29th week of pregnancy

We are going to talk about the 29th week of pregnancy in the forthcoming sections.

Development of the baby:

By the 29th week, length of the baby is around 15 inches. The weight gain is also significant and the baby weighs more or less 3 pounds.
The baby is gaining white fat, which insulates the body and provides energy.
The baby’s brain now has the ability to control his/her body temperature and breathing.
The baby is extremely energised at this stage, and the mother may experience lots of kicks during these days.
The brain continues to mature, and the head grows to accommodate the growing brain.
The baby can now also cough. His/her sucking ability is perfect by now.

Changes in the mother:

The uterus has risen to around 9 to 10 cm above the belly button by now.
The weight gain is around 22 to 23 pounds. The weight gain may start to accelerate from now on.
Due to the effect of progesterone, heartburn and constipation may aggravate.
Backaches and leg cramps might have become a regular feature by now.
Due to the growing uterus, many women suffer from swollen, itchy and painful veins in the rectal area, called haemorrhoids. They are harmless but cause a lot of discomfort.
At this stage, many women may also have iron deficiency. It is an important nutrient and doctor conducts a test at this stage to ensure that the woman does not have this deficiency.
Some women also suffer from supine hypertensive syndrome. This is a condition when one feels dizzy while lying down on your back and standing up quickly. All this is due to the sudden change in blood pressure and heart rate.

Attachment with the baby:

The mother knows her baby’s sleep pattern by now. She is also accustomed to the kicks and can change her time of taking rest accordingly. Excited shopping sprees are the headline of the day, and one can see the mother smiling at herself on seeing a pair of socks or a tiny frock. In spite of the troubles she is facing in the last weeks of pregnancy, she never stops preparing for the child, so that he/she gets the best on the arrival in the world.

Complications and tips:

The haemorrhoids can trouble a lot. If they are very painful or there is rectal bleeding, let your doctor know. Avoid taking any medication without consultation. Try to prevent constipation by taking a high fibre diet and lots of water.
Extreme swelling may indicate preeclampsia, a disorder only about 3 to 8 percent of the women suffer from. In such a condition, consult your doctor immediately as delay could threaten the health of your baby.
In case one suffers from mild swelling and water retention, try taking a low-salt diet. Also, reduce the consumption of diuretics such as coffee and have adequate amount of water.

Tip for dad:

While your partner might be feeling frustrated about her bloated and not-so-good looking appearance, comfort her and let her know that she is beautiful. Buy her a present and flowers, which would definitely soothe her and make her happy.

Also, get information about rules regarding the paternity leave from your office. You might soon need to apply for it.

Diet:

As mentioned, this is the time when your baby is storing a lot of energy and is developing by leaps and bounds. So you need to constantly supplement the baby’s dietary needs.
There must be adequate amount of vitamin C, calcium, iron and folic acid in your diet. Milk, cheese, orange juice, yoghurt are a must in the mother’s diet.
Tofu, dried nuts, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, pulses and even dark chocolate are considered rich in iron and must be eaten.
Folic acid, vitamin D and iron supplements can be included in your diet on the advice of the doctor. This ensures that body gets adequate amount of these important nutrients.