Week 29

Your Baby’s Development:

Right now your baby is about the size of a butternut squash and from this point forward, your little one will gain two to three ounces per day until he or she is born. Between now and week 40, the time of your baby’s due date, he or she will triple in weight! Their permanent teeth start developing around this time, so make sure you give your bundle of joy plenty of calcium.

What You Should Expect:

Although you might feel happy that your baby is healthy and growing, your cramped uterus may not give you much joy at all. In fact, chances are good that you feel lots of jabs and kicks these days and you may even take a few punches to the bladder. Your baby will most likely be showing some stronger kicks and movements and your doctor may recommend “kick counts” at this stage, which indicate your baby’s overall well-being. Expect this intense movement trend to continue for the next 10 weeks, too.

During this time, many women develop varicose veins in their legs and lower abdomen as a result of swollen blood vessels. These veins, while often genetic pregnancy symptoms, are due to a combination of increased blood volume and pregnancy hormones which cause the veins to relax.