to expect from your baby and your body when you’re 29 weeks pregnant.

Baby at 29 weeks pregnant

This week, your baby measures about 16 inches in length and weighs close to three pounds. With all major systems now in place, your baby can turn his or her attention to pure growing. In the next 11 or so weeks your baby will pile on the pounds, more than doubling (and maybe even tripling) his or her weight thanks to fat accumulation under the skin. 

As your baby gets bigger, the womb s/he calls home will get more cramped and offer less space for your baby’s flailing arms and legs. But at 29 weeks pregnant you’re feeling the pokes and jabs from baby’s elbows and knees (what do they do in there?!). Remember to monitor for fetal movement twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. It’s important to do this daily for the rest of your pregnancy.

This is sweet: your baby has a sleep and wake cycle already in practice! When s/he is less active, it could be that your little is snoozing. How cute is it to think of your tiny baby curled up for a nap in your belly while you go about your day?

Your body at 29 weeks pregnant

Now that you’re in the third trimester, being pregnant is probably getting a bit uncomfortable. You might not even recognize your own body, and there is plenty of change still to come. At 29 weeks pregnant your uterus is 11 inches from the top of your pubic bone. 

As that belly grows, it stretches, and you can experience itchiness and stretch marks. The appearance of these stretch marks will fade with time after pregnancy (there’s really no preventing them). You can help stop itchiness by applying liberal amounts of lotion on your belly.

Your breasts have added some serious heft and that means choosing a comfy bra is essential. Nursing and sports bras are two good options. If you're already leaking breastmilk, don't panic. This is normal and can happen when you're sexually aroused, when your breasts are massaged, or for no reason at all! If you're leaking a lot, nursing pads can help keep your shirt dry.

At bedtime, you might notice the sensation of restless leg syndrome or RLS, which is the constant need to move your legs. This is common when you're 29 weeks pregnant. While the cause of RLS is unknown, research suggests things like iron deficiency and caffeine intake play a role. Check that you’re getting enough iron in your diet and try to avoid caffeine right before bedtime.

Of course, it's not just your legs that are moving. Muscle spasms are common in pregnancy and some light stretching or yoga can help control these muscle spasms. Before you join a yoga class or participate in another type of fitness activity, take to your doctor or midwife to get their advice.

If you wear contacts, you might be finding it’s hard to keep them in for long periods of time. That’s because the moisture levels in your eyes have changed, which can make these lenses uncomfortable. Switch to glasses every once in a while – your eyes will thank you.

29 weeks is how many months pregnant? 

At this stage in your pregnancy, you're seven months one week (7m1w) pregnant.

How big is my baby at 29 weeks?

At 29 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a acorn squash, measuring 16 inches long and weighing 2.5 pounds on average.

Common symptoms at 29 weeks pregnant

Here are some of the pregnancy symptoms you might be experiencing at 29 weeks pregnant.

• Obvious baby movements: Your baby’s activity is at its peak during these early weeks of the third trimester. Your baby at 29 weeks probably goes through periods when he’s so active that you’ll wonder if he's having a dance party inside your belly. Other times, he may be still. This is normal, but if you think your baby is less active than usual, call your midwife or doctor.
• Fuller, healthier-looking hair: Pregnancy hormones have changed the way your body operates its hair-growth cycle: it’s currently holding on to more strands and shedding less, making your mane seem fuller and healthier. Enjoy it! Post-pregnancy you’ll likely see an increase in hair coming out as your body returns to standard operating procedures.
• Varicose and spider veins: Your body is churning out high levels of blood and your heart is pumping faster. Protruding veins, varicose veins, and spider veins may appear as evidence of all this circulatory system action.
• Puffy face: The reason? All fingers point to increased blood circulation.
• Shortness of breath: Your expanding uterus is crowding all kinds of organs, including your diaphragm (the broad flat muscle under the lungs), which has been pushed up out of its normal place. This can cause breathlessness, which can be annoying, but there’s no need to worry – you’re still breathing more deeply and taking more air into your lungs than you did pre-pregnancy.
• Heavy breasts: As your breasts continue to grow, they may begin to feel heavier. Get this: breast growth can account for one to three pounds of pregnancy weight gain! Only a portion of this weight gain is from fat. The majority comes from enlarged milk-producing glands and increased blood circulation.
• Braxton-Hicks contractions: These false labor contractions feel like a squeezing sensation at the top of your uterus, or down in your lower abdomen or groin, as your uterus exercises its muscle and builds strength in anticipation of labor. Braxton-Hicks contractions are different from true labor because they are irregular in their frequency and vary in length and intensity.
• Leaking urine: With the increasing weight and extra pressure on your bladder, you might find yourself leaking urine when you laugh, cough, and sneeze. 
• Sciatic nerve pressure: As your uterus puts pressure on two sciatic nerves, which run from your lower back down to your feet, you might be feeling pain, tingling, and numbness in your butt, hips, and thighs. Sciatica is not pleasant, but it’s usually temporary.  
• Skin changes: The skin across your abdomen may be dry and itchy from all the stretching and tightening. If your itching is severe and you have reddish, raised patches on your skin, you may have a condition called PUPPP, which stands for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. PUPPP often appears first on the abdomen and then may spread to arms, legs, buttocks, or thighs. Experts aren’t sure what causes it, but they know it’s more common among first pregnancies and women carrying multiples.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: Swelling and pregnancy weight gain could be putting pressure on a nerve in your wrist, leading to burning, numbness, tingling, and/or pain in your hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome will typically disappear after you have your baby and the swelling diminishes.
• Feeling tired again: After what was hopefully an energetic second trimester, you might find yourself feeling exhausted again. The blame falls to all the weight you’re carrying around, plus that big belly’s tendency to inhibit a good night’s sleep. Try to nap when you can, mama.

Pregnancy checklist at 29 weeks pregnant 

Here are a few things to keep in mind at 29 weeks pregnant.

• Be aware: Call your doctor immediately at any sign of bleeding, which might mean a placental abruption, when the placenta prematurely separates from the wall of the uterus. Bleeding could also be a sign of abnormal placenta location or preterm labor and require emergency medical care. 
• Think About Cord Blood Banking: It’s free to donate umbillical cord blood to public cord blood banks, and more than 25,000 people have been helped through these donations, according to the National Donor Marrow Network. Now is a good time in your pregnancy to learn more about cord blood banking and how to donate.
• Find a comfy sleep position: Is good sleep during the third trimester even an option? Between heartburn and back pain, leg cramps and loose ligaments, getting comfortable in bed can be a challenge. The best way to sleep for maximum blood flow to your baby is on your left side. Placing a pillow between your legs and one under your belly can provide essential support and comfort.

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